How to Apply to Life Sciences and Medicine at the University of Aberdeen: Four-Year BSc Degrees in Biomedical Sciences, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Physiology and Biological Sciences, a Five-Year MBChB, and Requirements for Home, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

The University of Aberdeen is in the north-east of Scotland. Its life science and medical degrees sit in the biological sciences and in medicine and medical sciences, and the University says its medical school is co-located with a large teaching hospital campus. This guide covers September 2027 entry for home applicants (Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers, and A-levels from England, Wales and Northern Ireland), international applicants (with a separate section for Chinese applicants) and transfer or direct-entry applicants, based on the University’s published pages. Scottish honours degrees normally take four years, unlike the usual three in England.

1. Degrees and UCAS codes

• Biomedical Sciences (BSc) B900: four years (48 months), at the Aberdeen campus. The page says the programme provides the scientific content of pre-clinical medicine with a specialism chosen from anatomy, developmental biology, molecular biology, pharmacology or physiology. In Year 4 (Senior Honours) you can do an independent research project or add a year-long industrial placement and graduate with a five-year MSci in Biomedical Sciences. The page also states that the BSc is not accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), so graduates do not gain HPC registration at graduation and would need an additional conversion course in hospital laboratories if they chose that career path.
• Other BSc degrees (four years): Biochemistry C700, Pharmacology B210, Physiology B120 and Biological Sciences C901. The University’s biological and environmental sciences and related subject pages also list Molecular and Cellular Biology C720, Biology C100, Zoology C300, Ecology D430, Marine Biology C350, Conservation Biology C161, Animal Behaviour C349, Animal Behaviour and Welfare C345, Plant and Soil Science CD27, Environmental Science F900, and Neuroscience with Psychology (BSc, major-minor honours, B170). Only the B900, C700, C901, B210 and B120 pages were read; check the others on their own pages.
• Medicine (MBChB) A100: full time, 60 months (five years), September start. The University also lists Gateway2Medicine (A1A1, a non-honours certificate); its page was not read, so check the website.
• Accreditation: the Biological Sciences (C901) page says graduates of accredited programmes receive one year of free Royal Society of Biology membership in their final year; no accreditation section, or a statement of non-accreditation, was found on the other pages read, so check.
• In the undergraduate subject list read for this guide, no nursing or pharmacy degree was seen; check the website to see whether such degrees are offered.

2. Do you apply directly to a subject? Years 1 and 2

• The “UCAS application process” page says admission at Aberdeen is to a degree rather than to a department; you should still enter your preferred degree title and UCAS code, but in most cases it is easy to change your degree preference after starting. When you must fix your subject after arrival and with what grades is not published on the pages read; ask Admissions. Medicine is the exception: it is a separate vocational degree with its own application rules, described below.
• Biomedical Sciences B900: Year 1 covers chemistry (Chemistry for the Life Sciences 1 and 2), Introduction to Medical Sciences and The Cell; Year 2 includes Foundation Skills and Research Skills for Medical Sciences and Human Anatomy A and B; Year 3 (Junior Honours) includes Frontiers of Biomedical Sciences with options in neuroscience, molecular and cell function and anatomy. BT3006 Working Out? Placement & Career Skills is optional in Year 3 but must be taken if you want a placement. Year 4 includes a research project; students who want the five-year MSci must take BT5007 Industrial Placement. The page also says all degrees include a 10-week full-time research project in the final year.
• Biochemistry C700: Year 1 includes Introduction to Medical Sciences, Chemistry for the Life Sciences 1 and 2 and The Cell, plus 60 credit points of choice; Year 3 includes molecular biology of the cell, genetics and molecular microbiology; Year 4 has honours courses such as receptors and signalling and biochemistry of health and disease.
• Biological Sciences C901: Year 1 includes Frontiers in Biological Sciences, Diversity of Life 1 and 2, Ecology and Environmental Science, The Cell and chemistry; in Year 2 you choose one field course; Year 4 includes an independent research project, with at least 45 credit points taken from School of Biological Sciences courses at level 4. The page says you will attend at least one residential field course (locations include the Cairngorms, Shetland, Spain and the University’s field station on the Black Isle) and may take an optional year-out work placement.
• Pharmacology B210 and Physiology B120: the pages describe training in classical pharmacology, toxicology and cell and molecular pharmacology for B210, and, for B120, content that overlaps with pre-clinical medicine, taught alongside the Institute of Medical Sciences.
• Medicine A100: Year 1 begins with the medical sciences and disease processes, then moves to a systems-based course using clinical cases, with the Foundations of Primary Care course in local general practices and the first four-week Student Selected Component. The page says the curriculum is integrated and updated in response to General Medical Council guidance.
• Admissions tests and interviews: the life science BSc pages read do not require an entrance test or interview. Medicine: every applicant must take the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT; check the UCAT website) before applying, and the University says Medicine applicants may be invited to interview.

