How to Apply to Life Sciences and Medicine at the University of Sussex: Direct Entry by UCAS Code to Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Science, Genetics and Neuroscience, Typical BSc Offer ABB–BBB With a Science A-level, Plus Medicine (BMBS) With an October Deadline and UCAT, With Requirements for UK, International (Including China) and Transfer Applicants

The University of Sussex teaches undergraduate life sciences mainly through the School of Life Sciences. All the courses below are delivered on campus, in person, and start in September 2027; the Medicine degree (BMBS) is run by Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), a partnership between the Universities of Sussex and Brighton. This guide follows the Sussex website (the biology, neuroscience and medicine course lists and course pages, how to apply, entry requirements and English language requirements, the guaranteed-interview page for Medicine, the China country page, transfers, tuition fees and scholarships) and the BSMS website (the undergraduate course, entry requirements and international student pages) for 2027 entry. It is written for UK applicants, international applicants (including students from China) and students who want to transfer into the second year.

1. Life sciences and medicine degrees

• Biology: BSc C100 (3 years) and MSci C101 (4 years). Sussex says the first year covers natural systems at molecular, cellular and behavioural levels, and the course page mentions laboratory and fieldwork and an opportunity to join a lecturer's research lab for your own project.
• Biochemistry: BSc C700, MSci C707; with an industrial placement year BSc C706 (4 years; you can apply for a placement year and transfer to the non-placement version if unsuccessful). Sussex says practical lab work starts in Year 1.
• Biomedical Science: BSc C702, MSci C709. Sussex says you use professional biomedical equipment in the labs from day one, and the course offers the guaranteed interview scheme for Medicine (below). The course page states that it is not accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), which is only required for graduates considering a career as a biomedical scientist in the NHS.
• Genetics: BSc C400, MSci C401. Sussex says you train in modern experimental techniques, with topics from cell and molecular biology to genomics and bioinformatics.
• Neuroscience: BSc B140, MSci B101; Medical Neuroscience: BSc B142, MSci B143, which Sussex describes as for students who want to understand and treat neurological disorders and go on to medicine, industry or research, with access to the guaranteed interview scheme; Neuroscience with Psychology BSc B1C8 (3 years; the page says Year 2 transfers are not accepted). Psychology programmes such as Psychology with Neuroscience and Psychology with Clinical Approaches belong to psychology and are not covered here.
• Ecology and Conservation: BSc CD94, MSci CD01; Zoology: BSc C300, MSci C301. The ecology page says the campus is beside a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and field trips go to the UK, Portugal, Southern Africa and Ecuador.
• Life Sciences (with a foundation year) BSc: C701, 4 years, typical offer CDD–DDD; after the foundation year you can continue to related degrees such as biology, biochemistry, biomedical science, genetics and neuroscience.
• Medicine BMBS: a five-year degree at BSMS, covered in its own section below. The undergraduate course list shown on the scholarships page has no pharmacy, nursing or biomedical engineering degree.

All of these are applied for directly by UCAS code; MSci is an integrated Masters. Whether you can switch between variants after enrolling is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions. Several courses share first-year core modules (for example Cells, Organisms and Systems, Physiology and Disease, and Skills, Ethics and Society), but the pages do not describe a common first year followed by a split, so use each course page for its own core.

