How to Apply to Chemistry at Northumbria University: Chemistry BSc and MChem Accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry, 112 UCAS Points and A-level Chemistry at Grade B, an Extended Degree at 72 Points, and Entry Requirements for Home, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Chemistry at Northumbria University is taught by the School of Geography and Natural Sciences on the City Campus in Newcastle. The website lists three chemistry degrees: Chemistry BSc (Hons), Chemistry MChem and the Chemistry Extended Degree BSc (Hons). Neighbouring degrees such as Biochemistry and Forensic Science are outside this guide; see the website. This guide follows the university website for September 2027 entry and is written for UK applicants, international applicants (including students at Chinese high schools) and transfer applicants.

1. Which courses, and how admission works

• Chemistry BSc (Hons): UCAS code F110, 3 years full time, or 4 years with a placement (sandwich) or study abroad. The page says that beyond core chemistry the options include Natural Product and Medicinal Chemistry, Advanced Instrumental and Structural Methods, Theoretical and Computational Methods, and a year out in industry.
• Chemistry MChem: UCAS code F101, 4 years full time, or 5 years with a placement or study abroad. The page says the MChem follows the path of the BSc Chemistry degree with an additional year-long research project in the fourth year, alongside additional final-year modules focusing on cutting-edge research fields.
• Chemistry Extended Degree BSc (Hons): UCAS code Z044, 4 years, or 5 years with a placement or study abroad. The page says it is an alternative route for those who do not meet the standard entry requirements and includes a foundation year giving a practical introduction to biology, chemistry, food science and forensic science, building laboratory skills, basic numeracy skills, data handling, ICT and study skills.
• Applying to a named course: each course has its own UCAS code, so you choose the course when you apply. For moving between BSc and MChem, the BSc page says there is an opportunity to transfer onto the Chemistry MChem course at Northumbria; the conditions are not given on the pages used for this guide, ask the admissions team.
• Other degrees: the "similar courses" prompt on the course page lists Biomedical Science, Forensic Science and Biochemistry, which are outside this guide; check the website.

2. What you study, accreditation and placements

• Style of study: the course page says a large proportion of your time is spent in laboratories, complemented by lectures, seminars, tutorials and IT sessions; classes are small; every student has a guaranteed lab-based research project in the final year, matched with a staff member.
• Modules (the course pages' module lists, marked Core or Optional): Year one is all core (20 credits each): Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry, Principles of Chemical Structure, Elements of Physical Chemistry, Introduction to Biological and Medicinal Chemistry, Academic Skills for Chemistry and Practical and Professional Skills for Chemists (international and EU students also take a core zero-credit Skills for Academic Success in a UK University module); Year two is all core: Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Analytical Methods, Chemical Information Science and Applied Chemistry. The list then shows an optional full-year module: Study Abroad (120 credits) or an Industrial Placement Year (120 credits). The final year (labelled Year four in the list that includes the placement year) has core Advanced Organic and Inorganic Chemistry and Advanced Physical and Polymer Chemistry (20 credits each) and the Chemistry Research Project (40 credits), and optional Natural Product and Medicinal Chemistry, Advanced Instrumental and Structural Methods and Theoretical and Computational Methods (20 credits each; how many to choose is not stated on the pages used for this guide). The MChem adds a further year with core Current Research in Chemistry (30 credits), the MChem Research Project (60 credits) and Heterocyclic, Bioconjugate and Green Chemistry (30 credits). The pages warn that optional modules may change with uptake each year. The extended degree's foundation-year modules are Scientific and Numeracy Skills, Practical Skills in Science, Research and Science Communication Project, Introduction to Biology, Introduction to Chemistry and Digital Literacy, after which the listed modules are the same as for the BSc Chemistry.
• Accreditation: the course page says the Chemistry BSc is accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and partially fulfils the academic requirements for Chartered Chemist (CChem); the Chemistry MChem is accredited by the RSC and fulfils the academic requirements for CChem. The extended-degree page says the foundation year (Level 3) is not accredited and later years are accredited; it does not name the accrediting body.
• Placement and study abroad: the BSc and MChem pages describe an optional placement year or study abroad year (the module lists include an Industrial Placement Year and a Study Abroad module); the page says the university helps you apply for an industrial placement, and a placement year makes the course a year longer.
• Additional costs: the course page says lab items (spatula, lab book, marker pens and a scientific calculator) should cost no more than £25, printing no more than £10 per academic year, and a personal copy of one general chemistry textbook is about £60; copies of mandatory texts are in the library.
• Careers: the course page says graduates can enter the chemical and pharmaceutical industries or continue to a PhD, and previous graduates work in areas such as teaching, business and management, finance, law and marketing.

