How to Apply to the University of Portsmouth for a Biology Bachelor’s Degree: Biology, Biochemistry and Marine Biology BSc (Hons), All Accredited by the Royal Society of Biology, With Optional Placement Year – Admissions for UK, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of Portsmouth lists its biology bachelor’s degrees under “Biological sciences” on its website. There are three: Biology, Biochemistry and Marine Biology. This guide uses the September 2027 course pages for the three degrees and the university’s undergraduate application, international application, fees, scholarships and China pages. It is for UK applicants, international applicants (including students from Chinese high schools) and students who want to join a later year. The website also has related degrees such as Pharmacology, Biomedical Science, Pharmacy (MPharm) and Environmental Science, plus health degrees such as nursing and dentistry; they are outside this guide, so check the course pages. The website does not list a separate Chemistry bachelor’s degree, so this guide does not cover one; the closest degree is Biochemistry.

1. Degrees and how you are admitted

• BSc (Hons) Biology: three years full-time (UCAS code C101) or four years with a work placement (C100).
• BSc (Hons) Biochemistry: three years (C701) or four years with a placement (C700). The course page describes it as combining biology, chemistry and molecular analysis.
• BSc (Hons) Marine Biology: three years (C161) or four years with a placement (C160).
• The institution code is P80. You apply directly to the specific degree; the course pages say “starting September 2027”. All three are marked “Accredited” by the Royal Society of Biology (RSB), and graduates are eligible to apply for Associate Membership of the RSB.
• The biological sciences subject page also lists related courses such as Applied Science (Learning at Work), Environmental Science and Marine Environmental Science; this guide has not read each of them.
• If you do not meet the entry requirements, the Biology, Biochemistry and Marine Biology pages mention a Science with Foundation Year, after which you can progress to degrees including biology. Whether it suits you and whether international students can take it is not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website.

2. Entry requirements (September 2027 start)

• Biology: 104-120 UCAS points from 3 A levels or equivalent, including biology; A levels BBB-BCC, BTEC Extended Diploma DDM-DMM, International Baccalaureate 24. For A levels with a separate science practical component, a pass is desirable and may strengthen an application.
• Biochemistry: 112-120 points from 3 A levels or equivalent, including either biology or chemistry; A levels BBB-BBC, BTEC DDM-DMM (must be in a science subject), IB 25; T Level at Merit (Health or Science T Levels accepted), and the page adds that applications will need adequate qualifications in chemistry.
• Marine Biology: 112-120 points from 3 A levels or equivalent, with 32 points from A level Biology; A levels BBB-BBC, BTEC DDM-DMM, IB 25, with 5 points from Higher Level Biology.
• All three pages note that you may need specific subjects or GCSEs; see the full entry requirements on the website. The course pages do not mention an admissions interview or test. The university’s assessment page says some courses may ask for a portfolio, interview or test; whether these three do is not given on the pages used for this guide, so ask admissions.
• The entry requirements page says typical offers are ranges, offers are usually at the higher end for the most popular courses, and meeting the requirements does not guarantee a place. The university also looks at your personal statement, reference and activities outside study, and uses established data on personal and family circumstances; it says it issues adjusted offers, lower than the typical offer, to some applicants in its own region and to some from widening-participation backgrounds.
• Beyond entry grades, the course page FAQ says curiosity is the most important quality and that a good understanding of chemistry and maths is useful; science GCSEs and sixth-form study in biology-related subjects are a good foundation, and practical experience is useful but not essential.

