How to Apply for Biology at the University of Reading: No Common First Year, Apply Directly to Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Zoology or Ecology and Wildlife Conservation, Mostly ABB with a B in Biology or Chemistry, for UK, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Biology degrees at the University of Reading are taught by the School of Biological Sciences on the Whiteknights campus. The website says the school is based in the new Health and Life Sciences building, a 60 million pound development that also houses the Cole Museum of Zoology, with more than 3,500 natural history specimens. Below are the key points for 2027/28 entry from the University of Reading website, for UK applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and students hoping to join year two.

1. Courses you can apply for

The Biological Sciences subject page says these courses do not have a common first year: you study your chosen subject from the start and tailor your studies through optional modules. The courses have a strong practical element, and in the final year you can spend 11 weeks on a laboratory research project. You apply directly to a named course:

• BSc Biological Sciences (UCAS code C100, three years): the course page says most modules are optional, so you can lean towards ecology and wildlife or human biology and disease. First-year compulsory modules are Cellular and Molecular Principles of Life, Fundamentals of Microbiology, Anatomy and Physiology, Fundamentals of Evolution and History of Life on Earth. There are also with Professional Experience (C101, four years, with a third-year placement in industry, a research institute or an environmental organisation) and with Foundation (C102, four years, including a foundation year) versions.
• BSc Biochemistry (C700): three years with the option of a placement year. First-year compulsory modules are Fundamentals of Microbiology, Anatomy and Physiology, Fundamentals of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Principles of Life and General Chemistry B. The course page says every student does a final-year research project, with at least 8 hours a week spent on it. The subject page also lists with Foundation and with Professional Experience versions; their detailed requirements were not used for this guide.
• BSc Microbiology (C500, three years): the course page says you can take Microbiology Society membership and do a final-year research project of about three months. You can take a year-long industrial placement between the second and final years, or paid vacation studentships. With Foundation and with Professional Experience versions are also listed.
• BSc Zoology (C300, three years): listed under the zoology subject page; the course page says you study animals from day one, rather than a shared first year. With Foundation and with Professional Experience versions are also listed.
• BSc Ecology and Wildlife Conservation (CD94, three years): listed under the ecology subject page, again with Foundation and Professional Experience versions.
• MSci versions: the Biological Sciences subject page lists MSci Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Biomedical Science and Microbiology; the zoology and ecology pages list MSci Zoology and MSci Ecology and Wildlife Conservation (four years, five with professional experience). Their entry requirements were not used for this guide; check the website.
• Other: the Biological Sciences subject page also lists BSc Biomedical Science and its variants, and biomedical engineering. The website also has medical science, pharmacology, pharmacy (MPharm) and physician associate degrees. These are outside this guide; see the relevant subject pages on the Reading website.

Accreditation: the course pages for Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Zoology and Ecology and Wildlife Conservation each say the programme is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology (RSB), and graduates can apply for Chartered Biologist status.

The course pages do not say whether you can move between these courses after enrolling. Because there is no common first year, decide your direction before applying and check with the School.

