How to Apply to Life Sciences and Medicine-Related Degrees at the University of Bath: Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacology and Pharmacy (MPharm) With Optional Placement, an Interview for Pharmacy, and Entry Requirements for Home, International (Including Chinese) and Year 2 Transfer Applicants

The University of Bath’s life-science and health-related undergraduate courses come mainly from the Department of Life Sciences, with the Department for Health collaborating on Biomedical Sciences. This guide sets out what you need to know for September 2027 entry, based on Bath’s official information, for Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacology and Pharmacy, for UK applicants, international applicants (including students at high schools in China) and students who want to join Year 2. Psychology, Sport, exercise and health, Chemistry and Natural sciences have their own subject pages and are not covered here; Bath’s 2027 undergraduate subject list does not include a medicine degree (MBBS/MD), and biomedical engineering is not part of this guide.

1. The courses and how you are admitted

• Biology: BSc three years (UCAS G110), a four-year version with professional placement, and an MBiol of four years (five with placement). Bath calls it the broadest of its biosciences courses, from molecules to the global ecosystem with a focus on evolution at the level of DNA; from Year 2 you choose options alongside core units in evolution and genomics. Personal statements geared to medicine or dentistry cannot be considered; Bath suggests biomedical science or biochemistry instead.
• Biochemistry: BSc three years (G120), a four-year version with placement, and an MBiochem of four years (five with placement). A laboratory-based science on the molecular processes within and related to living organisms; Year 1 gives a broad grounding in biosciences and from Year 2 you choose options such as developmental biology, genomics, neuroscience, cancer biology and microbiology; there is a dedicated research project. Statements geared to medicine or dentistry are accepted.
• Biomedical Sciences: BSc three years (G130), a four-year version with placement, and an MBiomed of four years (five with placement). Human health and the causes, prevention and treatment of disease, covering genetics, genomics, human physiology, cancer, pathology, infection and immunity, molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry and pharmacology; developed with the Department for Health and the Department of Life Sciences, with core units across both in the first two years and options in the second and penultimate years. Statements may relate to biomedical sciences, medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or subjects allied to medicine.
• Pharmacology: BSc three years (M110), a four-year version with placement, and an MPharmacol of four years with placement. Bath stresses that pharmacology is taught from day one rather than after a general core science year, with practical classes, a research project and industry links, for those who do not want a patient-facing role.
• Pharmacy (MPharm): four years (M100). Human physiology, pharmacology, pharmaceutics and medicinal chemistry alongside clinical topics, with clinical placements from Year 1 and a research project; the content reflects the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) standards for pharmacist training from October 2023, including more placement time and prescribing skills. Bath also lists MPharm versions delivered at the University of Plymouth (including a five-year version with a preparatory year), which are not covered here.
• You apply directly to a course through UCAS. Bath’s Biomedical Sciences selection page says the three-year, four-year (with placement) and MBiomed versions are considered equally and you can switch between them during the application process, with no benefit in using more than one UCAS choice. Whether you can change course after enrolling, and the grades needed, are not on the course pages (not published; ask the department).
• Accreditation: the Biology, Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences pages say Bath is going through reaccreditation with the Royal Society of Biology and awaiting the outcome; Pharmacy is fully accredited by the GPhC; the Pharmacology page does not mention accreditation (not published).
• Teaching: typical first-year timetabled hours are 10 to 18 a week for Biology and Biomedical Sciences, 16 to 20 for Pharmacology and 12 to 24 for Pharmacy.
• Placement: the biosciences courses and Pharmacology can include a year-long professional placement; Bath mentions links with industry and research institutions, and the pages do not say placements are guaranteed (check the website). Pharmacy has clinical placements from Year 1 (course page); see it for details.

2. Entry requirements: A-levels, IB and other UK qualifications

The following are the conditions on the 2027 course pages; all courses ask for GCSE English Language or Literature at 4/C (Biology, Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences accept a Category C English test instead; Pharmacology and Pharmacy accept a Category B test).

