How to Apply to Biology Degrees at Birkbeck, University of London: Biochemistry, Biological Sciences and Royal Society of Biology Accredited Biomedicine, Afternoon and Evening Teaching, 104–112 UCAS Points (A-level BCC–BBC Including Biology or Chemistry) for Three-Year Full-Time Entry Plus Foundation Year, for UK, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Birkbeck, University of London (degrees are awarded by the University of London) is in Bloomsbury, central London. Most undergraduate teaching is in the afternoon or evening, and many degrees can be studied full-time or part-time. This guide follows the course pages, application pages, international pages, China country page, English language page and fees pages for October 2027 entry to biology-related degrees, for UK, international (including Chinese), and transfer applicants.

1. Biology-related degrees

• BSc Biochemistry (UCAS C901, three years full-time; C902 is the four-year full-time route with a Foundation Year; four- and six-year part-time routes also exist). Year 1 compulsory modules include Organic and Biological Chemistry, Introduction to Physical Biochemistry and Laboratory Skills in Biochemistry; in Year 2 you can choose a Micro-placement with Your Career Development; the final year is a Specialist Laboratory Research Project, with an intensive week of daytime laboratory activities in September.
• BSc Biological Sciences (C903; C904 with a Foundation Year; part-time routes exist). Year 1 compulsory modules include General Chemistry, Diversity of Life and Dynamic Environments; Year 2 has a daytime field class and the final year has a week-long residential field class and a practical or field-based investigative project.
• BSc Biomedicine (C900; C190 with a Foundation Year; part-time routes exist). Birkbeck states that it is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology. There are two pathways: BSc Biomedicine, and BSc Biomedicine and Public Health by taking specified modules. A daytime laboratory week comes before the final year.
• MSci Biomedicine with Advanced Pathways (C702, four years full-time): the three-year BSc Biomedicine plus a year of Master's-level study, with three Year 4 pathways: Biochemical Analysis, Microbiology, and Structural Molecular Biology, plus a research project.
• BSc Natural Sciences (F602; F603 with a Foundation Year): four of its five pathways include Bioscience (paired with astronomy and planetary science, data science, earth and environment, or cognition and neuroscience). It is an interdisciplinary degree and is only mentioned in one line here; check the website for modules.
• Chemistry: the undergraduate course pages used for this guide list no Chemistry degree. Chemistry appears as modules inside the degrees above, for example General Chemistry and Organic and Biological Chemistry, and the Foundation Year has Chemistry modules. For a chemistry degree, check Birkbeck's undergraduate course list.
• Medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health degrees are outside this guide; check the website for their requirements.

These degrees are taught on the Bloomsbury campus in the School of Natural Sciences. The website says full-time study usually means two to three afternoons or evenings a week from October to July, and many modules offer a choice of afternoon or evening.

2. Prerequisites and entry requirements for 2027

• Biochemistry: three-year full-time entry asks for 112 points (for example A-levels BBC), including at least a C in A-level chemistry, with A-level biology strongly preferred; the Foundation Year asks for 48 points with some evidence of study in a science-related subject.
• Biological Sciences: three-year full-time entry asks for 104 points (for example A-levels BCC) including A-level biology; the Foundation Year asks for 48 points with some evidence of science-related study.
• Biomedicine: three-year full-time entry asks for 112 points (for example A-levels BBC including biology, and chemistry and/or mathematics; general studies and critical thinking are not accepted; applicants with only two full A-levels are considered individually); the Foundation Year asks for 48 points. GCSEs (or equivalent) at grade C/4 or above are required in English, mathematics and double science (or two single sciences).
• MSci Biomedicine: 112 points (for example A-levels BBC including biology, and chemistry and/or mathematics or physics; general studies and critical thinking are not accepted); the same GCSE requirement.
• The website says the UCAS tariff applies to recently earned qualifications that have a tariff equivalent (A-level, IB, BTEC and others), and that Birkbeck may waive formal entry requirements based on its judgement of academic potential.
• Other routes: a BTEC Extended Diploma in Applied Science with Distinction or Merit, or an Access to Higher Education Diploma with at least 15 credits at Merit or Distinction in science units; the Biochemistry and Biological Sciences pages say the Certificate of Higher Education in Life Sciences for Subjects Allied to Medicine leads directly into Year 1; the Biomedicine and MSci pages give a BTEC National Extended Diploma at DMM.
• Interviews and tests: the course pages used for this guide do not mention an admissions interview or test. The website only says that applicants who receive offers are invited to an Offer Day in March. Ask admissions whether anything else applies.
• IB and AP scores by degree are not given on these course pages; check with admissions.

Foundation Year: the website says it suits students returning after a gap, without the relevant subjects, or without the grades for the degree, and that successful students advance to the main degree. Foundation Year core modules: for Biochemistry and Biomedicine, Biology 1–3, Chemistry 1–3 and Fundamentals of Study; for Biological Sciences, Biology 1–3, Chemistry 1, Foundation Year Mathematics and Fundamentals of Study.

3. UK applicants

• Full-time degrees are applied for through UCAS. Birkbeck's UCAS institution code is B24, and you can make up to five choices.
• For 2027 entry the first UCAS deadline printed on the page is 13 January 2027. Birkbeck also accepts later applications depending on places, and takes Clearing applications in August. Check the dates on the UCAS website.
• The website says that applications submitted before the January deadline get a decision by early May at the latest, and later applications by July. Applicants who receive offers are invited to an Offer Day in March.
• You write a personal statement. The website says some courses require a reference and will contact you if so.
• The four- and six-year part-time routes do not use UCAS; you apply directly to Birkbeck, with applications usually opening in September, and standard entry is at least two A-levels or an equivalent qualification.
• Fees and loans: full-time Home tuition for 2027–28 is £10,050 a year (part-time: £7,530 a year over four years, £5,025 a year over six). The website says eligible UK full-time and part-time students pay no tuition fees up front because government loans are available, and maintenance loans are also available; English students apply through Student Finance England. Rules for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website.
• UCAS fee: the page prints £28.95 for the 2026 cycle (up to five choices). Check the fee for the 2027 entry cycle on the UCAS website.

