How to apply for biology at Oxford Brookes University: Biological Sciences (with Genetics and Genomics, Human Biosciences and Zoology pathways) and Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation, as a three-year BSc or four-year MBiol, standard offer 112 UCAS points with one science subject, for home, international (including Chinese) and transfer applicants

Biology degrees at Oxford Brookes University are taught in the School of Biological and Medical Sciences at the Headington campus. This guide covers the science-based biology degrees on the Biosciences subject-area page: Biological Sciences and its Genetics and Genomics, Human Biosciences and Zoology pathways, and Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation. The same page also lists Biomedical Science, Medical Science and Equine Science, which are outside the scope of this guide; see the university website. The undergraduate degrees listed on that page do not include a chemistry (Chemistry) degree.

1. Degrees and pathways

• Biological Sciences: BSc (Hons) UCAS code C900, MBiol C110
• Biological Sciences (Genetics and Genomics): BSc C400, MBiol C140
• Biological Sciences (Human Biosciences): BSc C1C9, MBiol C190
• Biological Sciences (Zoology): BSc C300, MBiol C130
• Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation: BSc C200, MBiol C120
• The course pages show start dates of September 2026 and September 2027. Full time: BSc 3 years (4 with a sandwich year), MBiol 4 years (5 with a sandwich year); part time is also listed (BSc 6 years, MBiol 8 years)
• Each pathway also has a BSc version with a foundation year, listed separately on the subject-area page. You choose a specific course when you apply; the pages do not say whether you can switch between pathways after entry, so ask admissions

2. How the courses are structured

• Biological Sciences: Year 1 compulsory modules include Cell Biology and Genetics, Communicating Science, Quantitative Skills for Life Science, Biodiversity, and Introduction to Biochemistry A (stoichiometry, chemical bonds, equilibrium and the organic chemistry of DNA, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids). Introduction to Biochemistry B is optional; the week-long residential field course (in Wales; the cost is covered by the fees) is listed among the options, though the field-trip text calls it an alternative compulsory module, so check the course page. Year 2 compulsory modules are Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Career Development and Interrogating Genomes, with computational skills. Year 3 (Year 4 with a placement year) offers options from the molecular biology of cancer to wildlife conservation, plus a final project
• Genetics and Genomics: Year 2 covers genome analysis, DNA extraction, genetics and Data Carpentry, with optional modules including microbiology and animal development; the final project can be done with companies in the Bioinnovation hub or the Bioimaging and Functional Genomics centres
• Human Biosciences: Year 1 covers cell biology, human physiology, anatomy and basic science skills; Year 2 covers molecular biology and integrated physiology; later options include molecular biology of cancer, business innovation and science communication
• Zoology: Year 1 includes cell biology, genetics, organisms and their environment, evolution and conservation; Year 2 has compulsory modules in animal development, evolution, genetics, data carpentry, molecular biology and animal behaviour
• Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation: Year 1 covers biodiversity, global issues in conservation and communicating science, with a one-week residential species-identification field course; Year 2 covers animal behaviour, environmental change, threatened species, surveys and licensing; the final year includes wildlife conservation and environmental consultancy modules, and the project can be done with a conservation organisation (the page says many students do projects overseas)
• The MBiol integrated master's adds a major research project in the final year, which the pages describe as preparation for a PhD or industrial research
• Placement: every page lists an optional placement year, and some also mention a work-experience module as an alternative. The Biological Sciences page also mentions European or international exchanges, usually in the second year; students organise and fund their own
• The university says course content is reviewed regularly and optional modules may differ from those shown. The pages do not mention professional accreditation such as the Royal Society of Biology; check with the school
• The Biological Sciences page gives at least about 12 contact hours a week and about 1,200 study hours a year; check the other pathways on their own pages

3. Prerequisites and entry requirements

The five course pages give the same standard offer:

