How to Apply to Life Sciences and Medicine at Western Sydney University: Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Medical Science and the Five-Year Bachelor of Clinical Science (Medicine)/Doctor of Medicine Have Different Thresholds, with Entry and Prerequisite Requirements for Australian, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Western Sydney University (Western) offers life science and medicine-related undergraduate study in four lines covered here: the Bachelor of Science (biology, zoology, animal, agricultural, environmental and food majors), the Bachelor of Medical Science and its advanced version, and the five-year Bachelor of Clinical Science (Medicine)/Doctor of Medicine, an undergraduate-entry medical degree. Below are the 2027 entry points from Western’s official information for Australian applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. Nursing, health science and similar programs appear in the fee schedule but their course pages were not used, so they are not covered; biomedical engineering is mentioned only in passing.

1. Degrees and majors

• Bachelor of Science: offered by the School of Science, three years full time (part time for domestic students), program code 3754, CRICOS code 041144M, starting 1 March or 19 July 2027; campuses and UAC codes: Parramatta South (728169), Hawkesbury (728168) and Campbelltown (728167); lowest selection rank 65 on the course page. Life-science-related majors are Biology, Zoology, Animal Science, Agricultural Science, Environmental Health, Food Science and Innovation, Forensic Science and Environmental Science (Chemistry and Applied Physics are also listed). The page says not all majors are studied at every campus.
• Some Bachelor of Science majors: Biology (from the molecular world to global ecosystem science, with a focus on sustainability); Zoology (ecology, behaviour and evolution through to the physiology and biochemistry of cells, tissues and organ systems, with on-campus facilities for reptiles, small marsupials and rodents, sheep and cattle and over 1000 ha of native, rural and aquatic habitats); Environmental Health (twelve major subjects instead of eight, with Environmental and Occupational Health labs at Hawkesbury, and provisional accreditation from Environmental Health Australia). Subjects required for each major are in the handbook and not given on the pages used for this guide.
• Work placement: the Bachelor of Science page says that, depending on the major, a Work Internship for Science Professionals provides 100 hours of placement, and the Environmental Health major specifically mentions a short placement. Whether Biology or Zoology includes it is not stated; check the website.
• Bachelor of Medical Science: three years full time (part time for domestic students), program code 3755, CRICOS code 044792K, starting 1 March or 19 July 2027; campuses Parramatta South (UAC 728147) and Campbelltown (728145); lowest selection rank 65. Choose one of three majors: Anatomy and Physiology, Biomedical Science or Human Nutrition. Western says it prepares you for roles in pathology, healthcare technical work, clinical laboratories, biomedical research, nutrition, diagnostics and the pharmaceutical industry, with practicum subjects, work internships (100 hours) and case studies.
• Bachelor of Advanced Medical Science: program code 3758, CRICOS code 075674D, starting 1 March or 19 July 2027, at Parramatta South (UAC 720235) and Campbelltown (720233), with a lowest selection rank of 90. Western says it is for high-achieving students, with advanced work, extension activities and additional research training, and the same three majors; students must keep a GPA of 5 or above or are moved to the Bachelor of Medical Science. The page also calls it an “add-on to other programs” and gives duration notes such as four years for a three-year bachelor plus the Bachelor of Applied Data Science, which does not match the fee schedule, where it is a three-year stand-alone program; confirm with Western.
• Bachelor of Clinical Science (Medicine)/Doctor of Medicine (MD): Western describes it as a five-year undergraduate-entry degree that qualifies you to be a medical intern in Australia and New Zealand; program code 4758, CRICOS code 097592B, Campbelltown, UAC code 725505. The course page gives the start date as 8 February 2027 while the fee schedule shows March (“Mar”); the two differ, so rely on your offer letter.
• Facilities: medical science students have biology and chemistry labs (anatomy and physiology, microbiology, molecular biology) and specialist facilities including genomics, metabolomics, electron and confocal microscopy, HPLC and NMR; MD students have an anatomy laboratory, simulation laboratories and a neuroscience behavioural investigation laboratory.
• Further study: the Medical Science FAQ says the degree gives a foundation for later postgraduate study in medicine, physiotherapy, pharmacy, dietetics and other health fields, but that postgraduate admission is competitive and subject to each institution’s requirements; no guaranteed pathway is described. Biomedical engineering appears only in the line that Biomedical Science can lead to careers from hospital pathology to biomedical engineering and medical technology.

