How to Apply to Life Sciences and Medicine at Aston University: Biochemistry, Biomedical Science, Biomedicine, Neuroscience, MPharm Pharmacy and MBChB Medicine, With Biology or Chemistry Required, an Interview for Pharmacy, UCAT for Medicine, and Entry Requirements for UK, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Aston University is in central Birmingham. Under its Biosciences, Neuroscience, Pharmacy and Medicine subject pages the undergraduate degrees are BSc Biochemistry, BSc Biomedical Science, BSc Biomedicine, BSc Neuroscience, MPharm Pharmacy and MBChB Medicine. Aston also offers nursing, optometry and audiology degrees (they appear in the exclusion list for its scholarships), which this guide does not cover; biomedical engineering sits under Engineering and Physical Sciences and is only mentioned here. The sections below set out September 2027 entry from the course pages, for UK applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and transfer applicants.

1. The degrees and how admission works

• BSc (Hons) Biochemistry: UCAS C700, 3 or 4 years (4 with an integrated placement year, which Aston says most students choose). Aston says it is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology (RSB).
• BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science: UCAS C900, 3 or 4 years. Aston says it is recognised by both the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) and the RSB. Everyone enrols on the 3-year course; students who achieve set grades and complete an accredited placement graduate with a BSc Applied Biomedical Science and can apply to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) to register as a biomedical scientist. NHS placements are limited and competitive, and require an enhanced DBS and occupational health checks paid for by the student. The page notes the IBMS re-accreditation review is under way.
• BSc (Hons) Biomedicine: UCAS C112, 3 or 4 years, accredited by the RSB; the optional placement year falls between the second and final years, and strong second-year students may be able to progress to the integrated master’s.
• BSc (Hons) Neuroscience: UCAS B140, 3 or 4 years. One part of the page calls the placement year optional and another says it is compulsory for all home students; both appear, so ask the admissions team.
• MPharm Pharmacy: UCAS B230, 4 years. Aston says it is accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and that after graduating you must complete one year of Foundation Training to become a UK-registered pharmacist. It includes integrated placements in hospitals, community pharmacies, GP surgeries and other settings.
• MBChB Medicine: UCAS A100, 5 years. The course page shows “Applications are now closed”, and the application guide gives 15 October 2026 as the Medicine deadline for September 2027 entry. Aston says the General Medical Council agreed in April 2023 to add Aston Medical School to the bodies able to award UK primary medical qualifications.
• All are applied for directly as the named degree; the course pages give no conditions for changing course after entry, so check with the admissions team.
• Interviews: the biosciences course pages do not mention one. For Pharmacy an online interview on Microsoft Teams is compulsory for shortlisted applicants, offers are made only to those who pass, and applicants who failed the interview in a previous cycle will not be considered again. Medicine is covered below.

2. Entry requirements (per the course pages)

• Biochemistry: three A-levels at BBC, which must include Biology or Chemistry; BCC with an EPQ at B; contextual CCC. IB 29 points with 5,5,4 at Higher Level including Biology or Chemistry, plus Standard Level 5 in Mathematics and English (contextual 28 points, 4,4,4).
• Biomedical Science: BBC including Biology; BCC with an EPQ at B; contextual CCC. IB 29 points, 5,5,4 at Higher Level including Biology, plus Standard Level 5 in Mathematics and English (contextual 28).
• Biomedicine: BBC including Biology; BCC with an EPQ at B; contextual CCC. IB 29 points, 5,5,4 including Biology, Standard Level 5 in Mathematics and English (contextual 28, 4,4,4).
• Neuroscience: BBB including at least one of Biology, Chemistry, Maths or Physics; BBC with an EPQ at B; contextual BCC. IB 31 points with 5,5,5 including one of those sciences, plus Standard Level 5 in Mathematics and English (contextual 28 points, 5,4,4).
• MPharm: ABB including Chemistry and one of Biology, Maths or Physics; contextual BBB. IB 32 points with 6,5,5 at Higher Level including Chemistry and one of Biology, Maths or Physics, plus Standard Level 5 in Mathematics and English (contextual 31 points, 5,5,5). GCSE: five at C/4 including Maths and English. The page adds that qualifications should normally have been achieved within the last two years; applicants who failed or repeated study at another institution will not be considered; applicants must be 18 by 1 October of the year of entry; deferred entry is not accepted; accepted students need an enhanced DBS, health screening and immunisation evidence; applicants predicted CCC or above may be considered, but any offer is at the published grades.
• MBChB: A-level minimum A*AA with Chemistry and Biology compulsory (including practical passes), the A* in Biology or Chemistry, and any third subject except General Studies and Critical Thinking; contextual offer AAB (with AA in Chemistry and Biology). IB 37 points with 7,6,6 at Higher Level including Chemistry and Biology, one of them at 7. BTEC: Extended Diploma in Applied Science at DDD with Chemistry and Biology A-levels at A*A. Scottish Advanced Highers: normally AAA including Chemistry and Biology. T Levels and access courses are not accepted. GCSE: at least six at B/6 including English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology or Double Science. Aston says predicted A-level grades are not used.
• BTEC, Access, T Level and GCSE rules differ by course; see each page. For example Biochemistry asks for an Access Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits (15 Distinctions, 30 Merits) in subjects such as Applied Science, Biology with Chemistry or Biomedical Science (Health and Social Care is not accepted), does not accept T Levels, and the biosciences pages ask for two GCSEs at C/4 including Maths and English.
• Scottish Highers and other qualifications are not listed separately apart from the Medicine page’s Advanced Highers; check with the admissions team.