Course	Typical A-level offer	Contextual offer (UK fee status only)	IB Diploma (Higher Level)
Biology G110	AAB including A in Biology and A in a second science or mathematics subject	BBB or ABC including B in Biology and B in a second science or mathematics subject	36 points, HL 6, 6, 5 including 6 in Biology and 6 in the second subject; contextual 35 points, HL 5, 5, 5 or 6, 5, 4
Biochemistry G120	AAB including A in Biology and A in Chemistry	BBB or ABC including B in Biology and B in Chemistry	36 points, HL 6, 6, 5 including 6 in Biology and 6 in Chemistry; contextual 35 points, HL 5, 5, 5 or 6, 5, 4
Biomedical Sciences G130	AAA or A*AB including A in Biology and A in Chemistry	ABB including Biology and Chemistry, with A in one of them	36 points, HL 6, 6, 6 or 7, 6, 5 including 6 in Biology and 6 in Chemistry; contextual 36 points, HL 6, 5, 5 including 5 in each and 6 in one
Pharmacology M110	AAB including Chemistry and one other science or mathematics subject	BBB or ABC including B in Chemistry and B in one other science or mathematics subject	36 points, HL 6, 6, 5 including Chemistry and a second science or mathematics course; contextual 35 points, HL 5, 5, 5 or 6, 5, 4
Pharmacy M100	AAB including Chemistry and one other science or mathematics subject	BBB or ABC including B in Chemistry and B in one other science or mathematics subject	35 points, HL 6, 6, 5 including Chemistry and a second science or mathematics course (the SL-exception line on the same page says 36 points, so the page is inconsistent; check it); contextual 35 points, HL 5, 5, 5 or 6, 5, 4

• What counts as the second subject: for Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Environmental Science, Geography, Geology, Mathematics or Further Mathematics, Physics, Psychology or Statistics; for Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Biology or Human Biology and the same list without Chemistry. For Biomedical Sciences, A-level Biology and Chemistry are essential and the strongest applications study a third science (such as Computer Science, Economics, Environmental Science, Geography, Geology, Further Mathematics, Mathematics, Medical Science, Physics, Psychology or Statistics); applications without one are still considered, with the strongest instead having a subject that enhances the academic profile (for example English, History, Law, Philosophy, Politics, Religious Studies or Sociology).
• Alternative offers (more than three A-levels, not eligible for a contextual offer): Biology ABB (A in Biology, B in the second subject); Biochemistry ABB (Biology and Chemistry with A in one); Pharmacology and Pharmacy ABB (B in Chemistry and B in the other subject); each plus an A in an EPQ/IEPQ, a B in Core Mathematics, a B in AS Mathematics or Statistics (if not taking the A-level), a B in a fourth A-level (where the four include Mathematics or Statistics) or another recognised project qualification; Biomedical Sciences AAB (A in Biology and A in Chemistry) with similar conditions. You receive each offer you qualify for and need to meet only one.
• Biomedical Sciences is highly selective: Bath says the course is extremely popular, places are limited, and an offer is not guaranteed even if you meet or exceed the typical requirements. It weighs GCSE profile about 50% (best eight grades including Mathematics and at least one English Language or Literature subject; the strongest applicants have had mostly 9 or A*), predicted or achieved grades about 20% (Biology and Chemistry especially), subjects studied about 20% and personal statement about 10%. The other four pages do not state weightings.
• Other UK qualifications: BTEC National Extended Diploma: Biology DDD plus A in A-level Biology (Applied Science); Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences DMM in Applied Science plus A in Biology and A in Chemistry; Pharmacology and Pharmacy DDD plus A in A-level Chemistry (Applied Science, excluding Physical Science). T Levels: not accepted for Biochemistry or Biomedical Sciences; for Biology a Science T Level with A in the core component plus A in A-level Biology; for Pharmacology a Science T Level (Laboratory Sciences specialism) plus A in A-level Chemistry, and for Pharmacy a Science or Healthcare Science T Level plus A in A-level Chemistry, usually with an interview. Advanced Highers: Biology AB (A in Biology), Biochemistry AB, Biomedical Sciences AA (Biology and Chemistry), Pharmacology and Pharmacy AB (including Chemistry). Access to HE Diplomas in Science or Science and Engineering are considered with credit and subject requirements that differ by course (see the course pages), and suitable applicants are interviewed. Bath does not differentiate A-level requirements between England, Wales and Northern Ireland; rules for the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales differ by offer (see the course page).
• US AP: Biology 5, 5, 4 including 5 in Biology and 5 in another science or mathematics subject; Biochemistry 5, 5, 4 including 5 in Biology and Chemistry; Biomedical Sciences 5, 5, 5 including Biology and Chemistry; Pharmacology and Pharmacy 5, 5, 4 including Chemistry and one other mathematics or science subject (at most one Calculus AP counts; AP Seminar and AP Research do not). All are assessed individually.
• Maths tests: none of these five course pages lists a separate maths test.