2. How admission works: direct into a major or a general first year?

• For the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Medical Science you apply to the degree and campus and choose the major inside it. The pages used do not say when you choose a major, whether there is a grade threshold or whether places are limited; ask the School of Science (science@westernsydney.edu.au is given on the page).
• The MD is a direct-entry five-year degree, not a route through the Bachelor of Science. Domestic applicants apply through UAC and are directed to the School of Medicine page to find the entry category and pathway; that page was not used for this guide.

3. Prerequisites

• Bachelor of Science (Australian applicants, NSW HSC): assumed knowledge of at least two units of English, two units of science (any science) and two units of mathematics at Year 12 level. It says “any science”, so biology or chemistry is not listed as required.
• Bachelor of Medical Science (Australian applicants): at least two units of English, two units of science (any science) and “two subject mathematics” (the page’s wording), with a pointer to the handbook.
• MD: subject prerequisites are not given on the pages used; the academic threshold is in section 5 below.
• International applicants: the international entry requirements page and qualifications table give general minimums by country and say certain courses may have higher requirements, to be checked in the handbook. Whether the science and mathematics assumed knowledge applies to international applicants is not given on the pages used, so ask Western’s international admissions.
• Interviews and admission tests are not mentioned for the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Medical Science; MD international applicants sit ISAT (see below).

4. Australian applicants

• How to apply: Australian and New Zealand citizens, permanent residents and permanent humanitarian visa holders apply through Western’s own application system, free of charge; Year 12 students can also apply through UAC (the UAC codes are listed above). The “Closing Date” field on the course page is blank; this is not given on the page, so check the website.
• Adjustment factors (formerly bonus points): Western says up to 10 adjustment factors can be added when you apply through UAC, including living in the Western Sydney region (5 added automatically), strong results in relevant HSC or IB subjects (up to 10; Band 5 or 6 for most programs, Band 4 for a small number), the elite athlete and performer scheme (5), the Educational Access Scheme for serious disadvantage, the Schools Recommendation Scheme (an early offer based on Year 11 performance) and the Australian Defence Force scheme (5). It also says “some Western programs are not available for adjustment factors”. Which subject factors apply to this program is on a separate page not used for this guide, so check the website.
• Fees: the course page gives an indicative Commonwealth supported annual student contribution “from AUD 11,885”; HECS-HELP may be available; it excludes the Student Services and Amenities Fee and depends on the band of the subjects you choose.

• Lowest selection rank (LSR): 65 at every campus for the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Medical Science, and 90 for the Bachelor of Advanced Medical Science. These are the lowest selection ranks shown on the pages; actual cut-offs depend on the year’s UAC results and are not inferred here.
• MD (domestic): the course page says domestic applicants apply through UAC and an application fee applies (unlike the free direct application for the Bachelor of Science). Entry categories, deadlines (the page points to an “important dates” page) and selection methods for domestic applicants were not used for this guide; check the School of Medicine pages.