3. Prerequisites

• Biochemistry C700, Pharmacology B210, Physiology B120, Biological Sciences C901: SQA Highers standard BBBB including two Mathematics/science subjects; widening access BBC; National 5 English and Mathematics at C or above. A-level BBC including two Mathematics/science subjects; widening access CCC; GCSE at C/4 or above in English, Mathematics and one of Chemistry, Physics or Dual Award Science. IB 30 points (5, 4, 4 at HL) including two Mathematics/science subjects, with English and Mathematics at SL or HL. Irish Leaving Certificate: five Higher subjects at H3 including two Mathematics/science subjects, with O4 in English and Mathematics. BTEC Extended Diploma DMM with main subjects in science or mathematics.
• Biomedical Sciences B900 (higher): the degree page gives SQA Highers standard ABBB including two Mathematics/science subjects (Biology preferred) and widening access BBB; the same page also says applicants with BBBB will usually receive an unconditional offer and that widening access applicants with BBC are guaranteed an unconditional offer, and the entry requirements table lists AABB for Highers (BBB for widening access) — the University contradicts itself, so ask Admissions. A-level BBB (widening access BBC) including two Mathematics/science subjects (Biology preferred), with GCSE English, Mathematics and one of Chemistry, Biology or Dual Award Science at C/4 or above. IB 34 points with 6, 6, 5 at HL including the degree subject(s) and at least two science/mathematics subjects (HL Biology 6 preferred). Irish Leaving Certificate: five Higher subjects with two at H2 and three at H3, H2 required in two Mathematics/science subjects (Biology preferred), and O4 in English, Mathematics and Chemistry or Biology. National 5 English and Mathematics at C or above.
• Medicine A100 (2027 entry): SQA Highers standard AAAAB at one sitting with Chemistry plus two from Biology, Human Biology, Mathematics or Physics; widening access AAAB. National 5 English and Mathematics at B or above. A-level AAA with Chemistry plus one from Biology, Human Biology, Mathematics or Physics and one other subject; GCSE English and Mathematics at B/5 or above. IB 36 points including at least three HL at 6 and three SL averaging 6, with HL Chemistry plus HL Mathematics, Biology or Physics and one other subject; if only two sciences are taken at HL, a further science at SL. Irish Leaving Certificate: three Higher subjects at H1 including Chemistry, Biology and one other, and three at H2 including Mathematics or Physics. The University says most successful candidates meet the minimum at the first sitting and does not normally consider resits.
• Advanced Highers: no Advanced Higher is required for Year 1 of the life science BSc degrees on the pages read. For Medicine, the University’s medicine page asks S6 students for three full subjects with at least two at Advanced Higher; for those who reached AAAAB in S5, a typical S6 offer is BBB with at least two Advanced Highers. Year 2 requirements are in the transfer section below.
• The University stresses that meeting the minimum does not guarantee an offer and that it may ask for more when applications exceed places.