3. Pharmacy: interview, declarations and background checks

• Bath says Pharmacy applicants must declare relevant spent or unspent criminal convictions in the UCAS application, and anyone declaring one is contacted for more information. You also need an Enhanced DBS check during your first semester; if it shows a conviction, caution, reprimand or warning that is unacceptable under Bath’s Fitness to Practise policy, you must withdraw. The DBS check costs about £55, plus the DBS update service at £16 a year.
• Interview: applicants assessed as suitable are invited to a selection interview, and if you apply from outside the UK, Bath arranges a remote interview. You complete a Fitness to Practise self-declaration, which includes a written declaration of any medical conditions or disabilities. You will not receive an offer unless you are successful at interview (a General Pharmaceutical Council requirement). For BTEC applicants, Organic Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Calculation skills are examined at interview.
• Personal statement: Bath says it should show your understanding of the pharmacist’s role and of NHS values, and may include volunteering or work in pharmacy or related healthcare; if you have also applied for medicine, dentistry or veterinary science, the same statement is used.
• Bath’s contextual admissions page says the five-year MPharm with preparatory year does not make contextual offers.

4. International applicants

• How to apply: all undergraduate applications go through UCAS with institution code B16; the process is the same for international students. For the UCAS application fee and the exact reference and personal statement formats, check the UCAS website. Bath’s page says you need the course’s UCAS code and the institution code, and that the academic reference should come from your most recent place of education; the personal statement is submitted through UCAS.
• After you apply: you receive an Application Tracker account to follow your application and upload documents Bath asks for; Bath asks you to check it regularly because missing documents slow down processing.
• Interviews: Bath says it usually assesses the UCAS application and only invites applicants with qualifications that are harder to assess on paper (such as Access to HE diplomas) or less typical educational histories; see the note under each course’s entry requirements.
• English preparation: if you need to improve your English, a pre-sessional English course runs in the summer before the first semester (Academic Skills Centre); Bath’s representatives in your country can help with applications.
• Student visa and proof of funds: Bath’s application page says you need proof of English to meet Home Office standards for a Student visa and links to the UK government’s Student visa page. The amount of funds to show and credential evaluation are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the UK government Student visa pages and Bath’s international student pages.
• English (Category C): if you do not meet the GCSE English 4/C requirement you need an English test. IELTS 6.5 with at least 6.0 in every component; TOEFL iBT taken after 21 January 2026: 4.5 overall and at least 4.0 in each component (earlier tests: 90 overall and 21 in each); PTE Academic 62 with no element below 59 (PTE Academic Online is not accepted); Duolingo taken after 1 July 2024: 120 overall with Speaking, Writing and Reading 110 and Listening 105; LanguageCert Academic 70 with at least 65 in each component. See Bath’s Category C page for the full list.
• Pharmacology and Pharmacy use Category B English (higher than Category C): IELTS 7.0 with at least 6.5 in every component; TOEFL iBT taken after 21 January 2026: 5 overall and at least 4.5 in each component (earlier tests: 100 overall and 24 in each); PTE Academic 69 with no element below 62 (PTE Academic Online is not accepted); Duolingo taken after 1 July 2024: 130 overall with Speaking 120, Writing 130, Reading 120 and Listening 115; LanguageCert Academic 75 with at least 70 in each component. See Bath’s Category B page for the full list. The Category C standard in the previous item applies to Biology, Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences.
• Grades and credentials: course pages have a selector for the country or region of your qualification; students taking A-levels or the IB Diploma, in the UK or abroad, follow the requirements above.
• International Foundation Year: the course pages point to the International Foundation Year at Bath’s International Study Centre on campus, with guaranteed progression to your chosen degree if you reach the required grades. Which foundation pathway leads to which life-science course and the grades needed are not on the course pages; check the International Study Centre pages.
• Contextual offers: Bath says these are only for students eligible for UK fees who meet one of its socio-economic criteria (such as a free-school-meals record, a high-disadvantage postcode with state-school study, care experience or refugee status), and only for A-level or IB Diploma applicants; they are automatic and replace the typical and alternative offers. International applicants with Overseas fee status (including applicants from China) therefore look at the typical and alternative offers. Bath adds that for most courses the contextual offer is two grades lower than the typical offer, and one grade lower for a few joint courses.
• International students and Pharmacy: Bath’s course page has no specific policy statement for international Pharmacy students (for example on professional registration after graduating); contact the admissions team.