2. Prerequisites and entry requirements (2027 entry)

• A-level (BSc): Biology, Genetics, Neuroscience, Ecology and Conservation, Zoology and Neuroscience with Psychology have a typical offer of ABB–BBB; A-levels must include at least one science from Biology, Chemistry, Human Biology, Marine Science, Mathematics, Pure Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics, Environmental Science, Sports Science, Computing, Geography, Geology, Psychology, Statistics or Life & Health Sciences (Double Award), and you will normally need to pass the separate science practical assessment (applicants who cannot take it are considered case by case). Biochemistry (including the placement year) is ABB–BBB and needs both Biology and Chemistry plus the practical; Biomedical Science is ABB–BBB and needs Biology plus the biology practical; Medical Neuroscience is ABB–BBB and needs Biology plus the practical. GCSE Mathematics normally at 4/C.
• A-level (MSci): typical offer AAB–ABB with the same subject rules as the BSc, with the science at grade B or above (for Biochemistry MSci, at least one of Biology and Chemistry at B; for Biomedical Science MSci and Medical Neuroscience MSci, Biology at B).
• IB: BSc 32 points, MSci 34 points. Higher Level requirements: Biology, Ecology and Conservation and Zoology need at least one of Biology, Chemistry or Physics at 5 or above; Genetics needs at least one of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geography, Mathematics, Physics or Psychology at 5; Neuroscience needs at least one of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics at 5; Biochemistry needs HL Biology and Chemistry both at 5 or above; Biomedical Science, Medical Neuroscience and Neuroscience with Psychology need HL Biology 5. The foundation year asks for 27 points with an HL science at 4 or above.
• Scottish Highers: BSc courses are mostly AABBB (Biochemistry ABBBB, with Biology and Chemistry, ideally an Advanced Higher in Chemistry at B) and MSci courses mostly AAABB (Neuroscience MSci AAABB–AABBB), with the relevant sciences, plus Scottish National 5 Mathematics and two sciences at B (some MSci courses also need English at B); the foundation year CCCCC.
• Contextual offers: the course pages give BSc BBC–BCC (some with subject conditions, such as Biology and Chemistry for Biochemistry or Biology for Biomedical Science), MSci BBB–BBC (with a B in the relevant science), and, per the contextual offers page, usually CDD or DDD for foundation years.
• Foundation year: Life Sciences (with a foundation year) asks for GCSE (or equivalent) Mathematics and two sciences at grade 5 (B); applicants with a strong academic background but no relevant science are considered case by case.
• Admissions tests and interviews: the life sciences course pages used here do not list a written admissions test or an interview. The application page says only that some courses invite applicants to interview; rely on your offer email and admissions. Medicine has its own UCAT and interview process (below).
• First year: taking Biology BSc as an example, the core is Cells, Organisms and Systems, Physiology and Disease and Skills, Ethics and Society in autumn, and Biodiversity & Ecology, Cell and Molecular Biology and Research Methods for Biology, Ecology and Zoology in spring. Biochemistry, Biomedical Science, Genetics and Neuroscience have spring core modules including Biochemistry and Metabolism and Cell and Molecular Biology; Neuroscience and Medical Neuroscience add Neuroscience and Behaviour; Ecology and Conservation and Zoology lean toward the natural world, biodiversity and research methods. The Biochemistry page lists Chemistry for Life Scientists.

3. Medicine (BMBS, Brighton and Sussex Medical School)

• Degree and provider: the BSMS website says the five-year medical degree is awarded jointly by the Universities of Brighton and Sussex as Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery (BM BS) and is approved by the General Medical Council (GMC). Years 1 and 2 are mainly on the Falmer campuses, Years 3 and 4 have ward-based placements at the Royal Sussex County Hospital and regional partner hospitals, and Year 5 is clinical and professional preparation for the foundation years. Students who want medicine can also start with Biomedical Science or Medical Neuroscience and use the guaranteed interview scheme (below).
• Route and deadline: the Sussex application page says you can apply for no more than four Medicine choices, and the deadline for Medicine at BSMS is 15 October 2026. The guaranteed-interview page gives the Medicine UCAS code as A100, while the BSMS entry requirements page gives B74 in its description of the guaranteed interview scheme for Sussex sixth-form students; the two differ, so check UCAS. Applicants sit the UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test). The transfer page says Medicine accepts first-year entry only.
• A-levels and IB for 2027 entry: the BSMS entry requirements page says most standard offers are three A grades including Biology or Chemistry plus one further subject from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics, and AAB for applicants with contextual data (Home fee status only). For the IB it gives 35 points with Higher Level grades of 5 and 6 for school leavers, while the international qualifications page gives 36 points with a 6 in Biology or Chemistry at Higher Level and a 6 in a further subject. For school leavers the GCSE requirement is English and Mathematics at 5/C or above (the page calls these the only two GCSEs it looks at). The BSMS international students page also says international qualifications must be equivalent to "our standard A-level offer (AAA – to include Biology and Chemistry)", which differs from the "Biology or Chemistry plus one" wording on the entry requirements page; ask BSMS admissions.
• International applicants: BSMS says applicants without settled status or ordinary UK residence are considered international; they must sit the UCAT, are interviewed by Multiple Mini Interview around February and March, and the personal statement is not used. The international fee for 2026/27 entry is £51,500 per year, rising by 2.5% a year for continuing students (rounded to the nearest £100); a £5,000 tuition fee deposit is due when you accept an offer, and you must show you can cover fees and costs for all five years. The 2027/28 fee is not given on the pages used for this guide.
• English: the Sussex English language page says Medicine (BMBS) needs IELTS 7.5 overall and at least 7.0 in each section; the BSMS entry requirements page says international applicants whose first language is not English need IELTS 7.0 with at least 7.0 in each component, taken no more than three years before enrolment, or GCSE English and Mathematics at 6/B. The overall requirement differs (7.5 versus 7.0), so confirm with BSMS (medadmissions@bsms.ac.uk).
• Applicants from China: the BSMS international qualifications page lists China as passing the National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao): send translated copies of your Gaokao subjects to BSMS admissions, who will advise on eligibility; an additional English language qualification is needed; Mathematics must be at least B or 70% in the Senior Secondary School Graduation Certificate; applicants with a four-year science-based bachelor degree (benke) at 80% or above can also apply, and different grading systems should be checked by sending transcripts. The Sussex China country page does not address Medicine separately.
• Guaranteed interview scheme (Biomedical Science and Medical Neuroscience): Sussex says students on these two degrees who meet the criteria are guaranteed a BSMS interview (it is not a transfer into BSMS), through two routes, after Year 1 and after Year 3. After Year 1: GCSE Mathematics and English at B, IELTS 7.5 with 7.0 in each section for non-native speakers, A-level AAA in one sitting (Biology or Chemistry plus one further science at A), or IB 36 points with HL 6 in Biology or Chemistry and 6 in one further subject, excellent Term 1 attendance and a 70% weighted average in Term 1 modules. After Year 3: a 70% weighted average across Year 2, A-level BBB in one sitting, and so on. Both routes need the UCAT and a BSMS application through UCAS by 15 October; interviews run from December to February and are standard BSMS interviews (the page says about 50% success).

