How to Apply to Biology at the University of Glasgow: Biological Sciences With a Broad Start, Plus Specialist Degrees in Biochemistry, Genetics, Human Biology and Physiology and Anatomy, With Requirements for Home, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

The University of Glasgow is in Scotland’s largest city. Biology-related undergraduate degrees are taught by the College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, mainly on the Gilmorehill campus. Scottish honours degrees normally take four years. This guide covers September 2027 entry for home applicants, international applicants (with a separate section for Chinese applicants) and transfer students, based on Glasgow’s published pages. The university also offers medicine (MBChB), dentistry, veterinary medicine, nursing and, in engineering, biomedical engineering, which have different requirements and are outside this guide; see their pages on the university website.

1. Degrees and UCAS codes

• Biological Sciences: BSc C100 (four years). The MSci (five years) is not applied for through UCAS; you can apply to transfer during the BSc. The website says there are 12 specialist degree programmes to choose from.
• Specialist degrees you can apply to directly (programme pages used for this guide): Biochemistry BSc (Hons) C700, Genetics BSc (Hons) C400, Human Biology & Physiology BSc (Hons) C1W3 and Anatomy BSc (Hons) B110, all four years. Each has an MSci (five years, with a placement year between the third and final years), also not through UCAS and applied for during the BSc. All four pages carry a “Professionally accredited” label, but the pages used for this guide do not name the accrediting body.
• The other specialist degrees among the 12 (for example neuroscience, microbiology, zoology, molecular and cellular biology) were not read for this guide; check UCAS codes in the degree list on the website.
• Endorsements: in the final honours year, depending on your degree and option choices, you can apply for an endorsement in areas the website lists as bacteriology, biotechnology, data science, parasitology, plant science and virology; for example, a microbiology degree with a specialisation in data science.
• The programme pages mention opportunities to study at partner universities abroad; the anatomy page says this does not add time to the degree.

2. Applying to a subject directly, or starting broad

• The website describes Biological Sciences as a flexible degree: students study a broad range of biological topics first and then decide whether to stay in Biological Sciences or move to a specialist degree (from Year 3, subject to availability). Students who apply directly to a specialist degree may also have chances to change pathway, again subject to availability.
• The life sciences page on flexible degrees says that in Year 1 you normally study three subjects, including biology and a chemistry-based course, with the third from science, arts or social sciences subject to availability. In Year 2 you may take all your courses within life sciences or combine them with other subjects; at the end of Year 2 you normally progress to an honours BSc (four years), a designated BSc (three years) or an MSci (five years).
• Year 1 core courses are Biology 1A and 1B; for chemistry you take either Chemistry 1 or Science Fundamentals-1X and 1Y, depending on your entry grades in Chemistry; you then choose a further 40 credits from science and non-science courses. The cut-off grade between the two is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions.
• Year 2 for Biological Sciences: Fundamental Topics in Biology 2 and Core Concepts in Human Biological Sciences 2, with other biology courses encouraged (Animal Biology, Evolution and Ecology; Genes, Molecules & Cells; Microbiology and Immunology; Investigating Human Biological Sciences). Biochemistry and Genetics take Fundamental Topics in Biology 2 and Genes, Molecules & Cells 2 as Year 2 core courses.
• Year 3 is the degree’s own courses (for example Biochemistry 3A and 3B, Genetics 3A and 3B); on Biological Sciences you can take any Life Sciences 3A and 3B courses from the same subject, space permitting.
• Year 4: every student does a research project, which can be Investigative, Dissertation, Outreach or Internship, plus a compulsory course and honours options. The website notes that final-year options can change and places are not guaranteed.
• The website stresses that being admitted on a UCAS code does not automatically guarantee progression to honours in that subject; the threshold varies by school and can change each year. The progression thresholds for the life sciences degrees are not given on the pages used for this guide; ask the college.
• Flavours of each degree: anatomy includes cadaveric dissection and digital technologies; human biology and physiology includes laboratory work such as cardiovascular and respiratory function assessment; biochemistry stresses DNA technology, protein characterisation and bioinformatics; genetics ends with research alongside a genetics research team.

