Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Human Biology courses

It's a long time since I posted about this but please see my latest post below. I am still a medical secretary & my passion for medicine is unchanged. I wonder if anyone can help at all?

Hi all. I have been a medical secretary now for the past 10 years and have a real passion for medicine - I've learnt so much just by typing GP letters and hospital Consultant letters.

I would love to be able to study human biology at any level but am struggling to find the right course to do this. I've seen one or two courses on the Open University site, I would need to really do something distance learning as I have a 2 1/2 year old boy and work part-time as well, but the OU courses seem to suggest you may need some lower form of qualification, maybe AS or A level.

Can anyone help me in trying to find a distance learning course in Human Biology?

Alternatively I've also seen when I've been searching that only Biology courses have tended to come up - would this be as sufficient as Human Biology as I thought that Human Biology would obviously be more specific to the human body.

Thanks. Natalie x

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 1

ash92:)

You will benefit by doing an A level in biology (and chemistry) before going on to a degree course. You may find it too overwhelming otherwise.

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Reply 2

phaseshift

Original post by leeds230

Hi Natalie,

As has already been suggested, you would probably be best studying Biology at an A2 level before moving onto a degree - whilst the AS/A2 course won't specifically look just at Human Biology (unless its a Human Biology A-Level..) it will provide a better foundation for later study. A quick Google brings up various distance learning institutions which would allow you to study for an a-level in Biology, an example being here: http://shop.oxfordcollege.ac/fast-track-a-level-courses-fast-track-a-level-in-biology-full-asa2-p-233.html

When it comes to distance learning degree courses, I think quite a few universities will offer courses which you may find interesting; however, you will probably need to talk to them directly about the course requirements and whether they can cater (for the practical element) for you as a distance learner, no doubt at least one will be able to help.

Good luck! :biggrin:

Reply 3

leeds230

Thanks for both your replies.

I'm not sure exactly where I want to take my study of Human Biology but I wasn't thinking of a degree at this stage, more just AS or A2 study.

I have found this course on the Oxford Learning site...

http://shop.oxfordcollege.ac/level-3-diploma-courses-diploma-in-human-biology-p-374.html

and this course on the Open University site...

http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/course/sk277.htm

With the latter, I would probably need previous study at Human Biology, as stated in their "Entry" section.

I studied double Science at high school and managed a CC in Chemistry, Biology and Physics but since then - 2000 - i've not studied any further in biology but have been a medical secretary in a GP practice and hospital setting for the past 10 years.

Reply 4

leeds230

Has anyone got any further ideas on this? I'd like to do a human biology course as I'm considering progressing onto physiotherapy. I've found a distance learning course for physio but would still like to take a course in human biology as well.

Reply 5

evantej

Original post by leeds230

Contact your local further education college. They will most likely deliver a HEFC. You should be able to take the human biology module on its own part-time (I did it as a night class - four hours one day a week). But in order to get into university they might want you to take the full HEFC which means studying a number of other modules full time or taking a number of years to do them part-time. This really depends upon your academic background. Physiotherapy is quite popular as you can imagine.