Subject Guide - Humanities and Social Science

What can you study?

The Access to HE Diploma (Humanities and Social Science) opens the door to a very wide range of subjects for degree-level study, including:

Politics, Law, History, Archaeology, Human Geography, Theology, Philosophy

There are language-based subjects:

Classics, Linguistics, English Literature, modern foreign languages

Humanities also covers creative subjects such as:

History of Art, Fine Art and Performing Arts related degrees

Some social science subjects such as Economics and Criminology can be considered humanities, but the ‘science’ element places them in a distinct category along with Sociology, Psychology, Social Work, Social Policy, Political Science, Anthropology, Youth Work. There is also the interdisciplinary field of Health Humanities. Architecture is a degree that combines humanities and design.

Choosing your course – do your research

Look closely at the specific modules or units for each course you are interested in – two Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) might offer a course with the same name, eg History, but when you look at the details of the course content you will see just how completely different the courses can be. This is because the modules are generally written and taught by academics with their own specialisms.

Make sure you know which courses offer professional accreditation as part of the degree, for example if studying Economics you may want to ensure accreditation with the ACCA, CIMA or ICAEW. All Social Work degrees must be approved by Social Work England, Social Care Wales, Northern Ireland’s Social Care Council or the Scottish Social Services Council.

If you are still at the stage of researching which Access to HE Diploma is best for you, your options are as follows (depending on provision in your local colleges):

Humanities and Social Science
Humanities
Social Science

Many universities also offer a part-time option, whereby your degree would take 4-6 years to complete.

Entry requirements

Academic requirements:

Each institution will have their own entry requirements so it’s important to look up each individual HEI’s requirements before you apply – some institutions may be interested in your English and Maths qualifications at GCSE

While some will just ask you to have successfully completed an Access course, most will ask for a certain number of passes, merits and distinctions and some may ask for a certain number of tariff points to be achieved. The most competitive courses will ask for 33 of your credits to be at Distinction level.

Other requirements:

These can include experience from your paid work, life experience, voluntary or specific work experience – refer to these in your personal statement
Depending on the subject, you may need to attend an interview (common for languages for example), submit a portfolio (Fine or Performing Arts), or undertake a DBS check (especially for Social Work and related courses)

Choosing your course – alternative options

If you decide not to apply to one of the above courses or have been unsuccessful in securing an offer, you may want to look at alternative related courses.

Some HEIs offer a degree in Social Science, Humanities or Applied Humanities which are broader than the traditional single subject focus, and could be advantageous for students who want to keep their options open. There are also degrees in Humanities and Social Sciences, which might be broader still.

If you haven’t received any offers, and can’t find a course for you in Clearing, then you could consider a course with a Foundation Year included (4 years total). These will have less specific or competitive entry requirements, in recognition of diverse life experiences and because the foundation year itself is designed to support students to settle into the course and get up to speed academically.

On the UCAS website you can search by broad subject areas.

Applying to HE

You will apply for full-time courses through UCAS, and for part-time courses directly through the university.

Alongside your personal information, educational qualifications, predicted grades and references, your personal statement is a key part of your application. The UCAS website has detailed personal statement guides by subject area for applications for 2026 onwards.

Selection process – additional information to know

After you have submitted your application through UCAS, your application will be assessed by each institution you have applied to before they make a decision which you can view on your UCAS Track. Sometimes, but not always, you may be asked to go in for an interview. This will enable staff to assess your suitability for the course but also provide you with an opportunity to see if the course is right for you. The UCAS website has comprehensive interview advice.