How to apply to Newcastle University for chemistry: Chemistry and Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry as BSc and MChem, with optional study abroad or industrial training, and entry requirements for UK, international (including China) and transfer students

Newcastle University's website places chemistry in the Chemistry subject area, with two strands: Chemistry and Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry, each offered as a BSc Honours and an MChem Honours, four degrees in all. This guide covers only these four; neighbouring subjects such as Pharmacy and Biochemistry are outside its scope, see the website. It covers September 2027 entry for UK applicants, international students (including applicants from China) and transfer students. The typical A-Level/IB requirements, subject requirements, fees and module lists on the chemistry degree pages are not given on the pages used for this guide, so the text points you to the degree pages for them.

1. Degrees and pathways

• Chemistry BSc Honours and MChem Honours (course codes F100 and F103 as marked on the subject page): the BSc develops the professional lab skills the sector requires, with practical experience in the teaching labs; the MChem adds advanced fourth-year modules, for example catalyst application and design, organic synthesis for drug targets, and further organic and inorganic chemistry. Both offer optional study abroad or industrial training.
• Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry BSc Honours and MChem Honours (F151 and F123): the website says these degrees prepare you for a career in the pharmaceutical industry; the BSc focuses on specialised medicinal chemistry topics such as cancer chemotherapy, enzymology and toxicology; the MChem's fourth year includes advanced methods in drug discovery and again organic synthesis for drug targets and further organic and inorganic chemistry. Both also offer optional study abroad or industrial training.
• Length and codes: the subject page only says the MChem adds study in a fourth year; the length of the BSc, whether study abroad or industrial training extends the degree, and each degree's UCAS code are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the degree page and the UCAS website (the codes above are the course markers on the subject page).
• Labs and industry: the website says you develop lab skills in £2.1m research laboratories and £1.9m synthetic chemistry teaching laboratories; it mentions partnerships with companies such as Akzo Nobel, GSK and BMW, and says industry placements can be nationwide or at universities worldwide, including in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
• Accreditation: the subject page does not name an accrediting body (such as the Royal Society of Chemistry); not given on the pages used for this guide, check the degree page.

2. Choosing a degree and course structure

• Which degree you apply to: the website lists the four degrees separately, each with its own course code; you choose a specific degree when applying. Whether you can switch after entry between BSc and MChem or between Chemistry and Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry, and on what conditions, is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions.
• Common first year, lab programme and final-year research project: not given on the pages used for this guide (the module lists are on the degree pages); check the degree page. The subject page only says the MChem has advanced modules in its fourth year.
• Study abroad and industrial training: all four degrees are described as having optional study abroad or industrial training; whether this extends the degree, and the places and conditions, are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the degree page.

Prior study

• The typical requirements (A-Level grades, IB points) and subject requirements (whether high-school chemistry, mathematics or physics are required, and at what level) for the chemistry degrees are not given on the pages used for this guide; they appear on the degree page after you select your qualification, so check it there.
• The university's entry requirements page says ABB at A level is typically the minimum for an undergraduate course, with each degree differing; the degree page governs (see "UK applicants" below).

How to apply and timeline (2027 entry)

• UCAS only: all undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Newcastle's institution name is NEWC and code N21; you can choose up to 5 courses. The application includes personal details and qualifications, course choices, a personal statement and a reference from someone who knows you academically. After you apply, the university emails you to register for the Apply to Newcastle portal to upload supporting documents and track progress. This guide does not use the UCAS website or portal; check the form details on UCAS.
• 13 January 2027 (18:00 UK time): equal consideration date for most undergraduate courses.
• 25 February 2027: UCAS Extra opens (if you have used all five choices and hold no offers); 1 July is the last day to add an Extra choice.
• 12 May 2027: last date for universities to make offers on applications submitted by 13 January (the page says offers are likely to arrive earlier).
• 30 June 2027 (18:00 UK time): UCAS application deadline; later applications go into Clearing, which opens on 2 July.
• Deferred entry: you can defer by a year and should say on your UCAS application how you will spend it.
• Dates note: the university's "Applying through UCAS" page still shows 2026-entry dates (14 January 2026), while the international students' step-by-step page gives the 2027-entry dates above. Use the 2027 dates and confirm on the website. Medicine and Dentistry have earlier deadlines and are outside this guide; see the website.
• Admission tests and interviews: the chemistry pages used for this guide do not mention an admissions test or an interview; not given on the pages used for this guide; check the course page or ask admissions.

UK applicants

• Accepted qualifications: A and AS levels (including International A levels), Scottish Qualifications, the International Baccalaureate, the Irish Leaving Certificate, Access qualifications, BTEC and Cambridge Pre-U; others are considered individually. The entry requirements page says ABB at A level is typically the minimum for an undergraduate course, with each degree differing. Typical offers are expressed as three grades; a fourth A level is taken into account as part of your profile.
• Subject requirements: the chemistry, mathematics and other subjects and grades are not given on the pages used for this guide (they appear on the degree page after you select your qualification); check the chemistry degree page.
• England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland: the pages used for this guide do not give separate requirements or fees for the four nations; not given on the pages used for this guide; check each course page by choosing your qualification.
• Contextual and alternative offers: the course pages say you could receive an offer of up to three grades lower than the typical requirement through contextual offers (based on data in your UCAS form), PARTNERS, Realising Opportunities (open to Year 12), Pathways to Newcastle or High Performance Athletes. Check eligibility on the course page.
• Fees: the Home fee on the chemistry degree pages was not read for this guide; check the degree page (other undergraduate degree pages of the university list a Home fee of £10,050 for Year 1 of 2027 entry). EU students with settled or pre-settled status normally pay the Home rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England; EU students without it normally pay the international rate.