4. International applicants (including Chinese applicants): English, qualifications and funding

• Full-time degrees are applied for through UCAS. International students who need a Student visa can apply only for full-time, on-campus routes, not part-time.
• English: the standard is IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each sub-test. Other accepted tests include TOEFL iBT (under the grading from January 2026: total 4.5, reading 4, listening 4, speaking 4, writing 4.5; under the older grading: 79, with 18/19/19/23), PTE Academic 62 (60 in each part) and LanguageCert Academic 70 (65 in each part). IELTS Online, TOEFL Home Edition and PTE Academic Online are not accepted. Test results need to be within their validity period (two years for IELTS).
• Qualifications: the website points to a country list for how overseas qualifications compare. If you do not know yours, submit the application with as much detail as possible and Birkbeck assesses it.
• Birkbeck offers an eight-week combined Pre-Sessional and In-Sessional English programme to help applicants reach the English requirement.
• Funds: the website says you need your tuition fees plus at least £12,000–£13,000 for living costs for one calendar year.
• Agents must apply through Birkbeck's agent portal.

5. Applicants from China

• The China country page says that for direct entry to Year 1 of a three-year bachelor's degree, applicants need the Gaokao with an average of at least 75%; or a two- or three-year diploma (Zhuanke or Da Zhuan) with at least 80% or equivalent; or, at the department's discretion, a vocational diploma (Gaozhi) at 80% or equivalent; or the first year of a bachelor's (Xueshi) degree at 80% or equivalent (75% for students from higher-tiered universities). The page does not say how this applies to each biology degree; check with admissions.
• Applicants with only the Senior Secondary School Certificate will normally need to apply as foundation-year students. There are two routes: with IELTS 6.5 already achieved, a four-year integrated Bachelor's plus Foundation programme with a joint CAS for all four years; otherwise a Foundation Year or international Year 1 at partner provider OnCampus London, which Birkbeck says offers guaranteed progression onto its bachelor's programmes.
• Applicants with the IB Diploma or A-levels are considered for direct admission. The China page says IB requirements range from 28 to 33 depending on the course; the IB score for each biology degree is not given on the pages used for this guide.
• The page lists a WeChat contact (BBK_International) for the international team.

6. Fees and scholarships

• International tuition for 2027–28: £19,320 a year for three-year full-time Biochemistry, Biological Sciences and Biomedicine (also £19,320 a year on the four-year Foundation Year routes); part-time £14,490 a year over four years or £9,660 a year over six (whether part-time is open to students needing a Student visa: see above). For MSci Biomedicine, Years 1–3 are £19,320 a year and Year 4 is £14,520 (Home: £8,760 in Year 4).
• Biomedicine with Foundation Year: Home fee £7,530 for Year 1 and £10,050 a year afterwards; international £19,320 a year.
• The website says fees are charged each year, continuing students' fees may rise with annual inflation, and Birkbeck assesses Home or Overseas fee status under UK government regulations.
• International scholarship: the International Excellence Scholarship page is the autumn 2026 version. It gives a tuition discount of £1,000–£5,000 on the first year to full-time international self-funded students with an unconditional offer who live in a listed country (the list includes China), chosen by a statement of up to 2,000 words, with four 2026 rounds (17 May, 21 June, 19 July, 16 August). Check the website for 2027 rounds and amounts. The course pages also mention a Global Future Scholarship; see the scholarships page.

7. Transfer and second-year entry

• If you have studied at university, Accredited Prior Learning (APL) may give credit that exempts you from overlapping modules. For an honours degree (BA/BSc/LLB) the usual maximum is 240 credits; for a Certificate of Higher Education 60 credits and a Diploma of Higher Education 120 credits.
• Full-time undergraduates apply through a new UCAS application marked for Year 2 entry; other applicants use Birkbeck's online form and say they want APL credits, then upload a transcript.
• The outcome is decided with an appropriate academic or the Awards Committee. Which modules a biology degree will credit, and any extra grade requirement for Year 2 entry, are not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions.
• Current students changing programme submit a change of programme request in My Birkbeck, approved by both programme leaders; international students on a Student visa also speak to the International Student Administration team first.

Checklist

• Choose the route: Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Biomedicine or MSci Biomedicine; there is no Chemistry degree on the pages used.
• Check A-level subjects and grades (biology, chemistry), or the 48-point Foundation Year route; Chinese applicants check the Gaokao, IB or foundation routes on the China page.
• Prepare English evidence (IELTS 6.5 with 6.0 in each part, or another accepted test).
• Apply through UCAS (code B24); the first deadline is 13 January 2027; international students needing a Student visa choose full-time, on-campus routes.
• Prepare proof of funds for tuition and at least a year of living costs, and check the 2027 scholarship page.

Sources: Birkbeck website, Biochemistry; Biological Sciences; Biomedicine; MSci Biomedicine with Advanced Pathways; Natural Sciences; entry requirements; how to apply; transfer and credits; international applicants; China country page; English language requirements; international fees and payment; International Excellence Scholarship. Check the website again before you apply; dates, fees and entry requirements can change.