• BSc: 112 UCAS Tariff points; A-Level BBC or A*CD; IB 28 points; BTEC DMM
• MBiol: 120 UCAS Tariff points; A-Level BBB or A*CC; IB 32 points; BTEC DDM
• One science subject is required: at least one A-Level or comparable Level 3 qualification in a science subject. Biological Sciences gives examples of Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Geography, Maths, PE, Physics and Psychology; Human Biosciences lists Biology, Chemistry, Applied Human Biology, Maths, PE, Physics and Psychology; Zoology lists Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Geography, Maths, PE, Physics and Psychology, and also names acceptable BTEC subjects (such as Animal Management, Countryside Management, Applied Science, Forensic Science, Health and Social Care, and Sport) and one science subject at IB Higher Level; Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation uses the same wording as Biological Sciences
• The pages do not set separate high-school chemistry or biology requirements and do not mention AP; if you hold AP, ask admissions whether and how it converts to UCAS points
• The Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation page says that if your qualifications do not match the typical offer you should contact the Admissions Office, since the university looks for potential as a scientist
• Applicants without a science background are pointed to the one-year Life Sciences Foundation Year (UCAS code C201; 32 points, BTEC PP), after which you can go straight into Year 1 of many life-science BSc degrees (the Zoology page says into Year 1 of the BSc). The page also welcomes applicants with European or international qualifications or recognised foundation courses and refers them to admissions
• Interviews or admissions tests: not mentioned on the course pages; ask admissions

4. How and when to apply

• Home applicants: full-time undergraduate courses go through UCAS; part-time and associate study are applied for directly. The university timeline says UCAS applications are submitted between September and January of Year 13; check UCAS for the exact deadline, because the pages used for this guide give no 2027 UCAS deadline
• International applicants: for September entry you can apply directly or through UCAS (institution code OXFD O66); for January entry you must apply directly. The international application page prints a timeline for January 2027 entry only (application by 11 December 2026; last CAS issue 21 December 2026, or 11 December for applicants from Nigeria and Pakistan). No deadline for September 2027 international applications is given on the pages used for this guide; check the website or ask admissions
• If your course has a sandwich option, the university asks you to choose it correctly on the application to avoid delays with the CAS process
• The timeline page lists a personal statement and a teacher reference; the application fee is not given on the pages used for this guide, so check the website

5. Home applicants

• The standard offer is above; A-Level, IB and BTEC are listed. How Scottish Highers, Welsh or Northern Irish qualifications convert is not set out on the course pages; see the university tariff page or ask admissions
• Contextual offers: for UK students applying for undergraduate degrees (excluding foundation years and foundation degrees), up to three grades below the standard requirement. The biology course pages give 88 points for the BSc (A-Level CCD, IB 27, BTEC MMM) and 96 points for the MBiol (CCC or ACE, IB 28, BTEC MMM). Eligibility includes having lived in local authority care, refugee or humanitarian-protection status, taking part in the Brookes Engage outreach programmes, eligibility for free school meals, or being under 25 with caring responsibilities; or a combination of attending a school with below-average results (GCSE, or bottom 40% nationally at A-Level) and living in a low-participation or socio-economically disadvantaged area. There is no separate form: apply through UCAS and give the relevant details
• Fees: 2027/28 home full-time £10,050 (2026/27: £9,790); placement year £2,010; part time £1,255 per single module. The pages do not distinguish England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

6. International applicants

• English: the English requirements page lists IELTS 6.0 with 6.0 in reading and writing and 5.5 in listening and speaking for undergraduate courses, and the same for the Life Sciences Foundation. It also says the university may accept other English qualifications case by case in some situations (for example where you do not need a student visa), and that its pre-sessional English course can lead to the degree without an external test. Student-visa applicants must also meet the UK Visas and Immigration language minimum
• Pathways: the international foundation page lists Business and Technology, Arts, Humanities and Law, an International Foundation Diploma and an Art and Design foundation; none is described as specific to biology. The course pages say that if you do not meet the entry requirements you can take an international foundation course with a guaranteed pathway if you pass with the required grades. Which foundation leads to biology is not stated; ask admissions
• Fees: 2027/28 international full-time £19,300 a year (2026/27: £18,250); placement year £2,010; Life Sciences Foundation Year £18,500 for 2027/28 (2026/27: £17,250) for international students. The university says international fees may rise in later years; whether the fourth MBiol year is charged separately is not shown on the course pages, so check the fee box
• Other costs: the Biological Sciences page lists a lab coat and safety glasses at about £25–40 and field footwear and a waterproof jacket from about £100 (compulsory); a laptop at about £1,200 (a loan service is available); accommodation, placement travel and similar items are optional or situational
• £2,000 International Student Scholarship: for international students who pay a deposit by set dates and fund their studies privately (direct payment, or a loan they are personally responsible for repaying); the number of awards is unlimited. The page covers September 2026 entry only (for example, offers received on or before 31 March 2026 needed the deposit paid by 13 May 2026); dates for 2027 entry are not given on the pages used for this guide, so check the website