3. Medicine MBChB: international applicants

• Aston says it has 110 places for UK students and 30 for international students (the page adds that for 2026 entry EU students are classed as international fee payers and counted in the 30).
• All applicants must take the UCAT: in 2026 for 2027 entry, with results sent to Aston directly. Applicants must declare their full education history, and any extra information not covered by the UCAS form goes to the admissions office by 21 October of the application year.
• The international fee for 2027/28 is £47,000. On scholarships Aston says Medicine has only small awards and prizes, and no scholarships covering all or most of tuition; the International Community Scholarship also excludes MBChB.
• English: IELTS 7.0 overall and in every component; TOEFL iBT (before 21 January 2026) 26 Reading, 28 Writing, 26 Listening, 23 Speaking, 101 overall; for tests on or after that date Aston asks you to contact the admissions team.
• Other conditions: age 18 by 1 October of the year of entry; enhanced DBS, occupational health questionnaire and fitness-to-practise requirements; no transfers and no applicants who withdrew from another degree; graduates need a 2:1 plus three A-levels at ABB with Chemistry and Biology, one at A, and a degree from a UK ENIC-recognised university; there is no accelerated graduate route.
• Because applications are shown as closed, this describes Aston’s policy and is not advice for the current round.

4. Timeline and process

• How to apply: undergraduate applications go through UCAS; Aston’s institution code is A80. The step-by-step guide says you can apply for up to five courses (no ranking needed), fill in education history, work experience and a personal statement, have a teacher, adviser or professional who knows your academic ability write a reference, and pay the UCAS fee on submission. The UCAS fee and exact formats are not given on Aston’s page; check the UCAS website. This is Aston’s step-by-step page; the transfer notes on course pages add that Aston does not accept direct applications and requires a UCAS application.
• Deadline: the page says applications for September 2027 entry must reach UCAS by 13 January 2027 (15 October 2026 for Medicine). Check the date on UCAS as well.
• Offers and interviews: Aston describes unconditional, conditional and alternative offers. Some courses require an interview (on campus or on Microsoft Teams); whether one is needed is shown on each course page, and an invited applicant must attend. Exam results such as A-levels are published in August and visible in your UCAS Hub.

5. By type of applicant

• UK applicants and contextual offers:

• UK applicants: course pages list requirements by qualification (A-level, BTEC, IB, Access to HE, T Levels, etc.; see each subject below). Scottish Highers and Northern Irish qualifications are not listed separately on the pages used here, apart from Advanced Highers on the Medicine page; check with the admissions team. For England-domiciled students Aston says the 2027/28 fee is expected to be £10,050, subject to parliamentary approval, with annual inflation-linked increases afterwards; the course pages give £1,250 for a placement year. Home applicants pay a deposit to secure a place (UK undergraduates with a student loan do not), deducted from first-year tuition.
• Contextual offers (Aston Ready): Aston says you must have attended a state school and be assessed as a Home fee student, and meet one of these: free school meals eligibility in the last six years, a low-participation neighbourhood (POLAR4 quintile 1 or 2), a declared disability, completion of an Aston Pathways programme, attendance at a school in Aston’s STEM Education Academy Trust, local authority care experience, or refugee status. Offers are usually one or two grades lower than standard (for example ABB becomes BBB). International applicants with Overseas fee status, including applicants from China, are not covered.

• International applicants:

• English language: Aston’s English language requirements page lists accepted tests: IELTS Academic (including Academic Online), TOEFL iBT (the Home edition is not accepted), Oxford ELLT, Pearson PTE Academic, Password (taken at NCUK centres only), Kaplan KTE, Cambridge CAE and CPE, and Duolingo. Online versions of other tests are not accepted unless stated; tests with several components must be taken in one sitting; results must be within two years of the course start date. Required scores depend on school and programme; IELTS scores are given for each subject below, and the page holds the tables for other tests.
• Pathways: OnCampus Aston, Aston’s International Pathway Centre run with Cambridge Education Group, offers an Undergraduate Foundation Programme, International Year One and a Pre-Master’s Programme; its page says successful students who meet the academic criteria are guaranteed progression to their chosen degree. The mathematics and economics course pages add that international students can enter Year 2 after completing an undergraduate year one with approved partners ONCAMPUS Aston or NCUK. Aston’s own Foundation Programmes are for UK students only; international students are directed to OnCampus Aston.
• If you are still studying: applicants currently on a post-16 qualification or foundation programme must submit a complete UCAS application with the full qualification name, list of units, predicted grades for English, subject units and the overall result, and a supportive reference; applications without verified predicted grades may not be progressed. International applicants who joined a foundation programme in January are subject to the January UCAS equal consideration date.
• Visa, proof of funds, credential evaluation: the international students page links to visa information and a CAS explainer video (see the International Student Support page). The amount of funds to show and credential evaluation are not given on the pages used for this guide; check that page and the UK government Student visa pages.
• IELTS for these degrees (undergraduate, per Aston’s table): Medicine 7.0 overall and in each component; Biomedical Science, Healthcare Science (Audiology), Pharmacy and Nursing 7.0 overall with 6.5 in each component; Biomedicine, Neuroscience, Biochemistry and Psychology 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each, and Biochemistry, Neuroscience, Biology and Psychology accept one band at 5.5 with the others at 6.0 or above. Score tables for other tests are on the English language requirements page.

