How to Apply to Life Sciences and Medicine at the University of Leeds: Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Biochemistry, Neuroscience, Pharmacology and More, with UCAT and Interviews for MBChB, and Requirements for UK, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

The University of Leeds is in Leeds, in the north of England. Life sciences degrees are mainly taught by the Faculty of Biological Sciences; medicine (MBChB) and other healthcare courses sit in the Faculty of Medicine and Health, with MBChB run by the School of Medicine. This guide summarises Leeds’s official information for September 2027 entry for UK applicants, international applicants, applicants from China (their own section) and transfer students, with a separate section on MBChB.

1. Which life sciences and medicine degrees are offered

• Faculty of Biological Sciences (three-year BSc, plus four-year MBiol integrated Masters): you apply directly to a named course. The course pages read for this guide and their UCAS codes are Biology (C100), Biomedical Sciences (B100), Biochemistry (C700), Neuroscience (B140), Pharmacology (B210), Genetics (C400), Microbiology (C500), Zoology (C300), Biological Sciences (C701), Ecology and Conservation Biology (C180) and Biological Sciences (Biotechnology with Enterprise) (C910); four-year versions include Biology MBiol, BSc (C109). The Faculty’s undergraduate page groups them as biology (Biology, Ecology and Conservation Biology, Genetics, Zoology), biomedical sciences (Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Sport and Exercise Sciences) and molecular and cellular biology (Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Biotechnology with Enterprise, Microbiology). Sport and Exercise Sciences was not read page by page.
• On the course page, the Biomedical Sciences first year covers anatomy and physiology of the main body systems, cell biochemistry, microbiology, pharmacology and neuroscience; if you do not want to specialise yet, this broad degree lets you decide later.
• Faculty of Medicine and Health undergraduate courses: the School of Medicine’s undergraduate page lists Audiology, Cardiac Physiology, Medicine, Medical Ultrasound (Sonography) and Radiography. Entry requirements other than MBChB were not read here; check the course pages. Biomedical engineering is an engineering subject and is not covered.
• Accreditation: most biological sciences course pages mention Royal Society of Biology (RSB) Advanced Degree Accreditation, and the Biology MBiol page says the programme is accredited. Check each course page for which version is covered. On the Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience and Pharmacology pages, the accreditation paragraph names an industrial variant that does not match the course title, so rely on the course page and the admissions team.

2. Prerequisites and grades: UK applicants

• BSc A-level requirements (course pages: “AAB, specific subject requirements”): AAB including specified subjects:
  - Biology, Genetics, Zoology, Ecology and Conservation Biology: must include Biology and preferably another science or science-related subject; if Biology is the only science subject, an A in Biology is required.
  - Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Biological Sciences, Biotechnology with Enterprise: must include Biology or Chemistry plus another science or science-related subject.
  - Biochemistry: must include Chemistry plus another science subject.
  Accepted sciences are Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics (Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience and Pharmacology also list PE); the Biology page also lists science-related subjects: Computing, Environmental Science, Food Science, Geography, Geology, PE, Psychology and Statistics. Critical Thinking and General Studies are excluded. For A-level sciences taken in England, a pass in the practical element is required.
• MBiol (four years): the Faculty’s BSc or Integrated Masters page says integrated Masters entry requirements are normally higher than for the BSc, with AAA (usually in two science or science-related subjects); the Biology MBiol page states AAA including Biology.
• EPQ / IPQ and similar: the EPQ, Cambridge IPQ, Core Maths or AS Maths (where full A-level Maths or Further Maths is not taken) and the Welsh ASCC may attract an alternative offer one grade lower, for example ABB at A-level plus an A in one of them for BSc applicants.
• GCSE: Maths grade 6 (B) or above and English grade 4 (C) or above; the Faculty accepts Level 2 Functional Skills as equivalent to C/4 in English.
• Scotland, Ireland and others (Biology page): Scottish applicants need five Highers at AABBB with AB in two Advanced Highers including Biology (Highers alone are not accepted); the Irish Leaving Certificate (Higher Level) needs H2, H2, H2, H2, H3 and H3 with an H2 in Biology; Cambridge Pre-U is D3/D3/M1 including Biology; the BTEC Extended Diploma needs DDM plus A/B in A-level Biology (Applied Science BTECs may use Mathematics, Chemistry or Physics instead); the Access to HE Diploma needs 60 credits with 45 at Level 3, graded D39M6P0, including Distinctions in Biology and in Mathematics or Chemistry.
• Contextual offers: the typical Access to Leeds offer is BBB for the BSc and ABB for Biology MBiol. The scheme is for UK students from lower-income households, first-generation applicants, those whose studies were disrupted, or those from areas with low participation in higher education.

