Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social Science)

What will I learn

• Psychology
You will be introduced to key psychological approaches and debates that can be used to explain behavior, whilst gaining an understanding of key studies and evaluate methods of data gathering. You will plan and carry out a laboratory experiment in the field of cognitive psychology, using appropriate methodology.

• Sociology
You will learn how various agencies of socialisation (e.g. media, family, education etc.) influence personal identity. We will discuss key concepts such as norms, culture, stratification and inequality. You will apply sociological theories to a range of topics which might include: mass media, the family and personal life, education, globalisation, social class, ethnicity and gender.

• Mental Health
You will learn about models of mental health and apply these to a case study as well as investigate inequalities in the experiences of mental health and illness between different social groups. You will look at the treatment of mental illnesses from different psychological perspectives and discuss the relationship between mental health and substance abuse.

• Crime
You will learn about different explanations of the cause of crime and apply theories to a range of crimes such as: street crime, human trafficking and slavery and cybercrime. You will also discuss differences in gender and crime, and ethnicity and crime, and evaluate the usefulness of crime statistics. You will investigate different ways of offender profiling and evaluate the usefulness of offender profiles in cases.

• Academic development and study skills
Besides subject knowledge, academic research and writing skills are crucial in helping you with your assignments whilst preparing you for your future studies. This subject will help you to identify your own skills and those required to progress to a degree and/ or future employment. We will support you with your UCAS application and prepare you for interviews.