4. UK applicants

• Accepted qualifications: the entry requirements page says recent school or college leavers need at least two A-levels (or equivalent), most courses need more, and most successful applicants have at least three A-levels (or equivalent). Access to HE Diplomas, BTEC and OCR qualifications, the European Baccalaureate, the IB, Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers, T-Levels and the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma are also accepted. GCSEs normally need to include English and Mathematics.
• Science practicals: Sussex says that for School of Life Sciences degrees it expects you to pass the practical element of the most relevant reformed science A-level(s), normally as a condition of your offer.
• A-level details: you must hold the subjects a course requires, but Sussex says it has no "preferred" A-levels; A-level resits are considered. The course pages do not give separate requirements for England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Scottish Highers have their own rows.
• Fees: the Home fee is £10,050 a year; see below. The Home fee for Medicine is not given on the pages used for this guide; check the BSMS website.

5. International applicants (including students from China): English, qualifications and funds

• Route: international applicants also apply through UCAS (Sussex links to the UCAS guide for international applicants).
• Qualification equivalences: Sussex says typical requirements for each country are listed in the "International requirements" tab of each course page; if your country is missing, email or phone the undergraduate admissions team (ug.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk, +44 (0)1273 678416). There is a separate page for international students already in the UK ("UK-based international qualifications"). Sussex stresses that its requirements are guidelines and every application is assessed individually. The life sciences course pages put subject requirements (such as Biology and Chemistry at HL 5) in the IB row; for other countries use the country rows on the course page.
• English language: Sussex has three levels, standard, high and advanced. In IELTS Academic these are 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in each component, 6.5 (6.0 in each) and 7.0 (6.5 in each); the course page says which level applies. The one course outside these levels is Medicine (BMBS), which needs 7.5 overall and at least 7.0 in each section. The course pages used for this guide all list IELTS 6.0 with 5.5 in each component. Other tests are accepted, for example Duolingo (standard level 110 with at least 105 in each component), PTE Academic (standard 59), LanguageCert Academic SELT (standard 65 with at least 60 in each) and TOEFL iBT (for tests taken from 21 January 2026 the standard level is 4 overall on the new scale; for earlier tests it is 80); results are normally expected to be no more than two years old at the start of the course. You can apply without a test result, in which case an offer is normally conditional on meeting the English requirement, or you can meet it through Sussex's Pre-sessional English course. The exempt-country list is set by the UK Home Office, and China is not on it.
• Proof of funds and visa: not given on the pages used for this guide; check Sussex's student visa pages and the UK government student visa pages.
• Preparation courses: Sussex says applicants who do not meet the entry requirements can take the International Foundation Year or International Year One at the International Study Centre (ISC). That centre has its own website (isc.sussex.ac.uk) which is not covered on the pages used for this guide; check it for the entry criteria.