4. Home applicants

• Scottish students: apply with SQA Highers, adding Advanced Highers where needed. The University says it does not double count a Higher and Advanced Higher in the same subject, but treats a B at Advanced Higher as equivalent to an A at Higher; one Foundation Apprenticeship counts as one Higher at A but cannot replace a required subject. It adds that applicants who meet the minimum will usually receive an unconditional offer, but where there are more applicants than places it may ask for more, so continued engagement at school is recommended. National 5 requirements (English, mathematics and so on, at C or above) differ by degree and are given in the sections below.
• Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland: apply with A-levels (BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma, the Irish Leaving Certificate and the IB are also accepted); the GCSE requirements are given by degree below; the fee is the “Rest of UK” rate (see “Tuition fees and scholarships”).
• Widening access: applicants who meet the University’s widening access criteria can receive a guaranteed offer at a lower grade; the criteria page lists Scottish SIMD quintile 1 postcodes, care experience, free school meals, a list of priority schools, POLAR 4 quintile 1 postcodes in the rest of the UK, caring responsibilities, estrangement and more, and says the list is not exhaustive. The lower grades for each degree are given below; entry to MSci and MEng programmes is not discounted.
• Medicine (Scottish students): the medicine page sets standard entry at five Highers at AAAAB and adjusted (widening access) entry at four Highers at AAAB; it will not normally consider applications directly from S5, so S6 study is expected; Foundation Apprenticeships are considered (Social Services and Healthcare as equivalent to an A in a science Higher, Scientific Technology as an A in a non-science Higher). The UCAS deadline for Medicine is different; see the timeline below.

5. International applicants

• How to apply: full-time undergraduate applications go through UCAS (check UCAS and your account on its own site); the University’s UCAS institution code is A20 and its short code is ABRDN. The University says admission is to a degree rather than to a department; you should still enter your preferred degree title and UCAS code, but in most cases it is easy to change your degree preference after you start.
• Grade requirements: requirements are listed by country (see “Chinese applicants” below); applicants from some countries must take a Foundation Year first, offered by the University’s International Study Centre, whose website was not used for this guide.
• Funds and visa: the Key Dates page says that after you accept an offer you must return a Financial Guarantee document to Admissions (no CAS can be issued without it); applicants who meet specific criteria must also pay a non-refundable deposit, and should apply for the visa as soon as possible after receiving the CAS. In line with UKVI rules the University recommends budgeting £1,171 a month for living costs, and students who need a Student visa also pay the NHS health surcharge, stated as £776 per year of study. Check the University’s visa page and the UK government for current amounts and documents.
• Work: international students studying for more than six months may work 20 hours a week in term time (possibly more in holidays); the University warns that work must not be relied on to fund your studies.
• Fee status: the University says that if you live overseas and do not hold a UK passport you will probably be classed as an International fee student; it decides your status from your application and points to UKCISA for guidance.

English language requirements (the general undergraduate page, to which the degree pages refer; Medicine is higher):

• IELTS Academic (or IELTS UKVI Academic): 6.0 overall, with at least 5.5 in Listening, Reading and Speaking and 6.0 in Writing. IELTS Indicator, General Training and Online are not accepted; One Skill Retake is accepted.
• TOEFL iBT, MyBest and Home Edition: for tests taken after 21 January 2026 the page gives Listening 4, Reading 4, Speaking 4, Writing 4.5 and an overall of “4–4.5” on the new scale; for tests taken before 21 January 2026 it requires 78 overall with Listening 17, Reading 18, Speaking 20 and Writing 21. The TOEFL institution code is 0818.
• Others: PTE Academic 59 overall and in each skill (the online test is not accepted); LanguageCert Academic 65 overall (60 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, 65 in Writing); Cambridge B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 169 overall (162 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, 169 in Writing); Oxford ELLT 6.0 overall (5.0 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, 6.0 in Writing); Duolingo 105 overall (95 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, 105 in Writing); Trinity ISE II (Distinction in Writing, Merit in the other three); Skills for English SELT B2. LanguageCert International ESOL B2 is listed but marked as not accepted for entry from September 2025. Tests must be within two years of the start date unless stated otherwise.
• Exemptions: nationals of the English-speaking countries the University lists (including the UK, Ireland, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand); an approved high school qualification on the University’s accepted list, taken within the last 10 years; three A-levels or the IB taught in English (within 10 years); or a degree taught and assessed entirely in English at an approved university, with a medium-of-instruction letter. The full lists and minimum grades are on separate pages; whether Chinese high school qualifications appear on that list is not shown on the pages used for this guide, so check the website.
• Pre-sessional courses: passing the University’s own Academic English pre-sessional is accepted (valid for one year); pre-sessionals at other UK universities must reach B2 with B2 in all four skills.
• Higher English requirements for Medicine (MBChB): IELTS 7.0 overall with Speaking 7.0 (Listening and Reading 5.5, Writing 6.0); for TOEFL taken before 21 January 2026, 100 overall (Listening 21, Reading 22, Speaking 28, Writing 21); PTE 70 overall with Speaking 70; LanguageCert Academic 75 with Speaking 75; Cambridge 185 with Speaking 185; Oxford ELLT 8.0 with Speaking 8.0; Skills for English SELT C1. LanguageCert B2 and Duolingo are not accepted for Medicine.