3. What you study

• You take 120 credits each year. The first year of all three shares “The Living World”, “Cellular and Molecular Basis of Life” and “Experimental Biology” (30 credits each), plus one more: “Ecology, Plants and Human Impact” (Biology), “Perspectives in Biochemistry” (Biochemistry) or “Introduction to Marine Ecology and Oceanography” (Marine Biology), 30 credits each.
• Biology: Year 2 core is Diversity and Physiology of Plants and Animals (30), Genetics (15) and Research and Career Planning (30), with options including Microbiology, Cell Biology of Cancer and Immunity, Business for Bioscience, Marine and Terrestrial Ecology, Environmental Monitoring and Fieldwork, and Development, Stem Cells and Differentiation. Year 3 core is the Research Project (30) and Current Research in Biology and Evolution (15), with options including Marine Ecology and Conservation, The Genome in Health and Disease, Conservation in a Changing World, Bioinformatics, Tropical Study Tour and Microbiomes.
• Biochemistry: Year 2 core is Gene Cloning to Enzyme Engineering (30), Cell Biology of Cancer and Immunity (15) and Research and Career Planning (30). Year 3 core is the Research Project (30), Engineering Biology (15), The Genome in Health and Disease (30) and Bioinformatics (15), with options including Microbiomes and developmental topics.
• Marine Biology: Year 2 core is Marine Organisms and Ecosystems, Research and Career Planning and Marine and Terrestrial Ecology (30 each), with options including Oceanography, Microbiology, Genetics, Scientific Diving Techniques, Practical Boating Skills and GIS and Remote Sensing. Year 3 core is the Research Project, Marine Ecophysiology and Marine Ecology and Conservation (30 each), with options including Fisheries and Aquaculture and Microbiomes.
• Module names and options can change from year to year, as the website itself says; check the course page when you apply.
• Research project: the final year of each degree has a 30-credit independent research project (the Biology lecturer in the course video describes it as a year-long research project).
• Field work: the Biology page describes a 3-day field trip in Year 1, an optional week-long trip in Year 2 and a 3-day trip in Year 3; Marine Biology covers intertidal habitats, estuaries, saltmarsh and mangroves, with optional diving and boating modules.

4. Placement year and overseas study

• All three degrees offer an optional one-year work placement, taken after the second or third year (the Biochemistry page says after the second year). To do it you apply with the placement-year code (C100 / C700 / C160). The university calls these Connected Degrees and says you can decide whether to take the placement after the second year or after the final year.
• The Biology and Marine Biology pages also mention a year abroad at a partner university; the Biochemistry page mentions a summer research placement at a European university.
• Placement employers named on the course pages include Pfizer, Thermo-Fisher Scientific, the Field Studies Council and the Blue Marine Foundation.

5. UK applicants

• Apply through UCAS: 5 choices a year (5 courses at up to 5 universities). The university also accepts direct applications in some cases (see section 8).
• Qualifications the university says it commonly accepts: A levels, T Levels and BTECs, plus Access to Higher Education, Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers, the Welsh Baccalaureate and the Irish Leaving Certificate; the list is not complete, so contact admissions about other qualifications. How Highers and similar qualifications translate into the grades for these three degrees is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions.
• Fees: UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man students pay £10,050 a year (September 2027 start, “subject to annual increase”); £1,505 for a placement year or year abroad.
• The university says UK fees may increase each year within conditions set by the UK or Channel Islands governments. Student loans and UK scholarships are on the undergraduate fees and student finance pages.

6. International applicants

• English: all three course pages say IELTS 6.0 overall with no component below 5.5; the English language page says this applies to most bachelor’s degrees and that some courses need more. You need Academic IELTS; the page says IELTS Academic Online and General Training are not accepted, and IELTS One Skill Retake is. If you fall short you can take a pre-sessional English programme; for a pre-sessional or Foundation course the IELTS test must be taken at a UKVI-approved centre.
• Exemptions: nationals of, or degree holders from, countries including the UK, USA, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand may be exempt (full list on the English language page); Canadian nationals still need to show English ability. Even with an exemption you must provide evidence that meets the academic requirements of the course.
• Documents: a completed application form; a personal statement; certified, translated high-school qualifications and grades; proof of English; and one academic reference on headed paper. The page also says video credibility interviews are required for applicants from certain countries, arranged directly by the university’s regional leads.
• Fees: all three course pages give £20,950 a year for international (non-EU) students starting September 2027 (“subject to annual increase”). The international fees page gives a typical range across the university of £17,750-£20,950 for 2027/28 (£17,900-£20,000 for 2026/27) and says fees may rise by up to 5% a year. A placement year or year abroad costs international students £3,150.
• Other costs: the course pages mention books (up to about £60 each) and a suggested £75 a year for printing and similar items. For Biology, compulsory field-trip travel and accommodation are included in the fee, with about £60 for meals and other costs, and optional trips such as Mexico cost about £1,500-£2,000; the Biology page also says that if you take marine biology modules you may need to pay for travel to the Institute of Marine Sciences, about 3.5 miles from the main campus. For Marine Biology, compulsory fieldwork meals cost about £10 a day, an optional tropical trip about £1,500-£2,000, the diving modules about £800-£860 and the practical boating module about £710.
• Deposit and payment: after an offer you pay a deposit to confirm your place, which counts towards the fees; once the deposit and other conditions are met you receive a CAS for your visa, at the earliest six months before the course starts. The university takes payments through Flywire.
• Scholarships: the international scholarships page opens by saying it covers January 2027 and September 2027 starts, but the detailed terms are for January (and May) 2027 entry only: the Chancellor’s Global Academic Merit Scholarship (January 2027 entry, £5,000 off the first year, for self-funded full-time on-campus students, with a separate application form submitted by 2 November 2026) and the Vice Chancellor’s Global Development Scholarship (January and May 2027 entry, £2,500 off the first year, decided by nationality – China is on the list – for courses with annual fees of £16,200 or more). What applies to September 2027 entry and the amounts are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the international scholarships page. These scholarships cannot be combined with other scholarships, discounts or fee offers.