6. Students from China

• What the China country page says: for first-year entry Sussex asks for the Senior Secondary School Academic Proficiency Test (Huikao), plus the Gaokao or one year at a recognised Chinese university. A typical Gaokao offer requires an overall average of 75%, with additional subject requirements possible; these are guidelines. For Foundation Year entry it asks for the Huikao and a typical Gaokao overall average of 65%. For second-year entry it asks for two years at a recognised Chinese university with grades equivalent to a 2:1 or above (partner institutions may differ); it adds that direct entry to Year 2 is not accepted for Law, Psychology and Social Work.
• What the course pages say: the "China" row on the course pages used here says applicants with the Gaokao will be considered for direct entry to the first year, "normally an overall average of 75%, including required subjects"; applicants on a recognised International Foundation Year, or with one or more years of higher education at a recognised Chinese institution, are also considered. The Senior High School Graduation alone is not sufficient, but such applicants may be eligible for Sussex's International Foundation Year and can progress to a relevant undergraduate course after completing it.
• For life sciences: the "China" row is worded the same on the life sciences course pages: Gaokao direct entry to the first year normally needs an overall average of 75%, including required subjects. Biology, chemistry and related courses have A-level subject requirements; the pages do not say how Gaokao subjects map to them. The Life Sciences (with a foundation year) page words the China row like the other courses, while the China country page gives a typical Gaokao average of 65% for foundation-year entry; both statements stand, so ask admissions. Medicine is covered in section 3.
• Not given: the scale the 75% is measured against, how provincial scores are converted, which "required subjects" are meant and their individual cut-offs are not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions. How to submit Chinese transcripts and Huikao materials, and whether a specific credential-evaluation body is required, are also not given; email ug.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk. An interview requirement for Chinese applicants is not stated either.
• English and scholarships: the country page gives a typical English requirement of IELTS 6.0 with at least 5.5 in each component for undergraduate and foundation courses; scholarships are covered below. The page also describes the Chinese Students and Scholars' Association on campus and says Brighton is about nine minutes away by train.

7. Route and timeline (September 2027 entry)

• Route: full-time undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Sussex's UCAS institution code is S90 (code name SUSX). The university says you can apply for up to five courses (no more than four of them Medicine), including several courses at Sussex. The application fee, personal statement and reference are not covered on the Sussex pages used for this guide; check the UCAS website.
• Deadlines: Sussex says the initial deadline for most courses is 6pm on Wednesday 13 January 2027 and strongly advises applying by then; for Medicine at Brighton and Sussex Medical School the deadline is Thursday 15 October 2026. The page does not use the term "equal consideration date" or name a time zone, so confirm on UCAS. UCAS accepts late applications until 30 June, but some courses close earlier once full; Sussex warns international applicants not to leave it late because a visa and accommodation must be arranged after an offer.
• Interviews and tests: the application page says some courses invite applicants to interview; the life sciences course pages used here do not mention an interview or an admissions test. Medicine needs the UCAT and an interview (section 3).
• Offers and confirmation: decisions come through UCAS as unconditional or conditional offers, and offer-holders are invited to an Undergraduate Visit Day. After results are published in the summer, a place is confirmed if the offer conditions are met; if your results are not supplied by UCAS you may be asked to send copies. All results (including verification documents) must reach Sussex by 31 August.
• Missing conditions or deferring: Sussex says it reviews applicants who miss their conditions and may still accept them, or may offer another course such as a Foundation Year. You can request to defer entry by a year, but only once.
• International applicants after an offer: Sussex issues a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number so you can apply for a student visa (visa details are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the student visa pages on the Sussex website). The application page says international applicants on "certain science- or engineering-based courses" must apply for ATAS clearance after receiving an offer; it does not list the courses, so ask admissions whether it applies to your life sciences course.

8. How applications are assessed

• What is considered: Sussex says each application is reviewed individually, taking in all qualifications presented, including additional AS-levels or the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). The EPQ is not routinely written into offer conditions, but Sussex says it will sometimes offer alternative conditions that include it (with slightly lower A-level grades), and it can help in the summer if you narrowly miss.
• Offer levels: the "typical offer" on a course page is a fixed grade or a range. Sussex says many standard offers are given as ranges to show the grades it expects, and that it looks for evidence of potential at that level; it may adjust some offers for background, school attended and challenges faced.
• Contextual offers: Sussex says the typical contextual offer for first-year entry is A-level BCC, BTEC Extended Diploma DMM, or a T-Level pass with Merit and a B in the Core Component; for Foundation Year courses it is usually CDD or DDD; integrated Masters contextual offers are slightly higher and each course page gives the exact grades. About 25% of UK conditional offers are contextual. Eligibility includes living in a high-deprivation or low-progression postcode (IMD decile 1 or 2, POLAR4 quintile 1), free school meals, time in care of more than three months, estranged students, refugee status or humanitarian protection, young carers, certain Sussex outreach programmes and partner colleges. These criteria are based on UK area and school data, and the pages used for this guide do not say whether international applicants are eligible; ask admissions (contextualoffers@sussex.ac.uk).
• Personal circumstances: Sussex says you can email details of serious personal or academic difficulties before results are published (by the end of July), and they are taken into account at confirmation.