Medicine (MBChB) for international applicants: the medicine page says international applicants’ examination results must all be obtained at the first sitting of each subject, and that medical councils around the world may have different requirements to practise medicine, which you should check yourself. Qualifications commonly accepted are A-level, Scottish Higher, Irish Leaving Certificate, IB or European Baccalaureate; for other qualifications contact the Medical Undergraduate Admissions Office (medadm@abdn.ac.uk) before applying. On the UCAS form you must list all completed qualifications with grades and give predicted grades for those not yet taken, the personal statement must be your own, and the reference must be supplied on the UCAS form because the University will not request one. A typical international offer is conditional. The number of places for international students is not published on the pages read; ask Admissions.

6. Chinese applicants

• Gaokao and high school results: the University’s China page says undergraduate applicants are considered on the overall score of the Senior High School Diploma: 80% or above for Arts and Social Sciences; 80% or above with 80% or above in two science subjects for Science; 80% or above with 80% or above in Mathematics and Physics for Engineering; and 85% or above for Law. It adds that good Gaokao scores will also be considered, but gives no Gaokao cut-off or conversion table; that is not published there, so ask Admissions.
• Which category your degree falls into: the China page lists only four categories (Arts and Social Sciences, Science, Engineering, Law) and does not map individual degrees. On the degree pages read, the BSc entry-requirements note points to the “Sciences” section and the MA note to the “Arts and Social Sciences” section, but the University does not say which China-page category applies to which degree, so confirm with Admissions.
• Foundation: each degree page lists an “Undergraduate Foundation Programme” as an available pathway, run by the International Study Centre; its entry terms, fees and courses were not used here, so check aberdeen-isc.ac.uk. The China page does not say that Chinese high school diploma holders must take a foundation year first.
• Interview, accreditation bodies, transcripts and document checklist: the China page read does not list a special interview, accreditation body or high school transcript checklist for Chinese applicants; this is not published there, so ask Admissions (ugadmissions@abdn.ac.uk).
• Scholarships: the undergraduate funding list on the China page shows the Aberdeen Global Scholarship (below) and the Arthur L McCombie Bursary (£4,000 a year in 2026–27 for students in the penultimate and/or final honours year, for up to two years; the page gives a deadline of 19 November 2026; its eligibility page was not read, so check whether it applies to you).
• Medicine for Chinese applicants: the medicine international requirements page gives the minimum for candidates from China as achieving or being predicted to achieve a total of 650 in 5 subjects, with Chemistry at least 135, two of Biology, Physics or Mathematics each at least 135, and two other subjects. The page does not say which examination these scores refer to (for example whether it is the Gaokao) or give the maximum score, so ask the Medical Admissions Office (medadm@abdn.ac.uk). Medicine also requires the UCAT and the higher English lines (IELTS 7.0 overall with Speaking 7.0, and so on), and the Aberdeen Global Scholarship does not apply to Medicine.

