How to Apply to Life Sciences and Healthcare at Northumbria University: Biological Sciences, Biomedical Science, Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Nursing, Grade B in A-level Biology, No CAS Yet for Biotechnology, and Entry Requirements for Home, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Life-science degrees at Northumbria University are mainly taught by the School of Geography and Natural Sciences on the City Campus in Newcastle; nursing is taught by the School of Healthcare and Nursing Sciences on the Coach Lane Campus. This guide follows the university website for September 2027 entry and is written for UK applicants, international applicants (including students at Chinese high schools) and transfer applicants. Biomedical engineering and similar courses are mentioned only in passing.

1. Which courses, and how admission works

• Biological Sciences BSc (Hons) (formerly Biology): UCAS code C120, 3 years full time, or 4 years with a placement (sandwich) or study abroad. The page says you can keep a broad degree or specialise in biotechnology or neurobiology.
• Biomedical Science BSc (Hons): UCAS code B940, 3 years or 4 years with a placement or study abroad; the page also shows one other study option.
• Biochemistry BSc (Hons): UCAS code F115, 3 years or 4 years with a placement or study abroad.
• Biotechnology BSc (Hons): UCAS code C150, 3 years or 4 years with a placement or study abroad. The page says the course is subject to validation, with first entry in September 2027; because of this the university cannot yet issue a CAS for it, and international students who need a Student Visa are asked to register their interest and wait to be contacted.
• Nursing Science (Registered Nurse): taking Adult Nursing as the example, UCAS code B700, 3 years full time on the Coach Lane Campus. The university also has Child, Learning Disability and Mental Health nursing course pages, whose details are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website.
• Extended Degrees: Biological Sciences Extended Degree UCAS code Z093 and Biomedical Science Extended Degree UCAS code Z051. The course list also has extended-degree pages for Biochemistry, Biotechnology and the nursing fields, whose details are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website. An extended degree adds a preparatory first year for students who do not meet the standard entry requirements.
• Medicine and pharmacy: the course list and pages used for this guide do not show an undergraduate medicine (MBBS/MD) or pharmacy degree; check the website's course search if you need these. Neuroscience is not a separate undergraduate degree here: it is a specialist route and set of optional modules inside Biological Sciences (Principles of Neuroscience, Neuroscience Case Studies, Neuroscience in Practice).
• Applying to a named course: each course has its own UCAS code, so you choose the course when you apply. The pages do not say on what conditions you can change course after entry; not given on the pages used for this guide, ask the admissions team.

2. What you study, accreditation and placements

• Biological Sciences Year 1 core: Cell Biology and Genetics, Practical Skills, Biochemistry, Anatomy and Physiology, Animal and Plant Biology, Introduction to the Microbial World. Year 2 core: Biology of Disease, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Human Metabolism, Bioscience Research and Analysis, with options such as Environmental Biology, Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology and Principles of Neuroscience. Final year: the Biomedical and Biological Sciences Research Project (40 credits), Molecular Cell Interactions, Advanced Analytical Techniques and The Impact of Science on Society are core.
• Biomedical Science: the page says the course is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) and spans cell biology, genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, immunology and pathology; students who complete an eligible placement may be able to apply for registration as a Biomedical Scientist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) on graduation. Year 1 covers cell biology, biochemistry, anatomy, physiology and pathology, Year 2 covers microbiology, molecular genetics, medical biochemistry and cellular pathology, and the final year includes a personal research project.
• Biochemistry: Year 1 core includes Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry, Principles of Chemical Structure, Cell Biology and Genetics and Introduction to Biological and Medicinal Chemistry; Year 2 includes Molecular Biology and Genetics, Human Metabolism, Organic Chemistry and Analytical Methods; the final year includes the research project (40 credits), Advanced Analytical Techniques, Natural Product and Medicinal Chemistry and Current Topics in Biochemistry.
• Biotechnology: the page says practical laboratory training runs throughout, covering molecular biology, bioinformatics and industrial application, with an independent research project in the final year.
• Placement and study abroad: Biological Sciences, Biochemistry and Biotechnology offer an optional Industrial Placement Year or Study Abroad year (120 credits) after Year 2, and the Biomedical Science page also describes an optional placement or study abroad year.
• Adult Nursing: the page says study is split between campus and clinical placement running alongside each other, and graduates can apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). The mode of study is given as 3 years full time, with no placement or study abroad year listed.