9. Fees and scholarships

• UK (Home) fee: the course pages give £10,050 per year for Home students and for Channel Islands and Isle of Man students. The tuition fees page says Sussex generally keeps Home undergraduate fees in line with the government maximum, that the 2027 fee "is likely to be £10,050 per year", and that the cap from 2028/29 is not yet set and is expected to rise at least with inflation. The pages do not give separate fees for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland; see the university's fee status page.
• International fee: the course pages give £28,100 per year (the same on the biology, biochemistry, biomedical science, genetics, neuroscience, medical neuroscience, ecology and conservation and zoology course pages; the Life Sciences foundation year is £24,200 for international students). The Medicine (BMBS) international fee is in section 3. The course pages add that fees, once set, may rise each year.
• Fee status: Sussex says it assesses your fee status after a successful application, may ask you to complete a questionnaire, and lets you appeal the outcome. You must accept the university's financial guarantee to register online.
• Loans and living costs: Sussex says you may be eligible for a UK government student loan (gov.uk/student-finance); specific living-cost figures are not given on the pages used for this guide. Limits that apply to US federal loan recipients are noted on the course pages.

• What the course pages say: the scholarship section of each course page used for this guide says that scholarship details are not yet set for 2027/28 entry. What follows is therefore taken from the scholarships page as it stood; check the website again before you apply.
• Awards listed: the undergraduate scholarships page says awards can include "up to £5,000 of funding in your first year" for UK and international students. Awards highlighted include the Sussex Excellence Scholarship (£2,000 in the first year for excellent grades), the Chancellor's International and EU Scholarships (international applicants; £5,000 for the first year, awarded for excellent grades) and the Article 26 Scholarship (for forced-migrant students). The page offers a search tool by country and entry year (2026/27, 2027/28) and also mentions the Sussex Bursary. Eligibility rules, whether awards are assessed automatically, and application dates are not given on the pages used here; use the eligibility tool or email scholarships@sussex.ac.uk.
• Students from China: the China country page says that for 2026-27 Chinese students are eligible for faculty awards and can apply for the Chancellor's International Scholarship; check the website for the wording that applies to 2027 entry.

10. Transferring in (direct entry to Year 2)

• Entry points: the transfer page says Sussex accepts transfer applications for first-year entry to all courses and for second-year entry to most courses, and does not accept direct entry into the third or final year; a few subject areas take first-year entry only (the page lists Medicine). You apply through UCAS and state your entry point under "choices".
• Conditions: you need (or can achieve) 120 credits from your current UK university (60 ECTS credits if transferring from outside the UK). Sussex says successful second-year applicants "will normally need 120 credits from their first year, with an overall weighted average of at least 60% (or 2:1 equivalent), without resits". It also looks at how well your current modules match its own, checks that your school-leaving results meet the first-year requirements for the course, and wants the UCAS reference from a current university tutor. Exemption is given only for full years of study. If a place cannot be offered at the chosen entry point, Sussex will consider a lower one such as first year.
• Life sciences courses: the course pages say Year 2 transfers are accepted for the BSc and MSci versions of Biology, Biochemistry (including the placement year), Biomedical Science, Genetics, Neuroscience, Medical Neuroscience, Ecology and Conservation and Zoology, and not for Neuroscience with Psychology. The Life Sciences foundation-year page used here does not state a Year 2 transfer line. Medicine accepts first-year entry only.
• Credit transfer and deadlines: transfer applications follow the normal UCAS deadlines; detailed credit rules are in Sussex's student transfer arrangements, which are not covered on the pages used for this guide.

Sources: University of Sussex, Biology courses; Neuroscience courses; Medicine and related subjects; Biology BSc; Biochemistry BSc; Biomedical Science BSc; Genetics BSc; Neuroscience BSc; Medical Neuroscience BSc; Ecology and Conservation BSc; Zoology BSc; Life Sciences Foundation Year; How to apply; Entry requirements; Guaranteed interviews for Medicine; English language; Contextual offers; Transfers; China country page; Tuition fees; Undergraduate scholarships; Brighton and Sussex Medical School (course, entry requirements, international students, international entry requirements). Check the websites for the latest information.