3. Entry requirements

• Standard offer (2027/28 entry): the Chemistry BSc and Chemistry MChem both ask for 112 UCAS tariff points from a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications, which may include A-level, T Level, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas or the International Baccalaureate; contextual admissions 96 points.
• Subject requirement: grade B in A-level Chemistry or a recognised equivalent. The pages do not ask for A-level Mathematics or Physics and do not state IB levels or scores; not given on the pages used for this guide, ask the admissions team.
• GCSE: Maths, Statistics or Physics, and English Language, at minimum grade 4/C or equivalent.
• Extended degree (Z044): standard offer 72 UCAS points, contextual 56; the page lists only the GCSE requirement and no A-level subject requirement.
• Admission tests and interviews: the chemistry course pages do not mention an admissions test or an interview; not given on the pages used for this guide, ask the admissions team.

How to apply, timeline and general requirements

• Route: the course page says to use the Apply Now button, and some courses redirect to an external system such as UCAS. The international application guide says you can apply through the university website, through UCAS, or through an official education agent. Northumbria's UCAS institution code and the 2027-entry UCAS deadline are not given on the pages used for this guide; check on the UCAS website.
• Timeline: the university's deadlines page gives dates for September 2026 entry: UCAS applications by 14 January 2026 to be sure of consideration (most areas keep accepting afterwards, but popular courses may close early); international applications by 6 August 2026, deposit by 13 August 2026 and CAS request by 20 August 2026. The matching dates for 2027 entry are not given on that page; check the website rather than reusing last cycle's dates.
• Tuition: in the 2027/28 international undergraduate fees table, "Applied Science Courses" are £21,500 per year; the Chemistry BSc and MChem pages show a first-year international fee of £21,500, and the Chemistry Extended Degree page shows £19,850. The university may raise fees in later years in line with inflation, and fees are payable every year of study.

UK (home) applicants

• Standard requirement: 112 UCAS tariff points; subject requirements are in section 3.
• Accepted qualifications: the course page says the 112 points can come from a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications, including A-level, T Level, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas or the International Baccalaureate; use the UCAS tariff calculator to check your points.
• GCSE: Maths, Statistics or Physics, and English Language, at minimum grade 4/C or equivalent.
• Contextual admissions: the course page gives a lower tariff (above); the conditions are on the university's entry requirements essential information page, check the details on the website.
• England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland: the course page does not set different requirements by nation; not given on the pages used for this guide, ask the admissions team.
• Home tuition for 2027/28: the course page gives a UK fee of £10,050, set in line with the UK government fee cap and which the university may change in line with the cap. Scholarships and grants for home students are not itemised on the pages used for this guide; see the university's financial support pages.

International applicants

• Qualifications: the course page says the university welcomes qualifications from outside the UK and points you to the Northumbria and your country pages for country-specific requirements.
• English: the course page asks for an overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with at least 5.5 in each component, or an approved equivalent. The acceptable-English-qualifications page lists IELTS Academic, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, LanguageCert, Duolingo and others, plus country-specific qualifications; the required scores for each are on that page and are not listed one by one here.
• Extended degree: the Chemistry Extended Degree (Z044) asks for 72 UCAS tariff points (56 contextual), with a first-year international fee of £19,850 on the course page; the page says extended-degree students pay the applicable foundation-year fee in the first year.
• International foundation: the international undergraduate fees page lists International Foundation Year fees of £11,750 (2 semesters), £17,250 (3 semesters) and £21,250 (4 semesters); see the university's pathway pages for entry requirements and length.
• Proof of funds and credential evaluation: not given on the course pages or the international application guide used for this guide; ask the international admissions team.
• Visa paperwork: the deadlines page says international students pay a deposit once unconditional firm and then request a CAS, with a final CAS-request date (20 August 2026 for the 2026 intake). Check the 2027 dates.