2. Prerequisites and entry requirements

• BSc Biological Sciences, Microbiology and Zoology: A-Level ABB with a B in Biology, or BBB with a B in Biology and a B in a second science. Acceptable second sciences: Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Psychology, Geography, Environmental Science/Studies, Applied Science, Geology, Computer Science. IB: 32 points including 5 in Biology at Higher Level, or 30 points including 5 in Biology and in a second science, both at Higher Level. BTEC Extended Diploma: DDD, taking the Applied Science (2016) units Biological Molecules and Metabolic Pathways (10) and Genetics and Genetic Engineering (11).
• BSc Biochemistry: A-Level ABB with a B in Chemistry, or BBB with a B in Chemistry and a B in a second science (Biology, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Psychology, Geography and others are listed). IB: 32 points including 5 in Chemistry at Higher Level, or 30 points including 5 in Chemistry and a second science, both at Higher Level. BTEC: DDD, with the Applied Science (2016) units Biological Molecules and Metabolic Pathways, Genetics and Genetic Engineering, Applications of Organic Chemistry and Industrial Chemical Reactions, plus two further units from the list on the page.
• BSc Ecology and Wildlife Conservation: A-Level ABB including a B in a science subject (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Psychology, Geography, Environmental Science, Applied Science, Geology or Computer Science); IB 32 points with 5 in a science subject at Higher Level; BTEC DDD with no specific Applied Science (2016) units required.
• With Foundation (taking BSc Biological Sciences with Foundation as the example): A-Level BBB for applicants without Biology and a second science, CCC for applicants with them; IB 30 points without Higher Level Biology and a second science, 24 points with both at Higher Level; BTEC DMM; GCSE grade 4 (C) in Science if not studying sciences at A-Level. The compulsory foundation modules are Foundation Biology 1 and 2, Foundation Chemistry 1 and two Academic and Scientific Skills modules. For the foundation versions of other courses, check the website.
• EPQ: the website says EPQ achievement can be included as part of a formal offer.
• GCSE: the Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Zoology and Ecology course pages do not state a GCSE Maths or English requirement; this is not given on the pages used for this guide, so check with Admissions.
• Interview or admissions test: not mentioned on these course pages.
• English: IELTS 6.5 with no component below 5.5; other English tests are on the international student pages; a pre-sessional English course is available before entry.
• Contextual offers: the website says they are made for all courses; the criteria are not given on the pages used for this guide, so ask Admissions.
• Other qualifications: the course pages list only A-Level, BTEC and IB and say "we also accept many other qualifications". The details for Scottish Highers and others are not given on those pages; check with Admissions.

Learning and placements: the BSc Biological Sciences page says the environmental biology options cover ecology and conservation biology, and the campus is home to over 1,000 animal species, the Cole Museum of Zoology and a herbarium; the biomedical options cover human physiology and the basis of disease, with molecular genetics and cell biology techniques. You can take a paid studentship funded by bodies such as the Wellcome Trust or the Nuffield Foundation (about six weeks over the summer, or part time over a longer period), or take the four-year version with a professional experience year (often paid). Recent placements have included Diamond Light Source, Kew Gardens, Public Health England and GSK. The zoology course page says second-year field courses can include Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada (palaeoecology) and South Africa; costs are not included but are subsidised. The Biological Sciences course page names Devon, Canada and South Africa for its field courses, while the subject page names Devon, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, Iceland, Spain and Colombia; the locations are not identical, so check with the School for the current year.

3. Application process and timing

• Apply through UCAS. Reading's UCAS institution code is R12; there is no campus code. You can apply for up to five courses, including more than one at Reading. UCAS normally charges a small application fee; check the UCAS website.
• The website says most undergraduate courses have a UCAS deadline in January. Check UCAS for the exact 2027-entry date. If you miss it you can still apply through UCAS and Reading will consider late applications until June; applications after June go into Clearing. The page warns that some courses may be full after the January deadline.
• You need a personal statement and a school reference. The University assesses these with predicted or achieved grades; the application page says some courses require an interview or portfolio, and the biology course pages do not mention one.
• Offers are conditional or unconditional. Offer Holder Days usually take place between February and April. You can defer or change your offer using the Change My Offer Request form.

4. By type of applicant

UK applicants: A-Level requirements are above. The course pages do not distinguish England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland; check with Admissions. The home fee for 2027 entry is 10,050 pounds a year for new UK and Republic of Ireland students, with annual increases in later years; UK students may be eligible for a student loan (see the fees and funding pages).

International applicants: the same A-Level and IB requirements apply, plus IELTS 6.5 (5.5 in each component). If you do not meet direct entry, the website says you can take Reading's International Foundation Programme (IFP, September entry); successful completion plus any other relevant requirements "guarantees" a place on your chosen degree. You could also consider the with Foundation courses above; the pages give their requirements in A-Level and IB terms, so ask Admissions how international qualifications are treated.

