Studying Science Subjects on Access
If you are considering studying Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Psychology on Access, please be aware that a certain level of prior knowledge, or in the case of Maths, a prior qualification, will be required. See the relevant section(s) below with further information that you should review before making your final Access subject choices.
Maths
The topics covered in this course are very similar to those covered in Scottish Higher Maths. In order to be able to engage successfully with these topics, we require that you have completed Scottish National 5 Maths or equivalent, at grade B or above, before you commence your studies on Access. Much of the knowledge and understanding at the National 5 level will be presumed on Access Maths, and we know from experience that those who begin without that level of qualification struggle to keep up up with the pace and content of the course. For further information on what is covered in each of these qualifications, and for resources to help you revise these topics, we recommend BBC Bitesize as a useful reference and tool.
National 5 Maths: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/ztrjmp3
Higher Maths: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z6nygk7
Physics, Chemistry and Biology
The topics covered in these Access subjects are similar to those covered in the equivalent Scottish Highers, and the pace of teaching will be fast. In order to engage successfully with these topics, we require you have completed Scottish National 5 or equivalent, at grade B or above, int he relevant subject(s) before you commence your studies on Access. Much of knowledge and understanding at the National 5 level will be presumed. The pace of teaching on Access science subjects will be fast and we know from experience that those who begin without that Nat 5 level of knowledge and understanding in their subject areas will struggle to keep up with the pace and content of their course(s).
Additionally, for Physics and Chemistry, you must have knowledge and understanding of Maths at National 5 level or equivalent (see information under Maths above).
For some revision material prior to joining Access, we recommend the BBC Bitesize website links below.
Biology: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zync87h
Chemistry: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zmnp34j
Physics: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z6fsgk7
N.B. Teaching on each of these science subjects will include attending two in-person lab sessions on the main University of Glasgow campus, from which you will complete a lab report as one of your assessments (worth 25% of your overall grade). Please ensure you can attend these sessions before signing up for the course. Relevant details can be found in the Access Subject Discriptions section of this webpage.
Psychology
While there is less pre-requisite knowledge required for studying Access Psychology than in the other sciences, prospective students should be aware that this subject at the University of Glasgow is considered as a science. As such, a certain level of mathematical understanding (comparable to Nat 5 Maths) will be required to tackle the statistical elements of the Access Psychology course.