3. Admissions tests, interviews and how decisions are made

• The biological sciences course pages do not mention an admissions test or an interview. To confirm, email fbsadmissions@leeds.ac.uk. Intake numbers and cut-offs are not published.
• Applications go through UCAS; Leeds says it usually asks for a personal statement and a reference, and the course pages show no additional essay. Offer holders are invited to offer holder events.
• MBChB has its own UCAT and interview process, covered in section 6.

4. Course structure, placement year and switching

• Common first year and switching: most degrees in the Faculty share the same compulsory first-year modules, so you can transfer to other degrees in the same school at the end of Year 1, with more courses possibly open depending on your background; every transfer must be discussed with your personal tutor or programme leader. Biology Year 1 compulsory modules are Living Planet, The Basis of Life, Laboratory and Experimental Skills and Unlocking Scientific Success (20 credits each) and Introduction to Genetics and Using Biology to Feed the World (10 credits each).
• Broad and specialist degrees: Biomedical Sciences, Biological Sciences and Biology are broad-based, with module choices opening up after Year 2; Sport and Exercise Sciences, Neuroscience, Biochemistry and Genetics are specialist degrees.
• BSc and MBiol: transfer or progression onto the MBiol/MSci currently requires a minimum average mark of 65% at the end of Year 2; a confirmation point at the end of Year 3 normally requires at least 65% in the project module and 65% average; if you decide against the fourth year you can transfer to the BSc at any time.
• Placement year and year abroad: Leeds says all degree courses offer an industrial placement year between Years 2 and 3, extending your studies by 12 months; placements can be research-based or non-lab roles, and you can combine a year of work and time abroad. You do not have to decide before applying; the Faculty’s employability team helps in Year 2. Leeds gives the average salary of a paid placement as around £16,000–£18,000 a year and notes unpaid placements are also an option. Completing it adds “industrial” to the degree title.
• Fieldwork: the Biology page mentions fieldwork in the UK, Spain and South Africa and lists field course modules such as a UK habitats course.

5. International applicants: grades and fees

• IB: BSc courses ask for 31 points overall with 6, 6, 5 at Higher Level in the required subjects (for Biology, Genetics, Zoology and Ecology the HL subjects must include Biology, and a 6 in Biology if it is the only HL science; Biochemistry needs Chemistry plus another science; Biomedical Sciences and similar need Biology or Chemistry plus another science); Biology MBiol asks for 31 overall with 6, 6, 6 at HL.
• Other international qualifications: the Faculty’s international students page sends you to the international entry requirements page to look up your country, and says more than 70 countries are represented in its community.
• International tuition (per year, fixed for the degree): the biological sciences course pages above all state £33,800.
• Foundation: international students who do not meet the academic requirements may be able to take the University of Leeds International Foundation Year; Leeds also offers Studies in Science with Foundation Year BSc and similar foundation-year degrees for applicants with particular backgrounds.