5. International applicants

• Results and qualification recognition: Western says admission is “highly competitive” and based on academic merit, and international students must meet the same standards as Australian residents. The qualifications table lists only minimum eligibility, not a guarantee, and some courses may require more (see the handbook). The course page says overseas qualifications must be assessed as equivalent to Australian qualifications by the Australian Education International – National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (AEI-NOOSR). In the table (version v07, no year shown), the undergraduate minimum for the International Baccalaureate is an IB Diploma score of 24.
• English: for most undergraduate and postgraduate programs (there is a list of exceptions; see the note for this program below): IELTS Academic 6.5 with no band below 6.0; TOEFL iBT 82 (Writing 21, Speaking 18, Reading 13, Listening 13); or PTE Academic 58 with no communication skill below 50. Tests must be no more than two years old at commencement; online and home-edition versions of IELTS, PTE and TOEFL, and OET@Home, are not assessed. You may be treated as meeting the requirement if English is your first language or you can show English was the medium of instruction in secondary or tertiary study completed within two years of starting; no list of countries is given.
• How to apply: apply through Western’s international application system, free of charge, or through an agent. International students completing an Australian Year 12 (in or outside Australia), the IB in Australia or NCEA Level 3 must apply through UAC International. If you meet all criteria you get a provisional offer; if not, a packaged pathway offer or a conditional offer, and applications that do not meet entry requirements are automatically assessed for a pathway program at The College. Student visa holders must study full time, and the course page notes the part-time option is not available to them.
• Adjustment factors: Western says only two schemes apply to international students: living in the Western Sydney region (5) and strong results in relevant HSC or IB subjects (up to 10). The others are not available to international students.
• Funds: you must be able to cover tuition, living expenses, Overseas Student Health Cover, the student services and amenities fee, school costs for accompanying school-age dependants and travel. The fees page says student visa holders need approximately AUD 29,710 per person per year for living expenses as advised by the Australian Government (partner AUD 10,394, child AUD 4,449, plus annual school costs of AUD 13,502); it is a rough guide.
• 2027 tuition: the 2027 undergraduate international fee schedule (footer: last updated September 2026) lists the Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Advanced Science, Bachelor of Medical Science and Bachelor of Advanced Medical Science at AUD 41,613 a year (based on 80 credit points), and the five-year Bachelor of Clinical Science (Medicine)/Doctor of Medicine at AUD 89,796 a year. The schedule also lists the Bachelor of Health Science (AUD 36,515, Campbelltown and Sydney City), Bachelor of Nursing (AUD 40,775) and others, whose course pages were not used for this guide. Fees are reviewed each year; the Student Services and Amenities Fee and health cover are extra.
• English exceptions: the exceptions list on the entry requirements page gives higher requirements for nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, paramedicine, speech pathology, sport and exercise science, podiatric medicine and others. For the Bachelor of Clinical Science (Medicine)/Doctor of Medicine it is IELTS 7.0 with no subtest below 7.0, TOEFL iBT 100 (Writing 27, Listening and Reading 24, Speaking 23) or PTE 65 in each of the four skills in one sitting; on the newer TOEFL 1–6 scale it lists an overall 5.0 (Reading 5.0, Listening 5.0, Writing 5.5, Speaking 4.5). The Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Medical Science are not on the exceptions list, so the general requirement applies.

5 (continued). International applicants for the MD

• Places and timing: Western says the School has a minimum of 20 international places per year in Year 1; applications are accepted year round and are assessed and interviewed in rounds until places are filled.
• How to apply: through the international online application system or an agent; international students studying the HSC, IB or NCEA Level 3 in Australia use UAC International.
• Academic threshold: an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (or equivalent) of 93.5. Listed equivalents include IB 37 or higher and GCE A-Levels of A A A* or higher (three or fewer A2 subjects). For applicants with university results the page lists minimum GPAs on a 7-point scale: 6.1 for one semester or more but under a year (4–7 subjects); 5.9 for a year or more but uncompleted (8–23 subjects); 5.2 for three years or more but uncompleted (24 subjects or more); 5.2 for a completed bachelor’s degree; no minimum for a completed honours degree or research master’s; 6.0 for a graduate certificate, 5.7 for a graduate diploma and 4.9 for a coursework master’s. It says to multiply a 4-point GPA by 1.75, calls this “a guide for domestic applicants only” and reserves the right to determine your equivalent score. The criteria are reviewed annually and those published on 1 October each year apply; the page shows no year, so check the version for 2027 entry.
• ISAT: applicants sit the International Student Admission Test, run by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), a 3-hour general aptitude test of critical reasoning and quantitative reasoning offered at test centres worldwide in set test cycles. Results are used to rank applicants if there are more eligible applicants than places.
• English: see the exceptions note above (IELTS 7.0 with no subtest below 7.0).
• Credit and practice: international students are not offered academic credit for the MD; applicants who partly completed a medical degree overseas must start in Year 1 if eligible. International graduates “may not automatically be entitled to registration, internship and access to a provider number in Australia”; the page points to HETI, the Medical Board and Medicare for details.
• Change of residency status: if an international student obtains Australian permanent residency or citizenship, or New Zealand citizenship, before 1 January of the starting year, the international offer is withdrawn and they must re-apply as a local student; after 1 January they pay international fees for that semester and then convert to a domestic full-fee place. There are no Commonwealth Supported Places for MD students who become permanent residents.
• Clinical placements: the program includes mandatory unpaid community-based and clinical placements across Greater Western Sydney and rural New South Wales, including a minimum of 12 months at a rural clinical school (Bathurst and Lismore) with subsidised accommodation; if too few students volunteer, the School allocates students. Students must provide a National Police Certificate, immunisation records and a Code of Conduct agreement through NSW ClinConnect, and meet the program’s inherent requirements.
• How Gaokao results map to the MD’s ATAR threshold is not given on the pages used; ask the School of Medicine.