Applicants from China: the China page says undergraduate entry can be based on any one of: a recognised International Foundation Programme; successful completion of the first year at a recognised Chinese university with at least 80%; the gaokao (NCEE) with at least 80% overall for target programmes requiring AAA at A-Level, 77% for programmes requiring AAB/ABB, and 74% for programmes requiring BBB; the IB Diploma with 30 to 34 points depending on the programme; or Ambright (case by case for science and life science programmes). Entry to the International Foundation Programme is listed as Chinese High School Year 2 (Year 11) with a leaving certificate averaging 75%, or High School Year 3 (Year 12) with a graduation certificate averaging 70%. Most of the biology course pages list ABB at A-Level. The China page ties the gaokao percentages to the A-Level grades a programme requires; the website does not say for individual biology courses whether the 77% band applies or whether a Biology or Chemistry subject requirement also applies, so confirm with Admissions. The China page also points to a Chinese-language site and lists the University's approved representatives in China; check the website.

Transfer into year two: neither the course pages nor the application page explains how to join year two from another university, how credits are recognised or the deadline; this is not given on the pages used for this guide, so contact the School of Biological Sciences or Admissions directly.

5. Fees and scholarships

• International tuition: 31,800 pounds a year for 2027/28 (the same on the Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Zoology, Ecology and Professional Experience course pages), with annual increases in later years as set out in your student contract. On courses with a foundation year the international fee for the foundation year is 23,850 pounds (2027/28), rising to the standard fee afterwards.
• UK students: 10,050 pounds a year for 2027 entry; the foundation year of a foundation course is also 10,050 pounds.
• Professional experience year: the BSc Biological Sciences with Professional Experience page says that if you spend a full year on placement you pay only 15% of the usual tuition fee for that year.
• The pages say some courses need extra payments for field trips and resources, and you should budget for accommodation and living costs.
• Scholarships: among undergraduate options the international scholarships page lists the Global Sustainability Leaders Scholarship (high-achieving students from the UK and overseas; the course page says up to 400 a year, 6,000 pounds a year towards living costs for up to four years; 2027 deadlines not yet confirmed) and the Sanctuary Scholarships (for asylum seekers; up to 5,000 pounds per year of study; 2027 entry deadline not yet confirmed). The International Foundation Excellence Scholarship is a 5,000 pound tuition reduction for the International Foundation Programme, with the deadline on that page being for January 2027 entry. Most other scholarships listed are at master's level. Scholarships specific to biology are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website.

6. Inconsistencies and points to check

• Field course locations: the Biological Sciences subject page names Devon, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, Iceland, Spain and Colombia; the course page names Devon, Canada and South Africa; the zoology pages name Canada, South Africa and others.
• Module lists on the course pages are those offered for 2026/27 and may change for 2027/28.
• The graduate outcome figures on the zoology subject page come from an earlier statistics year than those on the course pages; check the website for the latest.

7. Checklists

UK applicants:

• Biological Sciences, Microbiology, Zoology: A-Level ABB with a B in Biology; Biochemistry: ABB with a B in Chemistry; Ecology and Wildlife Conservation: ABB with a B in a science
• Apply through UCAS with R12 and the course code by the January deadline; check UCAS for the exact 2027-entry date
• Home fee 10,050 pounds a year

International students (including China):

• IB 32 points with 5 in Biology (or Chemistry) at Higher Level; or the gaokao percentage on the China page for the A-Level band of the course; IELTS 6.5 (5.5 per component)
• If you do not meet direct entry, consider Reading's International Foundation Programme or the with Foundation versions
• International fees are 31,800 pounds a year (2027/28)

Transfer students:

• Year-two entry rules are not published; contact the School of Biological Sciences or Admissions first

Sources: University of Reading, Biological Sciences undergraduate courses; BSc Biological Sciences; BSc Biological Sciences with Foundation; BSc Biological Sciences with Professional Experience; BSc Biochemistry; BSc Microbiology; Zoology undergraduate courses; BSc Zoology; Ecology undergraduate courses; BSc Ecology and Wildlife Conservation; How to apply; Information for students from China; International scholarships. Information is for 2027/28 entry; module lists are those the pages give for 2026/27; fees, scholarships and deadlines may change, so check the University of Reading website for the latest.