6. Medicine and Surgery MBChB (direct-entry undergraduate degree)

• The course: Medicine and Surgery MBChB, UCAS code A100, five years full time, with mandatory clinical placements, run by the School of Medicine.
• Grades: A-level AAA including Chemistry and Biology; a fourth A-level gives no advantage and an A* cannot compensate for a B in another subject; the EPQ and Core Maths are not considered in scoring. GCSE: at least six GCSEs at grade 6 or above including Maths, English Language, Biology and Chemistry (or Dual Science), with scoring based on eight GCSEs. IB: 36 points with 6 in three Higher Level subjects including Chemistry and Biology. Leeds does not accept BTECs or T Levels for this course.
• UCAT: all applicants must take the UCAT in the year of application; BMAT and GAMSAT are not accepted. Shortlisting for interview is points-based, using the top eight GCSE results, the top three predicted grades, the UCAT score and contextual information; Leeds says there is no fixed UCAT cut-off.
• Interview: for 2027 entry, face-to-face interviews are on 4, 5 and 6 January 2027, overseas interviews are carried out online, in multiple mini-interview format. Leeds says an offer after interview depends entirely on interview performance, not on predicted or achieved grades or UCAT scores.
• Deadline: all applications must reach UCAS by 15 October of the year before entry; later applications are not accepted and the School does not use UCAS Extra. International students have the same deadline. For 2027 entry that date was 15 October 2026, which had passed when this guide was written; check Leeds for the next deadline.
• International applicants: IELTS 7.5 overall with 7.5 in Spoken English; international tuition £50,500 a year. The course page does not say whether international places are limited; email ugmadmissions@leeds.ac.uk.
• Other requirements: evidence of full-time education within the last five years; an Enhanced DBS check (people who have lived outside the UK need a criminal record check from each relevant country) and occupational health clearance.
• Applicants from China: Leeds’s China page says applicants to the School of Medicine or Dentistry cannot enter on the Gaokao alone and must complete a foundation programme or hold A-levels, the IB or similar Level 3 qualifications.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: Leeds’s “Qualifications from China” page accepts the Gaokao and senior high school graduation, and notes that “some programmes require A Level Maths alongside the Gaokao”. Typical undergraduate requirements are given as 75–85% in the Gaokao depending on the subject, plus an overall average of 80% with at least 80% in relevant subject areas in senior high school Years 1 and 2, and the senior high school graduation certificate. The exact Gaokao level for the biological sciences courses, and whether A-level subjects are also required, is not published on the course pages; email fbsadmissions@leeds.ac.uk.
• Other Chinese qualifications: the same page accepts the Maple Leaf World School Program Diploma at 75–85% depending on the subject.
• Foundation: applicants who do not meet these requirements (and those applying to the School of Medicine or Dentistry) must complete a foundation programme such as the University of Leeds International Foundation Year (IFY), or take A-levels or the IB. IFY entry from China is an overall average of 80% (grade B) with at least 80% in relevant subjects in senior high school Year 3, and the same scores from Year 2 are accepted; the IFY English requirement (Arts and Social Science, Business, Design, Engineering and Science routes) is IELTS 5.5 with 5.5 in each component. Check the IFY pages for which degrees each route leads to.
• English: the China page gives the undergraduate minimum as the Maple Leaf English 12 module at 65% or above, IELTS 6.0 overall, or GCSE English C/4 or an equivalent; where your course asks for more, follow the course page (see the English language requirements section below).
• Transcripts, verification bodies and interviews: the China page does not name a transcript verification body or list interviews. For the documents Chinese students need, check Leeds’s international application pages or email the International Office (internationaloffice@leeds.ac.uk).

8. English language requirements

• The biological sciences course pages (Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Biochemistry, Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Genetics, Microbiology, Zoology, Biological Sciences, Ecology and Conservation Biology, Biotechnology with Enterprise and Biology MBiol) all state IELTS 6.0 overall with no component below 5.5; MBChB asks for IELTS 7.5 overall with 7.5 in Spoken English. Other English qualifications are on Leeds’s English language equivalents page.
• University-wide (international entry requirements page): the undergraduate minimum is IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.0 overall with no component below 5.5 (some courses ask for more). IELTS results must be no more than two years old at the course start date, taken at a test centre, and met through a single test or a single test plus One Skill Retake. Equivalent scores for TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, LanguageCert, Cambridge English and other tests are in the comparison tables on Leeds’s international entry requirements page.
• International students who fall short of the English requirement may be able to take Leeds’s undergraduate pre-sessional English course.

9. Transfer and advanced entry

• Leeds’s application page says many schools will consider requests to transfer from another university. You usually need to show that you have met the course’s standard first-year entry requirements and are performing well in a degree that is relevant to the new course. Within the Faculty, the shared first-year modules let you transfer to other degrees in the same school at the end of Year 1 (section 4).
• Whether direct entry to Year 2 is possible, how many credits are needed and whether places exist are not published on the course pages; contact the admissions email on the course page (fbsadmissions@leeds.ac.uk (ugmadmissions@leeds.ac.uk for MBChB)).