6. Applicants from China

• In Western’s international qualifications table (version v07, no year shown), the undergraduate minimum for China is one of:
  • completion of Gao San with an 80% average over three years;
  • a Gaokao score at the Science Stream second-tier university admission threshold for your province;
  • completion of the first year of a bachelor’s degree at a recognised university.
• So Western treats the Gaokao as one accepted basis and names the provincial second-tier line rather than a specific score. The table also lists starting points for university foundation studies and diplomas (for example a Gao Er average of 60% or 65% in the foundation columns and a Gao San average of 60% or 65% in the diploma columns); see the PDF. It adds that these are minimums and some courses may require more. Whether the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Medical Science require more is not stated on the pages used; for the MD, see the threshold above, as the pages give no China-specific equivalent.
• Format and certification requirements for Chinese high school certificates, transcripts and exam records are not given on the how-to-apply page, the entry requirements page or the qualifications table, and no China-specific page was found among the pages used for this guide. Contact international admissions at internationalstudy@westernsydney.edu.au or your agent.

7. International scholarships

• Automatic scholarship assessment: no separate application is needed; awards appear in your offer letter, and the scholarships page says awards are valued up to 50% of tuition.
  • Western Sydney International Scholarship (Undergraduate): the scholarships page says AUD 10,000 or 5,000 a year in 2027 for the full duration of your degree, and AUD 6,000 or 3,000 for up to three years in 2026. The how-to-apply page says AUD 6,000 or 3,000 for up to three years and 50% off tuition. Both statements are on Western’s website; your offer letter is final.
  • International UAC Scholarship: a AUD 10,000 multi-year scholarship awarded on academic merit.
  • Vice-Chancellor’s Academic Excellence Undergraduate Scholarship: 50% of tuition for three years, no application needed.
  • International Alumni Scholarship: AUD 10,000 a year for up to three years (undergraduate) for new international students commencing in 2026 and 2027, on academic merit, first-come, first-served. The page says it covers most undergraduate and postgraduate programs with some exclusions and does not say whether this program is excluded.
  • Applicants from North Asia and South East Asia are eligible for a AUD 5,000 or 10,000 Regional Achievement Award; the page says it is available for all 2026 intakes and does not list countries.
  • Scholarships specific to this school are not described on the pages used for this guide; check the website.

The international section of the MD page also says scholarships are assessed automatically on application; the amounts are not broken down by degree.

8. Transfer students and credit

• The qualifications table says completing the first year of a bachelor’s degree at a recognised university meets the undergraduate minimum.
• International students are not offered credit for the MD. Conditions for transferring into the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Medical Science are not given. The “other study options” list the one-year Diploma in Science, but the page does not describe how it links to the Bachelor of Science or any credit terms; check the website.
• Detailed advanced standing rules (GPA, required prior subjects, how many credit points can be recognised) are in the course handbook and are not given on the pages used for this guide; ask Western. Deadlines are not published on those pages either.

Checklist

Australian applicants:

• LSR 65 for the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Medical Science, 90 for the Advanced Medical Science; check adjustment factors
• Assumed knowledge: English, any science and mathematics (Medical Science says “two subject mathematics”)
• MD: apply through UAC, pay the application fee, and check entry categories and dates on the School of Medicine pages

International applicants:

• Science and Medical Science: IELTS 6.5 (6.0 each band); MD: IELTS 7.0 (7.0 each), results no more than two years old
• MD: ATAR equivalent 93.5 and ISAT; at least 20 international places a year, with interviews in rounds all year
• Apply directly for free; Australian HSC, IB or NCEA students go through UAC International

Applicants from China:

• Undergraduate minimum: Gao San average of 80%, the Science Stream second-tier Gaokao threshold for your province, or the first year of a Chinese bachelor’s degree; ask the School of Medicine how the MD threshold applies

Transfer students:

• One year of bachelor’s study meets the minimum; confirm credit with Western; no credit is offered to international MD students

Sources: Western Sydney University, School of Science; Science degrees; Bachelor of Science; Bachelor of Medical Science; Bachelor of Advanced Medical Science; Bachelor of Clinical Science (Medicine)/Doctor of Medicine; International applicants for the MD; Adjustment factors; International entry requirements; International qualifications table (PDF); International fees and living costs; 2027 undergraduate international fees (PDF); International scholarships; How to apply. Information is for 2027 entry; where a page shows no year, check the website for 2027 entry.