Applicants from China

• Aston has a China page. For undergraduate entry it says applicants with a complete A-level profile with grades between BCC and BBB, or equivalent IB Diploma results (31 points with 5,5,5 at Higher Level; 29 with 5,5,4; 28 with 5,4,4) or NCUK (BBB, BBC, BCC), may be considered; applicants with an average of 60 per cent in the Senior High School Leaving Certificate may be considered for ONCAMPUS Aston to progress to undergraduate study.
• Whether the gaokao is used directly for undergraduate admission, how huikao materials and transcripts are verified, is not stated on that page or on the course pages used here; ask the admissions team. The page gives chinaoffice@aston.ac.uk and WeChat (Aston_University) as contacts, and Aston says it works with education advisers and representatives in a number of countries.
• Note that BCC–BBB on the China page is a general range; each course page has its own grade requirement (below). Treat the course page as the one that applies and confirm with the admissions team how Chinese qualifications are matched.

6. Fees and scholarships

• International fee (2027/28): £22,575 for the first year of Biochemistry, Biomedical Science, Biomedicine, Neuroscience and MPharm; £47,000 for Medicine. The placement year for the biosciences degrees is £2,500 (the pages note this is the September 2026 figure, to be updated by 31 July 2026, so check). Aston says total tuition will not rise by more than 6% year on year.
• UK fee (2027/28): expected £10,050 for the first year, subject to parliamentary approval; £1,250 for a biosciences placement year.
• International undergraduate scholarships (September 2027 entry): Aston’s scholarships page lists two. (1) The International Community Scholarship (Undergraduate) is competitive and application-based: £9,000 off tuition in total, £3,000 in each of Years 1, 2 and 3 (Years 2 and 3 awarded automatically on progression), for taught years only (placement and repeated years are excluded); students entering a final-year top-up receive only the Year 1 £3,000. (2) The Sir Adrian Cadbury Chancellor’s Scholarship is a £10,000 tuition reduction; you submit a form and a 500-word statement (statements of 550 or more, or 450 or fewer, are not assessed). Both are open to self-funded international undergraduate offer-holders only, with the application link emailed after you hold an offer rather than published; application, outcome and deposit dates are all shown as “TBC”. Nursing, MBChB Medicine, Optometry, MPharm Pharmacy and Healthcare Science (Audiology) are excluded.
• The China page says scholarships cannot be combined and students receive the highest-value one available. Aston also lists NCUK and OnCampus Aston scholarships, but the amounts shown are for September 2026 entry; check the site for 2027. For scholarship questions the page gives hello@aston.ac.uk.

7. Transfers

• Biochemistry, Biomedical Science, Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Pharmacy: Year 1 entry may be considered for students currently on a related degree elsewhere (Biochemistry, Biomedical Science and Biomedicine: A-level CCC including Biology; Neuroscience: CCC including one of Biology, Chemistry, Maths or Physics; all with two GCSEs at C/4 including Maths and English; Pharmacy: five GCSEs at C/4), with a UCAS application, an academic reference, an explanation of any gaps, and a first year passed with 120 credits and no failed or retaken modules (typically 60% overall, adjustable case by case). Aston says it does not accept applications for Year 2, Year 3 or the final year “under any circumstances”, because placements are built in from Year 1 and the accreditation covers the whole programme.
• Medicine: no transfers, and no applicants who withdrew from another degree.
• Applicants on other recognised foundation programmes are assessed case by case, and international foundation applicants may face requirements different from the standard UK benchmark.

8. Not given on the pages used

• Interview arrangements for the biosciences degrees, conditions for changing course, how the gaokao is used, equivalents for Scottish and Northern Irish qualifications, and the amount of funds to show for a visa are not given on the pages used for this guide; check with the admissions team and the official sites. The China page’s BCC–BBB range and the course pages’ requirements both appear; treat the course page as the one that applies.
• Whether the Neuroscience placement year is compulsory is stated two ways on the page, as above.

All of this comes from Aston University’s website. Figures and dates can change, so check the official site and UCAS before applying.