How to Apply to Queen Mary University of London for a Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree: Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Chemistry Accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry, With Industry or Abroad Years, MSci Options, and Gaokao Accepted for Some Courses – Admissions for UK, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) teaches its chemistry degrees in the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences on the Mile End campus in east London. This guide uses the September 2027 course pages for Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, plus the university’s pages on undergraduate applications, transfers, English requirements, China, the International Foundation Year, fees and scholarships. It is for UK applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and students who want to transfer into year two. The chemical sciences subject page also lists Biochemistry (in the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences; see that course page for its code and requirements) and Chemical Engineering (an engineering degree); neither is covered here.

1. Degrees and how you are admitted

• Apply through UCAS with institution code Q50, directly to the specific degree; you can make up to five choices a year.
• Chemistry: BSc (Hons) three years F100; BSc with Year in Industry/Research (four years) 9A32; BSc with Year Abroad (four years) F10Y; MSci (Hons) four years F103; MSci with Year Abroad (five years) F13Y.
• Pharmaceutical Chemistry: BSc (Hons) three years F154; with Year in Industry/Research 2L22; with Year Abroad F15Y (both four years, with the placement or year abroad in year 3).
• Chemical Sciences with Foundation (BSc, four years), code FFX2: both course pages list this entry route, with a Year 0 whose modules on the page include Science and Engineering Success, Foundations of Chemical, Physical, Engineering and Biological Science, Mathematics A and Communication in Science and Technology.
• Both course pages say the programme is accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), giving graduates Associate Member status.
• You can do either a year in industry or a year abroad, not both. You find the industry placement yourself during year 2 with one-to-one support, but placements are competitive and not guaranteed; if you do not get one you move to the standard BSc and finish year 3 at Queen Mary.
• The MSci adds a year of extended research and advanced modules, suited to those aiming at academic or industrial research.

2. Entry requirements (September 2027 start)

• Chemistry BSc, Pharmaceutical Chemistry BSc and the year-abroad BSc versions: A level ABB, which must include A-level Chemistry; IB Diploma with at least 32 points, including 6, 5, 5 at Higher Level, with Chemistry at Higher Level.
• Year in Industry/Research BSc and MSci (including MSci with Year Abroad): A level AAB including Chemistry; IB at least 34 points with 6, 6, 5 at Higher Level, including Chemistry HL.
• Entry with Foundation (FFX2): A level CCC including Biology or Chemistry, plus a second science from Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths, Physics or Psychology; IB at least 26 points with 4, 4, 4 at Higher Level, including Biology or Chemistry HL and a second science at HL.
• The course pages say BTEC qualifications are not considered for the degree versions (the foundation entry says “see detailed subject and grade requirements”) and require GCSE English and Maths at grade C/4 or an acceptable equivalent. The industry-year and MSci versions do not consider Access qualifications; the other versions consider a science-based Access to HE Diploma case by case and may ask for an interview, and the page adds that, because of the volume of applications, offers are not made purely on meeting grade requirements.
• Contextual offers: for Chemistry BSc, standard BBC including a B in A-level Chemistry and enhanced BCC including a B in Chemistry; for MSci and industry-year versions, standard BBB including Chemistry and enhanced BBC including a B in Chemistry; the Pharmaceutical Chemistry pages follow the same pattern. Eligibility is checked through the university’s Contextual Admissions Eligibility Checker. General Studies and Critical Thinking are excluded from A-level offers, and applicants taking the EPQ may receive alternative offers.
• The course pages do not mention an admissions test; an interview is mentioned only for Access applicants. Whether other applicants are interviewed is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions.