7. Applicants from China

• The China country page says applicants with a Chinese high school diploma, a specialised college (zhongzhuan) diploma or a high school graduation equivalency certificate will usually need a foundation year first, and recommends the foundation courses at the associated International College Portsmouth (ICP).
• Applicants who have completed the Chinese Senior High School Diploma plus one year at a recognised Chinese university are considered for a bachelor’s course, provided they studied relevant subjects with strong grades.
• Applicants without a Chinese Senior High School Diploma can apply with A levels (A* = 56, A = 48, B = 40, C = 32, D = 24 points) or the International Baccalaureate; the China page says most courses need 24-31 IB points, and that science courses usually need passing grades in scientific A level subjects. Check each course page for the exact points.
• The page also says holders of a Dazhuan diploma from a recognised institution, or a BTEC or SQA HND, may be considered for advanced entry to a relevant bachelor’s course.
• Gaokao: the China page does not mention how gaokao results are used for these degrees. This is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions or one of the university’s China representatives.
• The page lists education agents in Beijing and other cities and says the university’s Global Officers help applicants from China.
• The SQA Advanced Diploma Scholarship mentioned on the China page is for postgraduate study and does not apply to bachelor’s degrees.

8. How to apply and the timeline

• UCAS: you need the course’s UCAS code and the institution code P80. The university says applications for entry can be submitted from September of the year before you start; the personal statement can be up to 4,000 characters; if you are not applying through a school or college you also need a reference. Check the UCAS website for the 2027 dates and fee.
• Deadline: the university recommends applying by the UCAS “equal consideration deadline”, usually towards the end of January of the year you start; check the exact date on the UCAS website. Applying later may mean the course is full or the requirements have changed. The international deadlines page says the September 2026 intake is closed and lists deadlines only for January 2027 entry; the deadline for September 2027 entry is not given on the pages used for this guide, so check the website.
• Application fee: the university’s page quotes only the UCAS 2024 fee (£22.50 for one course, £27 for more than one), which is not the fee for 2027 entry; check UCAS.
• Direct application: you can use the form on the course page if Portsmouth is your only choice, if you do not want to use UCAS, or if you are applying for credit transfer.
• Deferred entry: many courses accept it but some do not; ask admissions before applying. If you defer you must meet your offer conditions by the end of August of the year you apply.
• Admissions phone: +44 (0) 23 9284 5566, as listed on the course pages.

9. Transfers and joining a later year

• The university’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) page says you can convert prior learning into credits, for example to start in the second year of a bachelor’s degree; whether you can depends on how well your previous knowledge matches the modules on the course.
• There are three types: credit transfer (credits from a UK higher education qualification completed in the last 5 years; an HNC is worth 120 credits and an HND 240), prior certificated learning and prior experiential learning. You must have applied for or registered on the course before you apply for RPL; credit transfer uses a form attached to your application, and the other two need a portfolio of evidence.
• To start at a higher level of a course you must apply before the first day of teaching in the academic year you want to start.
• Credits from non-UK institutions may be handled as prior certificated learning rather than credit transfer, according to the page. Which credits these three degrees accept and how courses map onto each other is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions.

This guide is based on the University of Portsmouth’s course pages for September 2027 entry and related admissions pages. Fees, deadlines and English scores can change, so check the website again before you apply.