7. Transfer students and direct entry to Year 2

• Direct entry to Year 2 (Advanced Entry): the University says highly qualified applicants can join in second year with Advanced Highers, A-levels or the IB and finish an honours degree in three years. It is available for many Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (MA) degrees, Science (BSc, MChem, MSci) degrees and Engineering (BEng only), and is not available for Law, Medicine or Primary Education. Choose “Point of Entry: Year 2” on UCAS; if the Year 2 application is unsuccessful you are automatically considered for Year 1 where appropriate. For Biomedical Sciences the entry requirements table lists, for Year 2, Advanced Highers ABB in addition to Highers, A-levels AAB and IB 36; for general BSc Sciences degrees (Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Physiology, Biological Sciences and others) it lists Advanced Highers AB, A-levels BBB and IB 32; which line applies to each life science degree is not stated, so ask Admissions. College routes: Biochemistry Year 2 needs an HNC in Applied Sciences (120 SCQF credit points) with a B in the Graded Unit, and Year 3 an HND in Applied Sciences or Applied Biological Sciences (240 SCQF credit points) with a B in Graded Unit 1 and an A in Graded Unit 2 (the Applied Sciences route must include Human Metabolism); Biological Sciences lists further HNC/HND routes (Animal Care, Wildlife & Conservation Management and others); the general table lists an A in HNC Applied Sciences and AA in HND Applied Sciences for Biomedical Sciences. Medicine does not accept direct entry to Year 2; the medicine pages also have separate requirements for graduates and mature applicants, which were not read.
• College routes: HNC, HND and SWAP qualifications can lead into Year 2 or Year 3; see “Entry from College” on each degree page. Entry to MSci and MEng programmes from HN programmes is not possible.
• Transferring from another university: the pages read have no separate transfer policy and no credit-transfer rules for students from Chinese or other overseas universities; this is not published there, so ask Admissions.

8. Timeline for 2027 entry

• UCAS deadline: the Key Dates page says to apply through UCAS by 13 January 2027 for most degrees (equal consideration date); the How to Apply page says applications submitted by 18:00 UK time on 14 January receive equal consideration. The two pages differ by a day; check UCAS and the latest University pages. Some degrees may still accept applications after this date; check UCAS. Medicine (A100): the Key Dates page gives the application deadline as 15 October 2026 and the How to Apply page says 18:00 UK time on 15 October (for Medicine and Dentistry); Medicine applicants may list at most four medical courses among their five UCAS choices. If this date has passed by the time you read this, ask the Medical Admissions Office whether applications are still accepted. Supporting documents sent to the Medical Admissions Office are considered only if they arrive by that deadline.
• Information evenings: online and in-person applicant evenings run from December 2026 to February 2027.
• Decisions: by 12 May 2027 at the latest (unconditional, conditional or unsuccessful), with the aim of finishing by the end of March 2027; offer holders are invited to an Offer Holder Day in April 2027. If you have all offers by 31 March 2027 you must choose your firm choice on UCAS by 5 May 2027.
• International applicants: the Key Dates page says applications must be made through UCAS by 30 June (“for September 2027”), and applications up to 13 August 2027 are accepted for those whose results come a little later; after accepting, send the required documents and the Financial Guarantee, pay the deposit if it applies, and apply for the visa.
• Results days: SQA results on 10 August 2027 and A-level results on 12 August 2027.
• Start: Welcome Week begins on 13 September 2027 and teaching on 20 September 2027; the last date to register is 4 October 2027, and the University will not allow students to begin online or register after that date.
• Interviews: the University says Education, Medicine and Music applicants may be invited to interview; the pages read do not require an interview for other degrees.

