Access Course in Biology - SCQF 7

In this self-guided course, you set your own study hours.

The learning resources are there for you 24/7, all year round, so you can log in and study anytime.

How many hours per week?

• Learning and assessment for this course totals approximately 150 hours.
• That’s around 10 – 15 hours per week over 12 weeks.
• This is an indicative guide to the time required for a typical student at this level to achieve the learning outcomes.

We’ll assess your learning online as you work through the course.

• You’ll have an online assessment at the end of each course unit.
• You’ll have five online assessments in total.
• Each is worth between 10% and 30% of your final grade.

Individual assessments

Your individual assessments are marked automatically online.

You’ll receive your grade for each individual assessment at the end of each assessment.

Your final overall grade

Once you’ve completed all five individual assessments, we’ll mark your overall performance and give you a final grade.

We assess final grades at specific times each year, called ‘exit points’. This is so they can be reviewed by both internal and external examiners.

Final grades are available one month after each exit point closes.

We’ll give you a final grade using our Common Grading Scale.

How exit points work

Once you complete all five assessments, we’ll determine your final grade at the next exit point.

Exit points for academic year 2022/23

Exit point 1

• Closes 10am, 20 January 2023
• We mark the assessments submitted to us before this exit point 1 closure
• Final grades for assessments submitted in exit point 1 will be available 17 February 2023

Exit point 2

• Closes 10am, 12 May 2023
• We mark the assessments submitted to us between the closure of exit point 1 and the closure of exit point 2
• Final grades for assessments submitted in exit point 2 will be available 9 June 2023

Exit point 3

• Closes 10am, 7 July 2023
• We mark the assessments submitted to us between the closure of exit point 2 and the closure of exit point 3
• Final grades for assessments submitted in exit point 3 will be available 4 August 2023

Resitting assessments

If you fail an assessment, you are allowed one resubmission attempt for the next available exit point. There is a £30 fee to resit your assessments.

Our first-class support structure will ensure that you aren’t alone in your studies. You’ll have contact with your tutors via email, MyAberdeen and Microsoft Teams. You can use social media and discussion boards to chat with your fellow students too.

We provide a wide range of services to support you in your studies and beyond:

• Careers and Employability Service
• Disability support
• IT support
• Library support
• Student Support Service – help with finances, stress, wellbeing and non-academic issues
• Student Learning Service – study support, with advice sessions available via phone or Skype
• Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA) – run by students for students
• Toolkit – clever apps and free training that can make your study life easier

Wherever you are in the world, you’ll feel part of our very special Aberdeen learning community.

You will need access to:

A computer (PC, laptop or Mac) operating on either:

• Windows 10 or later
• macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or later.

Most teaching materials are smartphone- and tablet-friendly. But we recommend a proper laptop or desktop for completing assignments comfortably.

Reliable internet access

We recommend:

• a wired connection
• a minimum download speed of 2 Mbps so you can take part fully in live sessions.

Speakers or headphones

• We recommend a headset with built-in microphone and earphones if you’re likely to study in an environment with background noise.
• A webcam is optional, but you may like to use one from some interactive sessions.

Software

We’ll give you access to Office365 applications. This means you can use online versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and install these programs on up to five personal devices.

If your course requires specialist software, we’ll provide you with access to this and a licence that lasts throughout your studies.

See our detailed IT requirements for more information.

When you study with us, you can expect a first-class support structure that means you are never alone in your studies.

But learning online does mean that you have to motivate yourself and manage your own time.

This course is very much self-guided.

• Have you ever taken a course that involved a high proportion of self-study?
• If yes, did you enjoy self-study as a way of learning?

Self-study isn’t for everyone. If you’ve struggled in the past, or have any concerns, please get in touch.

Staff discount

University of Aberdeen staff are entitled to a 10% discount on this course. View full details and eligibility criteria.

No other discounts are available.

How to pay

• Your course fee needs to be paid in full before you start your course.
• You enrol and pay for your course online – simply apply below.
• We accept payment via Visa Debit, Visa Credit and Mastercard.

Fees for this course will rise a little at the start of each academic year, on 1 August. This increase is typically 5%.

Learning resources

Access to all the books and learning resources you need are included in your course fee. They’ll be made available to you online.

Optional book purchases

You may want to purchase a textbook to help you study, but this is entirely optional. No book purchases are needed for you to pass this course.

The recommended textbook for this course is:

• Scholar Advanced Higher Biology.

The following is suggested as a revision aid:

• How to Pass SQA Advanced Higher Biology (Dickson and Moffat).

Printing

You may want to set aside a small budget for printing, depending on how you like to work.