How to Apply for Life Sciences and Medicine at the University of East Anglia: Subject Requirements for Biological Sciences, Biochemistry and Biomedicine, and AAA, UCAT and Interview for MBBS, for UK, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of East Anglia (UEA) is in Norwich. Its biology degrees draw on Norwich Research Park, and the subject page mentions the John Innes Centre and the Sainsbury Laboratory on the park; medicine is taught by Norwich Medical School. This guide follows UEA’s subject page, course pages, application pages and international fee page for September 2027 entry, for UK applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and students who want to transfer. UEA’s subject list also includes pharmacy, nursing, health therapies and sport and health, which were not read for this guide and are not covered.

1. Degrees and variants

• BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences: UCAS code C100, 3 years; also with a Foundation Year, a Placement Year, a Year Abroad, and as MSci Biological Sciences. UEA says the course is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology and lets you choose topics from medicine and biotechnology to evolution and ecology. Related course pages also name Ecology and Conservation and Molecular Biology and Genetics (not read).
• BSc (Hons) Biochemistry: code C700, 3 years; also with a Foundation Year (code 8C70, 4 years), a Placement Year, a Year Abroad, and as MSci Biochemistry (also with a Year Abroad).
• BSc (Hons) Biomedicine: code C930, 3 years, on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of disease; it shares its first year with BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science (code C520, 3 years) before you choose your pathway. Biomedical Science is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) and has a version with a Placement Year in the NHS, aimed at NHS pathology laboratory careers. The Biomedicine page says that after graduating you can apply to the NHS Scientist Training Programme or submit your degree details to the IBMS, which will say what top-up modules you may need. A shared “Biomedicine and Biomedical Science with a Foundation Year” also exists.
• MBBS Medicine: code A100, 5 years, at Norwich Medical School; accredited by the General Medical Council (GMC), entitling the holder to apply for GMC registration. MBBS Medicine with a Gateway Year and MBBS Medicine (Graduate Entry) also exist and were not read in detail. Biomedical engineering is not covered here.
• You apply to a specific course with its own UCAS code.

2. Prerequisites and entry requirements (2027 entry)

• Biological Sciences (C100): typical offer BBB including Biology or Human Biology (contextual BCC). BTEC Extended Diploma DDM in Applied Science (Medical/Biomedical Science), Forensic and Criminal Investigation or Countryside Management, or DDM plus a B in A-Level Biology or Human Biology; Access to HE (science): Merit in 45 credits including 12 Biology credits; IB 31 points with HL5 in Biology; Irish Leaving Certificate 2 subjects at H2 including Biology plus 4 at H3; Scottish Highers AABBB including an A in Biology; Advanced Highers CCC including Biology.
• Biochemistry (C700): typical offer ABB including Chemistry (contextual BBC including Chemistry); BTEC DDM in Applied Science or Applied Science (Medical Science) including three listed chemistry modules, otherwise a B in A-Level Chemistry is required (contextual DMM); Access to HE is not accepted; international A-Level ABB including Chemistry, IB 32 points with HL5 Chemistry. Foundation Year (8C70): CCC (contextual CDD), GCSE English and Mathematics 4/C; the course page says UK fee-paying students only.
• Biomedicine (C930): typical offer ABB including Biology or Human Biology plus one listed subject: for UK applicants Geography, Chemistry, Physics, Computing Science, Psychology or Mathematics; the international section lists Chemistry, Physics, Computing Science, Psychology or Mathematics (no Geography). Contextual BBC. International IB 32 points with HL5 in Biology and another science, Computing Science, Psychology or Mathematics.
• Biomedical Science (C520): typical offer ABB including Biology or Human Biology plus one listed subject (the international section lists Geography, Chemistry, Physics, Computing Science, Psychology or Mathematics).
• BTECs in Public Services, Uniformed Services and Business Administration are excluded; science A-Levels from English exam boards need a pass in the practical element (Biological Sciences and Biochemistry pages).
• Admissions tests and interviews: apart from medicine, the course pages read for this guide do not mention an admissions test or interview; UEA’s application page says interviews apply to some courses only. Ask Admissions to confirm.
• Year one compulsory modules: Biological Sciences has Diversity of Life, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Evolution, Behaviour and Ecology, Cell Biology and Physiology, Professional Skills for Biosciences and Biological Chemistry; Biochemistry has Research Skills in Biochemistry, Physical and Analytical Methods in Biochemistry, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Chemistry of the Carbon-Based Compounds and Bonding, Structure & Periodicity; the shared Biomedicine and Biomedical Science first year has Professional Skills for Biosciences, Introduction to Biomedicine, Biological Chemistry, Cell Biology and Physiology and Molecular Biology and Genetics. Modules are subject to change.
• Practice and placements: UEA says every Biological Sciences module involves collecting, analysing and reviewing data, with a research project in the final year. Placement-year or year-abroad versions are listed for most of the degrees above; their own pages were not read.

