Course Catalogue

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The Top-Up programme is a preparation course for Higher Education that is designed for students who are currently applying for, or considering applying for, higher education courses.

The timetable consists of 1 x 1hr UCAS workshop, 1 x 1 hr Top-Up Workshop/Talk, 10x1hr in-school taught classes/tutorials and one 6hr visit to campus which includes participation in a seminar and lecture.

Participants must attend a Focus West target school or Local Authority selected state-school, be in S5 or S6 and intending to apply to University. See the following webpage for more information on participating schools - http://www.gla.ac.uk/about/wideningparticipation/programmesummary/targetschools/#/ 

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Assessment is conducted using the following methods -

Submission of an essay which illustrates an understanding of the question and presents a range of arguments with supporting evidence which is properly referenced - 45% weighting

A student's preparation before and the quality of argument and contribution to the group discussion during a seminar - 40% weighting

A student's overall ability, understanding and motivation over the course is recorded by course tutors during taught classes and this is supplemented by a reflective account - 15% weighting

Reassessment is not available for summative assessments.

The Top-Up programme aims to raise aspiration and prepare applicants' for the transition to, and success in Higher Education (HE) or College by:

■ Equipping participants with the essential learning skills required to become successful independent learners

■ Providing opportunities and experiences to develop and apply key skills learned through a range of academic tasks

■ To provide an access route into HE or Further Education via admissions progression agreements HEI's across Scotland.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Develop an understanding of the UCAS application process, and conduct independent research regarding HE, course options and career pathways.

■ Apply a range of note-taking strategies and recognise the importance of summarising and identifying key ideas and related issues in an academic lecture environment

■ Conduct independent research from a range of source materials to inform understanding of an academic topic/subject of choice

■ Critically evaluate source materials in preparation for taking part in a seminar/tutorial and for writing an academic essay

■ Confidently present on a given subject, using evidence based arguments, during a group discussion in an academic seminar environment

■ Understand and apply the rules and conventions of academic writing: employing a referencing system; presentation and structure; and grammar and syntax

■ Convey your research on your chosen topic/subject in a piece of academic writing which adheres to HE standards in terms of its critical approach and use of supporting evidence

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.