3. Prerequisites

• Subjects and grades: the entry requirements panel on each programme page lists requirements by qualification (SQA Highers, A-Level, IB and others), but these figures are loaded dynamically and are not given on the pages used for this guide. Open the Biological Sciences programme page, choose your country and qualification, and read the Additional Requirements.
• Year 1 subjects: the flexible degrees page says every life sciences degree has biology and either chemistry or Science Fundamentals as compulsory Year 1 subjects. Whether school-level chemistry or biology is required for entry, and at what grade, should be checked on the programme page.
• A-Level subject groups: biology, human biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics are classed as science subjects; Social and Environmental Biology is not accepted where biology is a required subject; General Studies is not accepted.
• Other qualifications: a BTEC Applied Science Extended Diploma at DDD gives access to Year 1 of most life science and science degrees; the Diploma or Extended Diploma at DD or DMM can replace two A-Levels but not a science A-Level that is a required subject. The EPQ is not accepted as an A-Level equivalent. SQA applicants need at least four different Highers, and Advanced Highers are required only where the programme page says so.
• Interviews: the admissions guidance lists community development, dentistry, medicine, nursing, teaching and veterinary medicine as interview subjects, and says medicine and dentistry also use the UCAT. The biology degrees above are not on the interview list, although applicants for Year 2 entry in any subject may be interviewed. Whether they have an additional test is not given on the pages used for this guide; check the programme page.

4. Home applicants

• Scottish students: the standard fee for 2027/28 is £1,820 a year, and eligible students can apply to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) to have it paid, every year; SAAS may also offer cost-of-living support.
• Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland (RUK): the 2027/28 standard fee is still listed as TBC; the 2026/27 fee is £9,790 a year. RUK students apply for a tuition fee loan from Student Finance England, Wales or NI. RUK means UK citizens resident in the UK outside Scotland for at least three years before the course; fee status is confirmed after you apply.
• Qualifications: SQA Highers (S5 and S6 requirements are on the programme page), A-Level, IB, BTEC and the Welsh Baccalaureate are all covered in the admissions guidance. For widening participation applicants there are adjusted entry requirements; Priority 1 and Priority 2 applicants are guaranteed an offer if they meet them, usually together with a pre-entry programme such as Top-Up, Reach or a summer school.
• Scholarships include the World Changers RUK Excellence Scholarship (a cash award for A*AA at A-Level in one sitting), the RUK Access Bursary and the Talent Scholarships (about 50, typically £1,500 a year). Conditions are on the scholarship pages.

5. International applicants

• English: the five biology programme pages read for this guide set the same requirement for applicants from non-English-speaking countries: IELTS Academic or Academic Online 6.5 overall with no subtest under 6.0; one-skill retake is accepted; the test must be within 2 years 5 months of the start date and overall and subtest scores must come from one test. TOEFL iBT: 90 overall (Reading 20, Listening 19, Speaking 19, Writing 21) for tests taken up to 20 January 2026, and 92 (Reading 22, Listening 20, Speaking 23, Writing 21) for tests from 21 January 2026. PTE Academic 59 with 59 in every subtest. Cambridge, Oxford ELLT, LanguageCert, Password Skills Plus, Trinity ISE and Glasgow’s own pre-sessional courses are also accepted.
• Waivers and alternatives: IGCSE English First Language C, A-Level English C, IB English A SL5 or HL5 and similar are accepted, and the pages list national examinations from a number of countries. A degree taught in English in a majority-English-speaking country (at least two years of undergraduate study, completed within the last six years) also counts.
• Academic results: the admissions guidance says many national school qualifications are accepted, including SAT and AP from the USA and CBSE from India, and that A-Level and IB requirements are shown for all international regions. The actual scores are in the programme page panel and are not given on the pages used for this guide.
• Foundation: international students whose qualifications are below the requirement are pointed to the partner institution Glasgow International College, which offers foundation certificates.
• How to apply: the guidance says all applications go through UCAS or Common App; check course codes and deadlines on the UCAS website.
• Under 18: international applicants needing a visa who are under 18 on 1 August must provide a consent form signed by a parent or legal guardian.

6. Applicants from China

• The university’s China page says undergraduate entry requirements are on each programme page. It does not set out how the gaokao is used, or how Chinese high school transcripts or the huikao are treated; this is not given on the pages used for this guide, so use the enquiry form on the China page to ask the university (its Glasgow, Beijing and Shanghai teams) or admissions.
• The page lists recruitment partner universities in China (for example Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Nankai University, Tianjin University and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China) and authorised representatives in several cities, and offers online undergraduate information sessions. The university says representatives are paid by the university and do not pass charges to students.
• Students whose results are below the requirement can look at the Glasgow International College foundation certificates.
• English requirements are as above: IELTS 6.5 with no subtest under 6.0, or the other accepted tests.
• China is on the eligible country list of the World Changers Global Excellence Scholarship; see section 9.