7. Applicants from China

• The university's China entry page gives the minimum undergraduate requirement as the Senior Secondary School Graduation Certificate plus a recognised foundation course, or the certificate plus the Gaokao (NCEE), or one year of university in China with at least 75% overall. It says to use its equivalency table for a specific course, and that a certificate plus Gaokao may be considered case by case
• Mapping the table to the biology offers: 112 points (BSc) corresponds to a certificate average of 85% plus Gaokao 70%; 120 points (MBiol) to 80% plus Gaokao 75%. The contextual offers (88 and 96 points) apply to UK students only. 32 points (Life Sciences Foundation Year) corresponds to Year 3 of the certificate at 65% or Year 2 at 70%, with no Gaokao needed. This is a lookup of the general China table against the points on the course pages; the course pages have no separate Chinese-applicant requirement
• The page notes that a certificate Maths mark of 75% is treated as GCSE B / grade 5 and 70% as GCSE C / grade 4. The English requirement on that page is IELTS 6.0–7.0 (6.0 in reading and writing, 5.5 in listening and speaking) or the pre-sessional English course
• How Chinese high-school subjects map to the "one science subject" requirement is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions
• The page also describes dual degrees with Chengdu University of Technology in accountancy, computer science and software engineering; biology is not among them
• The university lists agents in China who help with applications free of charge; whether to use one is your decision

8. Transfer and part-way entry

• The credit transfer page says most courses consider applicants joining part-way with credit from previous learning or relevant experience. Examples of transferable credit: partly completed UK degrees at other universities or colleges, lower-level higher education qualifications (HND, Foundation Degree, CertHE), Open University courses and a university degree from another country; credit can also be assessed through Assessment of Prior Learning (APL) or Assessment of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)
• International students apply through the direct application form and list every module studied or in progress; transcripts and more information are requested after submission
• Which year of the biology courses you can join, and which modules must be in your record, is not stated on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions

9. Checklist by background

Home applicants:

• Choose a pathway and check you hold one science qualification; BSc 112 points, MBiol 120 points
• Apply through UCAS and check whether you qualify for a contextual offer

International applicants:

• Check whether your qualifications convert to 112 / 120 points and include a science subject; IELTS 6.0 (6.0 reading and writing, 5.5 listening and speaking)
• Check the September 2027 application deadline and scholarship deposit dates on the website

Applicants from China:

• Use the China table: 112 points is about a certificate average of 85% plus Gaokao 70%; ask admissions how your science subject is counted
• If you lack a science background or the scores, consider the Life Sciences Foundation Year (the 32-point row)

Transfer applicants:

• Prepare transcripts and module descriptions, apply directly and ask admissions to assess your credit

Sources: Oxford Brookes University, Biosciences subject area; Biological Sciences; Biological Sciences (Genetics and Genomics); Biological Sciences (Human Biosciences); Biological Sciences (Zoology); Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation; Life Sciences Foundation Year; Entry requirements for China; English language requirements; International foundation courses; How to apply (international); Applying directly; Timeline for undergraduate applications; Credit transfer; Contextual admissions; £2,000 International Student Scholarship. Fees are the 2027/28 figures on the course pages; the scholarship page currently covers September 2026 entry only. Check UCAS and the university for the latest dates and rules.