9. Tuition fees and scholarships

• Biomedical Sciences (B900), Biochemistry (C700), Biological Sciences (C901), Pharmacology (B210) and Physiology (B120): the international fee on all five pages is £24,800 a year (the same for 2026/27 and 2027/28), with £18,800 listed for self-funded international students, stated to include the £6,000-a-year Aberdeen Global Scholarship. The fee pages for the other life science degrees were not read; check them.
• Medicine (A100): the international fee is £50,100 a year for both 2026/27 and 2027/28, stated to include the mandatory national levy covering NHS tuition costs; the page also tells international students to check the Institute for Education in Medical and Dental Sciences (IEHMS) website for an additional ACT Levy charge, which was not read here, so check it. The Aberdeen Global Scholarship does not apply to Medicine.
• Aberdeen Global Scholarship: for new self-funded, international-fee-status, full-time on-campus (Aberdeen campus) students starting in 2026/27 or 2027/28; £6,000 for every year of the programme, deducted from tuition fees; no application is needed, it is applied automatically and shown on the CAS. Students who are fully sponsored, hold fully funded external scholarships or other University scholarships are not eligible (awards from the University of Aberdeen Development Trust excepted). China is on the page’s list of eligible countries; the scholarship does not apply to Dentistry or Medicine. The page says it is available “until further notice”.
• Scottish students: the tuition fee is £1,820 a year (the same for 2026/27 and 2027/28); the University says eligible students (Scottish domiciled, first undergraduate degree, full time) can apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) to have it paid; check the details with SAAS.
• Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (RUK): £10,050 for 2027/28 and £9,790 for 2026/27; the University says the fee cap will keep rising with inflation and this should be allowed for when budgeting.
• RUK and Ireland Entrance Scholarship: awarded automatically to new undergraduates paying the RUK fee (entering Year 1 or Year 2): a £2,000 discount on University accommodation and a £50 weekly catering card for 27 teaching and exam weeks, in the first year only, with no cash alternative. The scholarship page prints no year, and the funding page labels this scheme “2026 entry”, so check that it applies to 2027 entry.

Checklist

Home applicants:

• Confirm the UCAS code of your degree (B900, C700, B210, B120, C901, A100 and so on) and check the two Mathematics/science subjects (Biology preferred for Biomedical Sciences; Chemistry required for Medicine)
• For most degrees apply on UCAS by the deadline (Key Dates says 13 January 2027, How to Apply says 18:00 on 14 January; check which applies); Medicine closes on 15 October 2026 and requires the UCAT first
• Scottish students: apply to SAAS for fee payment; RUK students: check the £10,050 fee and the entrance scholarship conditions

International applicants (including China):

• Ask Admissions which China-page category your high school results fall under (Science asks for 80% overall and 80% in two science subjects) and how Gaokao results are used; for Medicine, check the 650-point guidance with the Medical Admissions Office
• IELTS Academic 6.0 (5.5 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, 6.0 in Writing; Medicine 7.0 overall and 7.0 in Speaking) or an accepted equivalent, or check whether you are exempt
• Submit through UCAS by 30 June (Medicine: 15 October), then return the Financial Guarantee and apply for the visa after accepting
• The Aberdeen Global Scholarship applies automatically to eligible self-funded international students (not Medicine)
• If you need a foundation year, check the International Study Centre’s entry terms

Transfer students:

• For Year 2 entry, choose Year 2 as the point of entry on UCAS and check the Advanced Highers/A-level/IB Year 2 requirements, or the HNC/HND entry conditions (not available for Medicine)
• Rules for transferring from another university are not published on the pages read; ask Admissions (ugadmissions@abdn.ac.uk)

Sources: University of Aberdeen, Biomedical Sciences (BSc) B900 page; Biochemistry (BSc) C700 page; Biological Sciences (BSc) C901 page; Pharmacology (BSc) B210 page; Physiology (BSc) B120 page; Medicine (MBChB) A100 page; Medicine academic requirements; Medicine international requirements; Medicine Highers, A-level and IB requirements; Undergraduate subject areas; Undergraduate entry requirements; How to apply; UCAS application process; Key dates; Advanced entry; Widening access criteria; International entry requirements; China entry requirements; China funding; Undergraduate English requirements; Fee status, living costs and work; Aberdeen Global Scholarship; RUK and Ireland Entrance Scholarship; Scottish student fees. Information is for September 2027 entry; check any date that is printed without a year, and rely on the University of Aberdeen for the latest details.