Can I get into investment banking or get a City job with an Access course?

I know banks look at tertiary education. They filter people by UCAS points or by looking for AAB+ achieved at A-level, or something like that.

Do I have a shot at getting a City or banking job if I work hard on an Access to Higher Education course in Business, to then maybe get into a good university such as Durham, semi-target that is, though still good? Surely, with further study after a Bachelor's degree, if I ever do go stretch my education to that extent, I have good prospects, and a chance to work in the City?

Explain the circumstances on application forms to such jobs? Could you elaborate what you're trying to say? There'd be circumstances about doing an Access course in place of A-levels lol? Yeah, I think the Access to Business course I'd do is worth 360 UCAS points at max.

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I see. Is it that the UCAS points system has changed such that the maximum to be gained can now only be 360 for both A-levels and an Access course? Or is the maximum available from Access courses 360, and the maximum available from three typical A-levels another number? If it is another number do you know what that is?

And do banks/employers filter applicants out at a different UCAS points number now to reflect on the changes to the maximum number of UCAS points available these days? I'm aware it's in the past been 320 UCAS points or AAB. Is it another number now? Is AAB the equivalent of something other than 320 UCAS points now?

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So many questions, all asking the same thing..

The new ucas point tariff includes access courses and the highest possible attainment would be equivalent to what 360 ucas points is in today's tariff.

300-340 is standard. Some banks are progressive and don't even care: i.e. Goldman.*

why indicate this as progressive?

it's still a reliable filtering mechanism on the mass scale i would imagine, and has been fairly effective

So, I have in mind for example not being able to do what would be nearly or entirely free English-taught postgraduate study or even second undergraduate degrees at abroad international universities someday if I do an Access course, because those international universities recognise A-levels, they're the standard route, but they do not recognise an Access course I think.
If I want to improve, A-levels are the greater way forward in my view. A-levels open more doors than an Access course.


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Has anyone ever known of a finance/banking/City employee who got into that industry holding an Access to Higher Education Diploma as opposed to A-Levels?

I hope to get into UCL, Durham, Manchester or Nottingham through an Access course for Business/Management degrees and the aspiration if I am to establish myself in the jobs world would be to work in investment banking, be it middle-office work, say.

I am rather worried over holding an Access course not working in my favour over A-Level candidates who've AAB and above.


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Thank you for the answer.

I think it's right to say Nottingham's Business School's degrees are the least prestigious/weakest compared to UCL's, Durham's and Manchester's.

So, International Management at Nottingham you believe may put me in a good position to get into a middle-office City or investment banking job, if I get myself the work experiences needed too?

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