Access to Higher Education Diploma (Radiography)

Overview

• Gain essential skills in radiography
• Study cell biology and atomic structure
• Learn about the roles and responsibilities of healthcare professionals

• Develop the skills for a rewarding career
• Qualify in less than a year
• Earn a nationally recognised qualification

About your Diploma

Radiography incorporates a blend of science and medicine, studying everything from atomic structure to anatomy to give you the skills you need to start your career in radiography.

You will study core scientific and medical principles essential to working with radiation and hazardous materials safely, as well as how to provide support for the patients in your care.

An Access to Higher Education Diploma (Radiography) gives you the skills not only to pursue a career in radiography but sonography, biomedical science, microbiology, dentistry and more.

The course – and the degree you’ll be eligible to study after – will provide you with a diverse range of knowledge and skills that will be invaluable wherever your career takes you.

Getting Started

Access to Higher Education (Radiography) will prepare you for study at university, in addition to providing you with a nationally recognised qualification to improve your job prospects.

The course is developed by subject experts, in conjunction with universities to ensure the material will be of the greatest value to you when you start your degree.

This is Access to Higher Education Diploma is an online course so you can start your studies the same day you enrol. All you need to do is log in to the student portal and all your course material will be there waiting for you.

Because of this, you can progress through your course at your own pace, you can qualify within a year. You will be provided with an Individual Learning Plan that outlines the submission deadlines for your assignments to help keep you on track throughout your studies. An Access to HE Diploma can be completed within two years although on average, learners take 9 to 12 months to complete their Diploma.

learndirect is the UK’s leading online course provider, so you can be confident that you will get the support you need to succeed. In addition to our industry-leading learning platform, we’ll also provide you with a dedicated team of tutors who will help you throughout your studies. They will answer questions, mark your assignments and provide detailed feedback.

This will allow you to get the best possible grade and meet your learning goals.

Modules

The units are broken down for you here so that you can see what your qualification will include. However, the assignments you complete have been designed so that you can complete multiple tasks together where possible and you will see a different number of assignments in your personal portfolio; you will still be completing the whole qualification.

Unit 1: Preparing to Study

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand how study is organised and planned
• Understand how to apply theories of learning in relation to personal approaches to learning
• Understand a range of constraints upon study
• Understand the importance of assessment feedback

 Unit 2: Academic Writing Skills

On completion of this unit you will:

• Be able to write with relevance in responding to an academic task
• Know how to interpret and discuss ideas and issues in responding to a set, academic writing task
• Be able to summarise for academic purposes, selecting key points, information or central ideas

Unit 3: Preparing a Written Assignment

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand how to use key information sources
• Understand why sources are acknowledged and referenced
• Understand a range of reading strategies
• Understand note-making methods
• Understand how to plan, draft and produce a written assignment

Unit 4: Cell Biology 

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand the structure and organisation of cells, including stem cells
• Understand cellular metabolism
• Understand how cells grow and divide

Unit 5: Electromagnetic Spectrum

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand the principles and types of electromagnetic waves
• Understand the properties of visible and ultraviolet light
• Understand the properties of microwaves and infrared
• Understand the biohazards of ultraviolet and infrared radiation
• Understand the hazards and uses of X- Rays in medical applications

Unit 6: Atomic Structure

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand protons, neutrons and electrons in terms of their relative charges and masses
• Understand the distribution of protons, neutrons and electrons in an atom given its Atomic number and Mass number, including some isotopes
• Understand the number and relative energies of the s, p and d orbitals for the principal quantum numbers and know the shapes of s, p and d orbitals
• Understand how ionisation energies of elements relate to reactivity
• Understand the position of elements within the Periodic Table from ionisation energy data

Unit 7: The Human Muscular and Skeletal System

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand anatomical terminology
• Understand the skeletal system and locomotion
• Understand the muscular system

Unit 8: Medical Physics

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand atomic structure
• Understand the nature of alpha, beta and gamma radiation, and X-rays
• Understand the main uses of ionising radiation in monitoring and treatment
• Understand how radio isotopes are used in healthcare
• Understand the health applications of a selected part of electromagnetic spectrum
• Understand how ultrasound is used in healthcare