3. Entry requirements

• Standard offer: 112 UCAS tariff points (the same on the Biological Sciences, Biomedical Science, Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Adult Nursing pages); contextual admissions 96 points.
• Subject requirement: Biological Sciences, Biomedical Science and Biotechnology ask for grade B in A-level Biology or a recognised equivalent; Biochemistry asks for A-level Biology and Chemistry with at least a B in one of them, or recognised equivalents; the Adult Nursing page lists no A-level subject requirement. The pages do not ask for A-level Mathematics or Physics and do not state IB levels or scores; not given on the pages used for this guide, ask the admissions team.
• Extended degrees (Z093, Z051): standard offer 72 UCAS points, contextual 56; the pages list only the GCSE requirement and no A-level subject requirement.
• GCSE: for the science courses, Maths, Statistics or Physics and English Language at minimum grade 4/C; for Adult Nursing, Maths and English Language at minimum grade 4/C.
• Extra conditions for nursing: the Adult Nursing page says applicants must attend an interview, and that admission is subject to a suitable Enhanced DBS certificate and a satisfactory health check, and to meeting the NMC suitability-for-registration requirements.

How to apply, timeline and general requirements

• Route: the course page says to use the Apply Now button, and some courses redirect to an external system such as UCAS. The international application guide says you can apply through the university website, through UCAS, or through an official education agent. Northumbria's UCAS institution code and the 2027-entry UCAS deadline are not given on the pages used for this guide; check on the UCAS website.
• Timeline: the university's deadlines page gives dates for September 2026 entry: UCAS applications by 14 January 2026 to be sure of consideration (most areas keep accepting afterwards, but popular courses may close early); international applications by 6 August 2026, deposit by 13 August 2026 and CAS request by 20 August 2026. The matching dates for 2027 entry are not given on that page; check the website rather than reusing last cycle's dates.
• Tuition: In the 2027/28 international undergraduate fees table, "Applied Science Courses" are £21,500 per year, and the Biological Sciences, Biomedical Science, Biochemistry and Biotechnology pages show the same first-year international fee of £21,500. "Nursing, Midwifery and Health Courses" are £19,850 per year, matching the first-year international fee on the Adult Nursing page. The Biological Sciences and Biomedical Science extended-degree pages show a first-year international fee of £19,850. The university may raise fees in later years in line with inflation, and fees are payable every year of study.

UK (home) applicants

• Standard requirement: 112 UCAS tariff points; subject requirements are in section 3.
• Accepted qualifications: the course page says the 112 points can come from a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications, including A-level, T Level, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas or the International Baccalaureate; use the UCAS tariff calculator to check your points.
• GCSE: Maths, Statistics or Physics, and English Language, at minimum grade 4/C or equivalent.
• Contextual admissions: the course page gives a lower tariff (above); the conditions are on the university's entry requirements essential information page, check the details on the website.
• England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland: the course page does not set different requirements by nation; not given on the pages used for this guide, ask the admissions team.
• Home tuition for 2027/28: the course page gives a UK fee of £10,050, set in line with the UK government fee cap and which the university may change in line with the cap. Scholarships and grants for home students are not itemised on the pages used for this guide; see the university's financial support pages.