3. Medicine (MBBS, A100)

• Entry: the course page gives AAA including Biology or Chemistry. UK applicants need GCSEs in at least six subjects at grade 6/B including English Language, Mathematics and either two sciences or Double Science. The detailed A-Level and IB tables are not shown in the text of the page used for this guide; check UEA.
• Places and deadline: UEA states 13 international places and 192 UK places for 2027 entry (subject to Office for Students confirmation). The deadline for medicine is 15 October 2026, earlier than the 13 January 2027 date for other courses; that date has passed, so ask Admissions whether any applications can still be considered. UK and international applicants are in separate pools; if your fee status changes during the process you are re-assessed in the relevant pool.
• UCAT and interview: all applicants must sit the UCAT in the year of application. UEA has no cut-off score; a high score helps and a low score does not disqualify. The overall UCAT score is used to rank applicants for interview and, alongside the interview score, for offers; the SJT component is included in the interview score. Interviews are Multiple Mini Interviews held on campus for UK and international applicants: six stations of 5 minutes each with 1.5 minutes of preparation, between November and March. If invited you must give two examples of relevant work experience.
• English: IELTS 7.5 overall with at least 7.0 in each component.
• Other conditions: age 18 or over at the start; academic study within five years; anyone currently in higher education must complete the degree and provide proof by 1 September 2027; people who have studied or are studying medicine will not be considered; transfers are not accepted; offers depend on an occupational health check, the placement vaccination policy and an enhanced DBS check (an overseas police check where applicable). About 50% of the course is spent on practice placements in hospitals, community services, general practice and other settings.
• Tuition: the course page only points to UEA’s tuition-fee page and gives no figure; it is not given on the pages used for this guide, so check UEA.
• For international applicants UEA also mentions an alternative, the DipHE in Clinical Sciences for overseas fee-paying students, with pre-clinical training and a defined pathway to the four-year MD at St George’s University School of Medicine; it cannot be applied for through UCAS (see the course webpage).

4. UK applicants

• Accepted: A-Level, BTEC (varies by course), Access to HE (varies; not accepted for Biochemistry), Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers, Irish Leaving Certificate and IB, as listed above.
• 2027/28 tuition for UK students: £10,050 (no figure on the medicine page). Fee status is assessed by UEA after you submit your application.
• Contextual offers on the course pages: BCC (C100), BBC (C700, C930, C520), CDD (Foundation Year versions). The schemes are described in the general section below.

5. International applicants and applicants from China

• Grades: the A-Level and IB requirements in section 2 are essentially the same for international applicants; for medicine see section 3.
• Tuition (2027/28): Biological Sciences £24,250 a year; Biochemistry, Biomedicine and Biomedical Science £29,300 a year; no figure for medicine.
• English: IELTS 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in each component (medicine is higher), taken within two years of the start.
• Preparation route: the course pages say UEA International Study Centre offers progression onto these degrees after a preparation programme; the exact routes are not given on the pages used for this guide.

6. Transfer

The course pages do not give requirements, credit transfer rules or deadlines for second-year entry or transfer on the biology degrees; this is not given on the pages used for this guide, so contact Admissions. Medicine states that transfers are not accepted. Biomedicine and Biomedical Science share a first year before you choose a pathway.

How to apply and timeline

• All applications go through UCAS: UEA says every full-time undergraduate application is made through UCAS, whether you are in the UK or overseas. The UCAS institution code is E14. For 2027 entry UEA gives 13 January 2027 as the equal consideration date for all courses except medicine (deadline 15 October 2026); you can still apply afterwards, but UEA does not guarantee to consider late applications and some courses may be full.
• UCAS Extra: may be open to you if you applied through UCAS before 13 January 2027 and have no offers, changed your mind or declined offers; it runs from 25 February to 3 July (check your UCAS account).
• After you apply: UEA sends an acknowledgement email. Before deciding it may invite you to an interview, audition or portfolio submission (only some courses), ask for more information, or hold the application until it knows about other applicants. UEA says there is no set timeline and it varies by course. Decisions appear on UCAS as conditional offer, unconditional offer, change-of-course offer or unsuccessful. Offer holders are invited to an Applicant Day and then choose a firm and an insurance choice on UCAS.
• Accommodation: to guarantee campus accommodation you must make UEA your firm choice and complete the Accommodation Preference form by 31 July; UEA also states that international students are guaranteed accommodation (terms apply).
• Deferred entry is welcome (say why on UCAS). Recent study: UEA prefers evidence of academic study within 5 years of the start; contact Admissions if your last qualification is older.