Unit 9: The Roles and Responsibilities of Health Care Professionals

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand the changes to the roles and responsibilities of a chosen healthcare professional
• Understand the role of professional/regulatory bodies for a healthcare professional, for example HCPC and Nursing and Midwifery Council
• Understand the current multidisciplinary approach to healthcare

Unit 10: Human Disease and Prevention

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand the categories and causes of disease using infectious disease to illustrate your answer
• Understand the epidemiology of commonly occurring diseases/conditions
• Understand preventative measures for a chosen disease or condition

Unit 11: Periodic Table

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand the periodic table
• Understand periodicity in the elements of period 3
• Understand ionisation energy
• Understand oxidation and reduction
• Understand the reactions of the Group 2 metals
• Understand the group 7 elements

Unit 12: Radioactivity

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand the main types of ionising radiations and their measurement
• Understand radioactive decay
• Understand the practical applications of ionising radiation and radioisotopes and their use with acceptable safety

Unit 13: Atomic Structure & Bonding

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand the structure of the atom
• Understand electronic structures
• Understand the formation of ionic bonds
• Understand the formation of covalent bonds

Unit 14: Statistical Research

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand how to plan for an investigation within an appropriate subject area
• Understand how to carry out an investigation by collecting and processing an appropriate range of data
• Understand how to Interpret and analyse results
• Understand how to evaluate the investigation

Unit 15: Physics

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand the connection between force and motion and be able to use Newtons Laws of Motion
• Understand conservation of energy and momentum
• Understand the concepts and vocabulary of wave motion
• Understand the straight-line model of the behaviour of light
• Understand the behaviour and properties of magnets and magnetic fields, electric charge and electric current

Unit 16: Chemical Bonding and Structure  

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand the nature of organic chemicals

Unit 17: Optics & Sound

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand the Laws of Reflection
• Understand the Laws of Refraction
• Understand the action of convex and concave lenses
• Understand the simple optics of the eye
• Understand the nature of transverse and longitudinal wave motions
• Understand how the ear detects sound waves

Requirements

Anyone wishing to continue their education with an Access to Higher Education Diploma, it is necessary they have a GCSE Grade A-C in maths and English (or Functional Skills Level 2 or new GCSE Grade 4-9) with a desire to continue a related degree at university. If you do not hold these qualifications then you must be working towards them whilst completing your Access to HE Diploma.

Our Access to Higher Education Diplomas fulfil entry criteria for a broad range of university degrees and can be used in conjunction with the standard UCAS application process. In short, Access to HE Diplomas have a track record of helping learners get to the university and degree of their choice. Learners must bear in mind each university has its own set of admission criteria and places are subject to demand. Varying admission criteria can include but are not limited to the following:

1. Number of credits to be attained at merit or distinction level.
2. Successfully passing a face-to-face interview at the University.
3. Passing a University’s proprietary literacy and numeracy assessments.
4. Completion of specified work placements or work experience.
5. GCSE Grade A-C (new system 4-9) in maths and English (or equivalent Level 2 such as Functional Skills).

Learners must undertake their own research to ensure their Diploma gives them the best possible chance of gaining entry to their university of choice. It is not possible for learndirect to accept any liability if any Access to Higher Education Diploma student fails to secure an offer from a higher education institution.

Assessment

A range of units make up this qualification, with an assignment at the end of each. You will submit your work to your tutor for marking and tailored feedback. You must acquire 60 credits in total in order to achieve the Access to HE Diploma (Radiography). Of these credits, 45 will be taken from graded units which focus on the academic subject areas included in the course. The remaining 15 come from ungraded units included to help you to improve your academic writing and study skills.

As part of your programme, you will also receive help as well as guidance on your university application and the research you need to do to get the most out of your diploma.

Qualifications

Open College Network West Midlands

On successful completion of the Open College Network West Midlands Access to Higher Education Diploma (Radiography) you will receive a QAA recognised Access to HE Diploma at level 3 (QAA ref: 40012360)

Open College Network West Midlands are a national Awarding Organisation, regulated by Ofqual, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) and Qualifications Wales, to develop and award nationally recognised qualifications.

Open College Network West Midlands work in partnership with employers, training providers, colleges, universities, schools and voluntary and community organisations to offer vocational credit-based qualifications, Access to Higher Education Diplomas and quality assured Customised Accreditation that enables learners gain employment or to progress into further learning and Higher Education. They also Quality Endorse organisations internal training and skills delivery.