5. Applicants from China

• Gaokao and AST (Chinese qualifications section of each course page):
  • Biology: Gaokao 75% overall including 80% in Biology and 80% in a second science or mathematics subject; AST 210, 210, 190 including 210 in Biology and 210 in the second subject.
  • Biochemistry: Gaokao 75% overall including 80% in Biology and 80% in Chemistry; AST 210, 210, 190 including 210 in Biology and Chemistry.
  • Biomedical Sciences: Gaokao 80% overall including 80% in Biology and 80% in Chemistry; AST 210, 210, 210 or 230, 210, 190 including 210 in Biology and Chemistry.
  • Pharmacology and Pharmacy: Gaokao 75% overall including 80% in Chemistry and 80% in a second science or mathematics subject; AST 210, 210, 190 including Chemistry and a second science or mathematics subject.
  Bath lists the Gaokao and AST separately and does not say whether both are needed, so ask admissions@bath.ac.uk before applying.
• Students taking A-levels or the IB in China: apply with the requirements in section 2, noting the Category B English requirement for Pharmacology and Pharmacy.
• Huikao transcripts, graduation certificates and credential agencies: the course pages only list Gaokao and AST scores; how the Huikao or graduation certificate is used and whether a credential evaluation is needed is not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website or contact admissions. The Biomedical Sciences GCSE weighting is described for A-level applicants; how it is judged for Gaokao applicants is not published, so ask the admissions team.
• Interviews: Pharmacy interviews are held remotely for applicants outside the UK (section 3); for the other courses no China-specific interview arrangement is described.

6. Joining Year 2 (direct entry)

• The course pages do not describe a route into Year 2; not published. Contact admissions@bath.ac.uk if you already have university study. Bath’s application page says applicants who already hold a degree-level qualification may apply, but this can affect funding and, for international students, visas.