Language, fees and international steps

• GCSE: all applicants must hold or be working towards GCSE English Language and Mathematics (grade 4/C on most course pages; some courses ask for more, see below).
• English language: applicants whose first language is not English must show proficiency in writing, speaking, listening and reading. The course pages read for this guide give IELTS 6.0 overall with no component below 5.5 (medicine is higher, see below); test dates should be within two years of the start date; other tests are accepted (see UEA’s English Language Equivalencies page). If you do not yet meet the requirements, UEA says its partner UEA International Study Centre offers English and preparation programmes (UEA also mentions INTO UEA in the deposit rules). Entry conditions and progression routes for these programmes are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website.
• Tuition fees (2027/28): UK students pay £10,050 a year; international fees depend on the subject (see below). UEA estimates living costs at £1,171 a month. Whether you pay the Home or the overseas fee depends on your fee status; you can ask UEA to assess it after applying.
• International deposit: overseas-fee undergraduate applicants pay a deposit to secure a place. For undergraduate courses applied for on or before 30 June the deadline is 31 July, with payment due within 5 days of the place being confirmed on UCAS. The amount is in your offer email (not stated on the pages used here). It is offset against the first tuition instalment; it may be waived with a scholarship covering full tuition fees or for INTO UEA students (UEA decides). A CAS is issued only after the deposit is received and all offer conditions are met, and not more than six months before the start. In some cases the deposit is non-refundable (see UEA’s International Deposit Refund Policy).
• Contextual offers: for 2027 entry UEA lists schemes such as nationwide contextual admissions, outreach participants, Preparing for Medicine and Preparing for Pharmacy participants, Access to HE students and Medicine with a Gateway Year. Applicants living in England are checked by postcode against the Index of Multiple Deprivation; those in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland continue without a postcode. Contextual schemes do not operate in Clearing.
• Scholarships: course pages say UEA has funding for students with excellent qualifications and for those from lower-income backgrounds; eligibility, how to apply and closing dates are on UEA’s scholarship finder (you choose the entry year and filters). Names and amounts of undergraduate scholarships open to international students are not given on the pages used for this guide; check UEA’s scholarship pages.

Applicants from China

• The course pages only say that many international qualifications are accepted and point to the country information for international students. How the gaokao or Chinese high-school results are used or converted to A-Level/IB requirements is not given on the pages used for this guide; check UEA’s international-student country pages or ask Admissions (Live Chat).
• You can apply with A-Level or IB (requirements by subject below). If you do not meet direct-entry or English requirements, look at the UEA International Study Centre preparation programmes. Note that the Foundation Year versions of the courses below are open to UK fee-paying students only, according to the course pages.

Checklist

UK applicants:

• C100: BBB including Biology; C700: ABB including Chemistry; C930/C520: ABB including Biology plus a listed subject; medicine A100: AAA, UCAT and MMI, deadline 15 October 2026; other courses apply through UCAS (E14) by 13 January 2027; tuition £10,050 a year

International applicants (including China):

• Same A-Level or IB (C100 IB 31, C700 IB 32, C930 IB 32); IELTS 6.0 (5.5 each; medicine 7.5/7.0); tuition £24,250 to £29,300 a year; 13 international medicine places for 2027; deposit by 31 July; how the gaokao is used is not given on the pages used

Transfer applicants:

• Transfer conditions are not given on the pages used; contact Admissions; medicine does not accept transfers

Sources: University of East Anglia, BSc Biological Sciences; BSc Biochemistry; Biochemistry with a Foundation Year; BSc Biomedicine; BSc Biomedical Science; MBBS Medicine; Biological Sciences subject page; Apply for Undergraduate Study; What happens after you apply; Contextual admissions 2027; International fees and deposit; Scholarships finder. Information is for September 2027 entry; check UEA for the latest details.