International students

• Qualifications: requirements for qualifications from outside the UK are shown by country in the "Qualifications from outside the UK" section of each course page; that section only appears after you select a country and was not available on the pages used for this guide, so check the course page. The entry requirements page says A level ABB is typically the minimum for undergraduate entry and you can check equivalent grades for your country.
• English: generally IELTS (Academic) 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each skill; course pages state if more is needed (course-specific English scores were not shown on the pages used for this guide; check the course page). Other accepted tests include Duolingo 125 overall with no sub-score below 100 (may differ by course); PTE Academic 70 for IELTS 6.5; TOEFL iBT, which the English page gives on two scales: from 21 January 2026, 4.5 with at least 3.5 in reading and 3 in writing, listening and speaking; before that date, 90 with reading 18, writing 17, listening 17 and speaking 20. Applicants needing a student visa can only use the tests listed on the English page. Results are usually valid if taken within three years before the course starts.
• Exemptions: the English page lists nationalities exempt from showing English test results, and other cases such as a recognised degree at UK bachelor's level or above, awarded within the last three years and shown to have been taught and assessed in English. Check the full list.
• Funds and visa: the page says to read the student visa information before applying; proof-of-funds amounts are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the university's visa and immigration pages.

Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the China page says the university will consider students with 75% in the Gaokao for undergraduate programmes, and that many courses require a particular subject background, which must be evidenced through the relevant Gaokao pathway and modules studied. That page states the 75% for undergraduate programmes in general; whether it applies to each degree is not given on the pages used for this guide, so ask admissions.
• Other Chinese qualifications: the page says a 70%–75% average in one year of Bachelor study at a Tier 1 university, or 75%–80% at other institutions, is comparable to A level ABB; a pass on a university foundation programme in China, or an average of at least 80% with 80% in relevant subjects at a recognised institution, may be considered for first-year entry. Include the marking scale if it is not on your transcript.
• Application routes: the page says students can apply with the help of Ambright Education Group through the China Excellence Identification Scheme (CEIS) and the AST (Aptitude Scholastic Test); see the CEIS website.
• Pathway courses: if you do not meet the academic or English requirements for direct entry, the Newcastle University International Study Centre offers International Foundation (a guaranteed route to Year 1 if you meet the success requirements) and International Year One (equivalent to Year 1, continuing straight to Year 2 if you complete it and meet the requirements). Newcastle is also an NCUK partner university and recognises the NCUK International Foundation Year. Which pathway leads to which degree and the required marks are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the pathway pages or ask admissions.
• English: the China page says generally IELTS 6.5 or equivalent, with some courses different; the English page also lists TOEFL ITP Plus for China (610 overall; reading 56, writing 53, listening 54, speaking 14).
• Credential verification and interviews: not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions.

Fees and scholarships

• Tuition: the 2027-entry international tuition for the Chemistry and Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry degrees is not given on the pages used for this guide (each degree page lists its own); check the degree page. International fees are paid 50% in September and 50% the following January; paying in full earns a 2% early payment discount.
• Vice-Chancellor's International Scholarships (2027 entry): £7,000 per academic year off tuition for the whole course, considered automatically with your course application. You must be domiciled in a listed country or region (the list includes Canada, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the USA, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, India and all EU member states, but not mainland China), be assessed as an international fee payer and apply through UCAS by 13 January 2027; if you receive an offer by 31 March 2027 you must accept Newcastle as firm or insurance choice by 3 May 2027. The list of non-eligible courses is in a regulations PDF that was not read for this guide; check whether your course is eligible.
• Vice-Chancellor's Excellence Scholarships (2027 entry): 30 awards of up to 50% off tuition for the full degree. You must be an international fee payer holding an offer, have or expect at least ABB at A level or equivalent, and apply through UCAS by 13 January 2027; the scholarship application closes on 2 April 2027 and is submitted through the Apply to Newcastle portal. Selection is based on academic ability, commitment to studies and quality of application. The China page also lists it. The non-eligible course list is in a regulations PDF not read for this guide.
• International students may also be eligible for International Family Discounts, some subject scholarships and sports scholarships; see the international student finance page.

Transfer students and entry to Year 2

• The university has a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy: credits or qualifications from a UK higher education degree-awarding body can be transferred (at the same level or higher), and learning gained outside the UK or through experience can be recognised. Decisions are academic and made case by case against module learning outcomes; every academic unit has an RPL statement covering how to apply, evidence needed, timescale and a named contact.
• Whether this subject admits students directly into Year 2 and on what grades is not given on the pages used for this guide (the school RPL statements are PDFs that were not read); check the RPL page for your school's statement or ask admissions.

Checklist

UK applicants:

• Choose your qualification on the chemistry degree page and check the chemistry and mathematics requirements
• Apply through UCAS by 13 January 2027 (18:00 UK time)

International students:

• Confirm IELTS 6.5 (5.5 in each skill) or another accepted test and its validity; check whether the degree page asks for more
• Apply through UCAS by 13 January 2027 to be considered for the Vice-Chancellor's International Scholarship if you live in a listed country

Applicants from China:

• 75% in the Gaokao can be considered (China page wording), with chemistry and other subject background shown through Gaokao subjects; consider International Foundation if you do not meet direct entry
• Ask admissions about Gaokao requirements for chemistry, credential verification and interviews

Transfer students:

• Year 2 entry conditions are not given on the pages used for this guide; contact admissions and check the school's RPL statement

Sources: Newcastle University, Chemistry subject area; Step-by-step guide for international students; Entry requirements; A and AS Levels; Information for students from China; English language requirements; International student finance; Vice-Chancellor's International Scholarships; Vice-Chancellor's Excellence Scholarships; International pathway courses; Recognition of Prior Learning. Information is for September 2027 entry. Check Newcastle University for the latest details.