7. Transfer students and Year 2 entry

• Transferring from another university: the admissions guidance says that as a general rule the university does not accept transfer applications from UK students, with exceptions such as a student who must return to their home city for serious personal reasons. All applicants currently at another institution must apply through UCAS and meet the current Higher or A-Level requirements, and any offer is likely to be to Year 1.
• Direct entry to Year 2 (advanced entry): applicants with exceptional Advanced Higher, A-Level or IB results may be considered for Year 2 entry on some degrees, finishing the honours degree in three years (four for five-year integrated masters). Choose “2nd year” as the point of entry on UCAS. The website says not every degree offers it and the requirements show in the entry requirements panel. Whether the biology degrees offer Year 2 entry, and on what grades, is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions. Applicants for Year 2 entry in any subject may be interviewed.
• Applicants with a degree: they need at least a 2:2 honours degree and must have met the current year’s entry requirements before starting that degree.
• The guidance also describes HNC/HND routes (most entrants start in Year 1 and must pass a summer school) and articulated routes into Year 2 worked out with colleges for arts, life sciences, engineering and social sciences; which life sciences degrees offer them is not given on the pages used for this guide.

8. Timeline for September 2027 entry

• The admissions guidance gives the UCAS deadline as 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time; late applications are not considered. In many cases the university waits until it has reviewed all applications received by the deadline; exceptions include Priority 1 and 2 widening participation applicants and highly qualified applicants who already meet or are predicted to meet the requirements.
• The flexible degrees page says “15 January is the UCAS deadline”, which differs from the 13 January in the admissions guidance. Check the UCAS website and confirm with admissions.
• The university is not obliged to honour changes of programme after submission.
• Extenuating circumstances are normally described by the academic referee in the UCAS reference; applicants can also send them to the university directly.
• The guidance says requirements for 2027 entry will be finalised by early October 2026.

9. Fees and scholarships

• International and EU tuition fee (2027/28): science, engineering, nursing and College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences programmes are £33,708 a year (2026/27: £33,210). Medicine, dentistry and veterinary degrees have different fees and are outside this guide. Check the fee band that applies to your course at admission.
• World Changers Global Excellence Scholarship: for new international and EU undergraduates, a tuition fee discount of £10,000 a year in the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences. Eligibility: international or EU fee status and an offer for 2027. For all programmes in that college except medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and BSc Psychology, A-Level AAB or IB 36 guarantees a scholarship offer (achieved or predicted; if awarded on predicted grades it may be withdrawn if the final results fall short). Holders of offers are assessed automatically with no separate form, and those being considered are told within two weeks of receiving an offer. It is renewable subject to satisfactory progress and cannot be combined with other university scholarships.
• The STEM in Scotland Award is not covered: the eligible programme list read for this guide does not include these biology degrees.
• Others include the Glasgow International College degree progression scholarships (for international students progressing directly from the college) and the Sanctuary Scholarships; see the scholarship pages.

Checklist

Home applicants:

• Choose the degree code on UCAS (for example C100, C700 or C400) and submit by 18:00 on 13 January 2027
• Check the grades and additional requirements for your home nation and qualification on the programme page
• Scottish students apply to SAAS and other UK students to Student Finance for tuition support

International and Chinese applicants:

• Confirm your English result (IELTS 6.5 with no subtest under 6.0, or another accepted test) is valid for 2 years 5 months before the start date
• Choose your country and qualification on the programme page; ask the university how Chinese high school results are used
• The World Changers scholarship is assessed automatically with an offer

Transfer students:

• Apply through UCAS, normally to Year 1; for Year 2 entry choose “2nd year” and ask admissions whether your degree offers it

Sources: University of Glasgow website: Biological Sciences; Biochemistry; Genetics; Human Biology & Physiology; Anatomy; Flexible degrees; Life sciences degrees; Advanced entry; Admissions guidance; China page; International fees; England, Wales and NI fees; Scottish fees; Global Excellence Scholarship. Information is for September 2027 entry; where a page prints a date without a year, check that it applies to 2027 entry. The university website is always the final authority.