10. Tuition fees and scholarships

• UK students: undergraduate tuition for 2027/28 entry is £10,050. Later years follow the UK government’s fee cap, and Leeds says that from 2028/29 fees are likely to rise each year at least in line with inflation. Eligible UK students can take a government tuition fee loan. The Leeds fees page refers only to “UK students” and does not split England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland; check Leeds and your funding body for eligibility.
• International students: the fee is shown on each course page, applies for each year of full-time study and stays the same for the whole degree (each subject section below gives the figures for the courses covered here). Leeds says the fee covers tuition, exam costs and students’ union membership.
• Placement or year abroad: fees are substantially reduced. For 2027/28 entry Leeds gives £1,505 for UK students and £4,575 for international students.
• Scholarships: the international scholarships page says Leeds offers more than £20 million in scholarships for international students and points to a scholarships directory where you can search by criteria. Whether each award is assessed automatically and which are open to international undergraduates is not stated on the pages read for this guide; check the scholarships directory and each award’s page.

11. How to apply and timeline (September 2027 entry)

• Apply through UCAS, the same way for international and UK applicants. Check course codes and deadlines on the UCAS website.
• Leeds’s dates page (titled for the 2026-27 cycle): 13 January 2027 is the UCAS equal consideration deadline, and applications after it may still be accepted if the course has places; universities must decide on applications received by that date by 12 May 2027; teaching begins on 27 September 2027.
• The UCAS deadline for medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses is 15 October 2026 (MBChB does not use UCAS Extra, and international applicants have the same deadline; that date has passed).
• Application contents: the reference on the UCAS form from your current or most recent school or college, and a personal statement; international applicants can also upload transcripts and certificates, an English language certificate and a passport. Deferred entry is typically welcome: apply in your final school year and explain your reasons in the personal statement, but you must still meet your offer conditions in the year you apply.
• Access to Leeds (the contextual admissions scheme for UK students) opens on 21 September 2026; the deadline for most courses is 21 January 2027.
• Leeds also publishes an Admissions Policy for 2027-28 with more detail on the process.

Checklist

UK applicants:

• BSc: A-level AAB including the specified Biology or Chemistry subjects, a pass in the science practical, GCSE Maths 6/B and English 4/C; MBiol asks for AAA
• Apply through UCAS by 13 January 2027 (MBChB deadline was 15 October 2026 and has passed); eligible applicants also apply to Access to Leeds

International applicants:

• BSc: IB 31 points (HL 6, 6, 5) in the required subjects; IELTS 6.0 (5.5 per component); tuition £33,800 a year
• MBChB: IB 36 points with 6 in three HL subjects including Chemistry and Biology; IELTS 7.5 (7.5 in Spoken English); tuition £50,500; UCAT and online interview

Applicants from China:

• Gaokao 75–85% depending on the subject plus an 80% Year 1–2 average; ask fbsadmissions@leeds.ac.uk for the exact figure for biological sciences courses; medicine cannot be entered on the Gaokao alone; otherwise take the International Foundation Year, A-levels or the IB

Transfer students:

• Show you meet first-year entry requirements and are doing well in a relevant degree; email fbsadmissions@leeds.ac.uk for the specifics

Sources: University of Leeds, Biological Sciences undergraduate; Flexible degrees; BSc or Integrated Masters; Industrial placement year; International students; Biology BSc; Biomedical Sciences BSc; Biochemistry BSc; Neuroscience BSc; Pharmacology BSc; Genetics BSc; Microbiology BSc; Zoology BSc; Biological Sciences BSc; Ecology and Conservation Biology BSc; Biotechnology with Enterprise BSc; Biology MBiol, BSc; School of Medicine undergraduate; MBChB overview; Medicine and Surgery MBChB; UK qualifications accepted; Application dates; How to apply; Undergraduate fees; International entry and English requirements; Qualifications from China; International Foundation Year entry; International scholarships. Information is for September 2027 entry. Check Leeds and UCAS for the latest details.