Getting into a UK uni via an Access Course

iamBevan

Hi guys - I was hoping that someone maybe had some experience or knowledge about using an access course as a way of getting into uni to study physics. I'm hoping to get into Swansea Uni in the next two years, and have already spoken to the admissions department. As expected - the focus is very much on A-Level Maths - even over A-Level physics.
As a mature student though I'm finding it very difficult to find a college that offers A-Level physics that is within an hours drive.

I have however, found a college which is reasonably close offering the following: https://www.colegsirgar.ac.uk/index....id=280&lang=en

Does anyone know if a university such as Swansea would accept something like this?

Thanks - Kev.

Ryker

Ask them, not us. I seriously don't understand threads like these. You've got a specific question for a specific university, yet you turn to the general population of Physics Forums, none of which, I assume, are employed at that specific university to provide the answer.

iamBevan

Maybe my question could be: "How does one contact a university's admissions department at 7am on a Sunday morning?" I plan to ask them. I was SIMPLY looking for a little bit of advice. Grow up.

iamBevan

Also, your assumption is stupid.

Ryker

Alright, let's wait for those Swansea university admissions officers to storm in and prove my assumption wrong. Any second now...

iamBevan

Why so hostile? I asked my question politely enough.

Ryker

Alright, fair enough. My point was just that it's pointless to ask such a specific question here, but perhaps someone will be able to answer it nonetheless.

NatJS

I think it depends on where the access course you study is from. I did the Maths & Physics Cert of Higher Education (more or less A-level maths and physics) and have been offered places at Surrey, Bristol, King's, QMUL and Edinburgh so you can definitely do it. I would say that doing the A-levels is probably a bit more rigorous as certain things are glossed over on an access course just because there isn't time to teach everything in just one year, but by and large it's the same thing. The best thing to do is to email specific universities that you're interested in attending and asking them if they accept the qualification that you're thinking of doing.

Alternatively, you'll find that some universities (e.g. Bristol) offer a preliminary year that's equivalent to the access courses you're looking at, which then leads into the first year of the undergrad degree. You spend 4 years doing a BSc effectively, without any qualifications necessary to start. It may be a bit late to organise it to start this year but it's worth doing some quick research and contacting unis directly even if you've missed their published deadlines for applications.

Kaldanis

I know that Southampton Uni offers an access year on their physics degree for people who don't have the required maths, hopefully other universities near you offer the same! I'm a mature student too and maths was by far the biggest obstacle, but I was lucky enough to have a college very close by that allowed me to study what I was missing, along with a boss who was happy enough to let me work any hours I could around my studies. Good luck!

streeters

I got into a Russell Group uni after doing a course very similar to this.
The course I did:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/study/ce2011/ac.../UEHPHYMA.html

I got offers from Aston, Warwick, Birmingham, Nottingham, and Leeds.

So you should be fine.