7. Fees and scholarships

• 2027/28 fees: Home £10,050, subject to parliamentary approval. Overseas £32,950 (Band 3: all science, engineering, health and psychology courses); Bath advises budgeting for increases of up to 8% each year. The course pages say fee information is not yet available; the figures here come from Bath’s 2027 fee page. The fee page’s “other course fees” table also has a row “MPharmacy pre-registration year (Year 5 of degree course)” at £32,950; whether it applies to the four-year MPharm described here is not stated, so ask admissions.
• Placement year: Home fee to be confirmed by the UK government. For Overseas students the Band 3 placement-year table lists £9,155 for Faculty of Science courses (with exceptions for some master’s courses), £16,475 for MPharmacology and £9,155 for Department for Health courses. Which row applies to each course should be checked on the fee page and the course pages.
• UK students may be able to take a tuition fee loan (course pages); details of UK bursaries and scholarships are on Bath’s undergraduate funding page and amounts were not read for this guide.
• Bath International Excellence Scholarship: up to 300 awards for September 2027 entry, £8,000 a year for up to three years (£24,000), as a tuition discount. You must be a new first-year applicant assessed as an Overseas fee payer and hold an offer for any undergraduate degree starting in September 2027; if you win, you must make Bath your firm choice in UCAS. You apply through the form in the Application Tracker after receiving an offer (Bath says applications open in late 2026); Round 1 closes on 14 February 2027 and Round 2 on 31 March 2027. Applications are not first come, first served and are considered once only; there are three questions of up to 1,000 characters each. No discount applies in a placement or study abroad year, and the scholarship stops if you become eligible for Home fees. Bath also says international students may find funding from external organisations that support students from specific countries (see its international funding page).
• Extra costs: at least £100 for photocopying, printing and binding, plus textbooks; Pharmacy students also pay for the DBS check (about £55 plus £16 a year for the update service); during a placement you cover your own travel, accommodation and living costs.

8. UCAS application and timeline

• Institution code B16; course codes are in section 1.
• Deadline: the Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacology pages give 13 January 2027 as both the Home and Overseas deadline; Pharmacy gives 13 January 2027 for Home and 12 January 2027 for Overseas applicants. Bath’s application page warns that after the deadline it cannot guarantee places; check the UCAS website for UCAS’s own dates.
• When you hear: the Biomedical Sciences page says many decisions wait until after the January UCAS equal consideration deadline, with a small number of offers between October and January and most in February and March. The other pages do not say when offers are made; not published.
• Personal statement: for Biology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Bath says it should show enthusiasm for the subject, for example relevant reading, voluntary or work experience, areas of interest from your studies or other activities; see the earlier sections for Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy.

Checklist

UK applicants:

• Biology / Biochemistry: AAB (with Biology, and Chemistry for Biochemistry); Pharmacology / Pharmacy: AAB including Chemistry and another science or mathematics subject; Biomedical Sciences: AAA or A*AB including Biology and Chemistry; check whether you qualify for an automatic contextual offer
• GCSE English at 4/C; for Biomedical Sciences have your best eight GCSEs ready (about half the weighting)
• Submit to UCAS by 13 January 2027 (Pharmacy Home deadline is the same), institution code B16; prepare for the Pharmacy interview and Fitness to Practise declaration

International applicants (including China):

• International school students: A-levels or the IB (36 points; Pharmacy lists 35); Gaokao students: 75% to 80% overall plus 80% in the key subjects, and confirm how the AST is used
• Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences: IELTS 6.5 (6.0 in each component); Pharmacology, Pharmacy: IELTS 7.0 (6.5 in each component); or GCSE English at 4/C
• Pharmacy: Overseas deadline 12 January 2027 and a remote interview
• Apply for the Bath International Excellence Scholarship after receiving an offer (14 February or 31 March 2027)

Students who want to join Year 2:

• No route is published; contact admissions before applying

Sources: University of Bath, Biosciences courses; Biology BSc; Biochemistry BSc; Biomedical Sciences BSc; Admissions for A level students for Biomedical Sciences; Pharmacology courses; Pharmacology BSc; Pharmacy courses; Pharmacy MPharm; 2027 undergraduate tuition fees; International Excellence Scholarship; Applying for an undergraduate course; Contextual admissions; Undergraduate subjects 2027; UCAS 2027 entry dates and deadlines. Information is for September 2027 entry. Check Bath and UCAS for the latest details, and each course page for its own requirements.