Applicants from mainland China

• Direct entry to Year 1: the China page lists the Senior High School Certificate with 80% for first-year undergraduate entry. It adds that these are general guidelines, that requirements can vary by course, and that decisions also take the personal statement and previous study into account, not only the final grade.
• International Foundation Programme: the China page lists successful completion of Senior Middle School 2 with an average of 70% or higher, or Senior Middle School 3 with an average of 60% or higher.
• Gaokao: the China page does not say how gaokao results are used; not given on the pages used for this guide, ask the university.
• Chemistry subject requirement: the 80% on the China page is a general statement for Year 1. How the "grade B in A-level Chemistry or recognised equivalent" requirement maps onto Chinese high-school chemistry results is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask the admissions team rather than assuming.
• Interview: the chemistry course pages do not mention an admissions interview; the university has a separate Interviews page, and whether it applies to this course is not given on the pages used for this guide, so ask the admissions team.

Transfer applicants (direct entry to Year 2)

• The China page table, in the row for 2nd or 3rd year entry (depending on course and subjects taken), lists a 3-year diploma at 70%, a 211/985 university with a 70% average in undergraduate studies, and a non-211/985 university with a 75% average. Whether you enter Year 2 or Year 3 depends on the course and the subjects you have taken; the last two rows sit directly after that row in the table, so check the original table on the website for how they apply.
• Credit-transfer rules and the specific module results required are not given on the pages used for this guide; contact the admissions team and prepare module descriptions and transcripts.

Costs and scholarships

• In the 2027/28 international undergraduate fees table, "Applied Science Courses" are £21,500 per year; the Chemistry BSc and MChem pages show a first-year international fee of £21,500, and the Chemistry Extended Degree page shows £19,850. The university may raise fees in later years in line with inflation, and fees are payable every year of study.
• The international undergraduate fees page also lists an undergraduate placement (sandwich) year at £2,010 and an undergraduate study abroad year (outgoing students) at £1,510.
• Scholarships: the international undergraduate funding page says Northumbria's international scholarships are awarded by country of domicile, each with eligibility criteria, and that a scholarship search filters by level, mode of study, entry year and domicile. Whether awards are automatic and how much they are is not given on the pages used for this guide; check the scholarship search tool on the website.
• The fee box on the course page also carries a note about International Soccer Academy and accommodation fees being to be confirmed; the university does not explain how it relates to this course, so rely on the international undergraduate fees table for tuition.

Checklist

UK applicants:

• Confirm 112 UCAS points and A-level Chemistry at grade B (or equivalent); if you do not meet it, look at the Chemistry Extended Degree (Z044) at 72 points
• Check the 2027-entry UCAS deadline on the UCAS website rather than reusing last cycle's dates

International students:

• IELTS (Academic) 6.0 with 5.5 in each component or an approved equivalent; first-year international tuition £21,500 for the Chemistry BSc and MChem, £19,850 for the extended degree
• Check the 2027-entry international application, deposit and CAS dates on the website

Applicants from China:

• China page: Senior High School Certificate at 80% for Year 1; Senior Middle School 2 average of 70% or higher, or Senior Middle School 3 average of 60% or higher, for the International Foundation Programme
• Ask admissions how the gaokao is used, how chemistry results map to the subject requirement, credential verification and interviews

Transfer applicants:

• The China page lists grade guidance for 2nd or 3rd year entry; contact admissions about credit transfer

Sources: Northumbria University, Chemistry BSc (Hons); Chemistry MChem; Chemistry Extended Degree; International undergraduate tuition fees; International undergraduate funding; Entry requirements for China; International application guide; Application deadlines and key dates; Acceptable English qualifications; Extended Degrees. Information is for September 2027 entry unless stated. Check Northumbria for the latest details.