International applicants

• Qualifications: the course page says the university welcomes qualifications from outside the UK and points you to the Northumbria and your country pages for country-specific requirements.
• English: the course page asks for an overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with at least 5.5 in each component, or an approved equivalent. The acceptable-English-qualifications page lists IELTS Academic, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, LanguageCert, Duolingo and others, plus country-specific qualifications; the required scores for each are on that page and are not listed one by one here. The science courses ask for IELTS 6.0 (5.5 in each component); Adult Nursing asks for more: IELTS (Academic) 7.0 overall with at least 6.5 in writing and 7.0 in every other component, or the Occupational English Test (OET) with at least grade B (350 to 440) in reading, listening and speaking and at least C+ (300 to 340) in writing. For Biotechnology the university cannot yet issue a CAS (see above).
• Extended degree: The Biological Sciences Extended Degree (Z093) and the Biomedical Science Extended Degree (Z051) both ask for 72 UCAS tariff points (56 contextual), with a first-year international fee of £19,850 on the course pages; the pages say extended-degree students pay the applicable foundation-year fee in the first year.
• International foundation: the international undergraduate fees page lists International Foundation Year fees of £11,750 (2 semesters), £17,250 (3 semesters) and £21,250 (4 semesters); see the university's pathway pages for entry requirements and length.
• Proof of funds and credential evaluation: not given on the course pages or the international application guide used for this guide; ask the international admissions team.
• Visa paperwork: the deadlines page says international students pay a deposit once unconditional firm and then request a CAS, with a final CAS-request date (20 August 2026 for the 2026 intake). Check the 2027 dates.

Applicants from mainland China

• Direct entry to Year 1: the China page lists the Senior High School Certificate with 80% for first-year undergraduate entry. It adds that these are general guidelines, that requirements can vary by course, and that decisions also take the personal statement and previous study into account, not only the final grade.
• International Foundation Programme: the China page lists successful completion of Senior Middle School 2 with an average of 70% or higher, or Senior Middle School 3 with an average of 60% or higher.
• Gaokao: the China page does not say how gaokao results are used; not given on the pages used for this guide, ask the university.
• Subject requirements for life-science courses: The 80% on the China page is a general statement for Year 1. How the "grade B in A-level Biology (or Biology and Chemistry) or recognised equivalent" requirement maps onto Chinese high-school biology and chemistry results is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask the admissions team rather than assuming. How the interview, DBS check and health check work for applicants from China is also not given on the Nursing page; ask the admissions team.
• Interview: the course page does not mention an admissions interview; the university has a separate Interviews page, and whether it applies to this course is not given on the pages used for this guide, so ask the admissions team.

Transfer applicants (direct entry to Year 2)

• The China page table, in the row for 2nd or 3rd year entry (depending on course and subjects taken), lists a 3-year diploma at 70%, a 211/985 university with a 70% average in undergraduate studies, and a non-211/985 university with a 75% average. Whether you enter Year 2 or Year 3 depends on the course and the subjects you have taken; the last two rows sit directly after that row in the table, so check the original table on the website for how they apply.
• Credit-transfer rules and the specific module results required are not given on the pages used for this guide; contact the admissions team and prepare module descriptions and transcripts. For nursing, ask the admissions team directly; the course page does not say.

Costs and scholarships

• In the 2027/28 international undergraduate fees table, "Applied Science Courses" are £21,500 per year, and the Biological Sciences, Biomedical Science, Biochemistry and Biotechnology pages show the same first-year international fee of £21,500. "Nursing, Midwifery and Health Courses" are £19,850 per year, matching the first-year international fee on the Adult Nursing page. The Biological Sciences and Biomedical Science extended-degree pages show a first-year international fee of £19,850. The university may raise fees in later years in line with inflation, and fees are payable every year of study.
• The international undergraduate fees page also lists an undergraduate placement (sandwich) year at £2,010 and an undergraduate study abroad year (outgoing students) at £1,510.
• Scholarships: the international undergraduate funding page says Northumbria's international scholarships are awarded by country of domicile, each with eligibility criteria, and that a scholarship search filters by level, mode of study, entry year and domicile. Whether awards are automatic and how much they are is not given on the pages used for this guide; check the scholarship search tool on the website.
• The fee box on the course page also carries a note about International Soccer Academy and accommodation fees being to be confirmed; the university does not explain how it relates to this course, so rely on the international undergraduate fees table for tuition.

Sources: Northumbria University, Biological Sciences BSc (Hons); Biomedical Science BSc (Hons); Biochemistry BSc (Hons); Biotechnology BSc (Hons); Nursing Science (Registered Nurse: Adult); Biological Sciences Extended Degree; Biomedical Science Extended Degree; International undergraduate tuition fees; International undergraduate funding; Entry requirements for China; International application guide; Application deadlines and key dates; Acceptable English qualifications; Extended Degrees. Information is for September 2027 entry unless stated. Check Northumbria for the latest details.