3. What you study

• Chemistry year 1: Essential Skills for Chemists, Foundations of Practical Chemistry, Fundamentals of Inorganic, Organic (two semesters) and Physical Chemistry, Fundamentals of Spectroscopy, and States of Matter and Analytical Chemistry. Year 2: Structure and Reactivity in Organic Chemistry, Solid State and Inorganic Chemistry, Physical and Quantum Chemistry (each in two semesters), Programming and AI for Chemists, and Practical Chemistry and Spectroscopy.
• Chemistry year 3: compulsory Organic Synthesis, Professional Skills in Chemistry, Topics in Inorganic Chemistry and Topics in Physical Chemistry; one project (Chemistry Investigative Project, or Chemistry Research Project, which is compulsory for MSci); and two options from Advanced Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy, Bioorganic Chemistry, Computational Chemistry and Topics in Biological Chemistry. MSci year 4: Chemistry MSci Research Project (90 credits), Nanomaterials and Fine-Tuning Lead Compounds.
• Pharmaceutical Chemistry: year 1 is the same as Chemistry; year 2 swaps some modules for Pharmaceutical Chemistry (two semesters); year 3 has compulsory Advanced Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Organic Synthesis and Professional Skills in Chemistry, one project, and three options from six (Advanced Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy, Bioorganic, Computational, Topics in Biological, Inorganic and Physical Chemistry). The course page describes drug design from lead compounds, modes of action and pharmacology, and how AI speeds up drug discovery.
• The website says all modules are subject to change.
• Teaching and labs: lectures, tutorials, classroom activities and laboratory work; outside class you are expected to spend 18 to 20 hours a week on preparation, write-ups and reading; each module is assessed by theory examinations and coursework. The number of lab hours is not given on the course pages used for this guide; check the website.

4. UK applicants

• Besides A levels, the course pages accept the IB and a science-based Access to HE Diploma; BTEC is not considered for these degrees. How other UK qualifications (such as Scottish Highers) translate into these grades is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions.
• Fees: the September 2027 course pages give Home fees of £10,050 a year. The university’s fees page instead says “From September 2026: £9,790” for UK undergraduates; the two figures differ, so check the course page and the fees page when you apply. For Home students the fees page gives £1,955 for a sandwich placement year and £1,465 for a year abroad.
• UK students can apply for government tuition and maintenance loans. The scholarships page also lists local-resident bursaries, including the John Davidson Chemistry Bursary (means-tested, for permanent residents of the City of London or the boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Newham or Hackney, or students who attended Drapers’ Academy Sixth Form in Havering).

5. International applicants

• English: the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences is in English Band 3 for undergraduates: Academic IELTS 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each component. The university lists other accepted tests and offers pre-sessional English courses if you fall below the standard. Jointly run degrees follow the home department’s band.
• Fees: both course pages give international fees of £34,750 a year (£26,750 for the foundation entry). The fees page says international fees may rise each year and that the 2026-27 inflationary increase will be no more than 10%; for 2026-27 it also gives £25,500 for international students on the integrated foundation or the International Foundation Year. International students on a Year in Industry pay £4,300. The increase for 2027/28 is not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website.
• Global Talent Scholarship (undergraduate, September 2027): up to £20,000, awarded automatically with no application, to international-fee students holding an offer for an eligible programme who exceed their offer (for example, a standard ABB offer needs AAB, AAB needs AAA and BBB needs ABB; the page also gives IB equivalents, such as 36 with HL 666 for an AAB offer). It is worth £5,000 per year, up to £20,000 over a standard four-year degree, and renewal needs an average of 65% or above. Applicants for second-year entry transferring from another university are not eligible. Which programmes count as eligible is not given on the pages used for this guide; check the scholarship page.
• International Foundation Year: a one-year programme for international applicants who need extra preparation; the Science and Engineering pathway leads to degrees including Biological and Chemical Sciences, and students who meet the progression requirements are guaranteed access to undergraduate degrees at Queen Mary. Its entry requirements page was not read for this guide; check the website.

6. Applicants from China

• The China entry-requirements page says students who have completed A levels or the International Baccalaureate can apply directly to bachelor’s degrees (recognised foundation-programme results are also accepted), and holders of the Chinese high school diploma can apply for the undergraduate foundation programme.
• Gaokao: the page says some programmes now accept gaokao applicants, and lists all programmes in the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences (which includes Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Chemistry). The conditions given are: a high school diploma with an overall average of 85% and the subject requirements of the course, with 80% in physics, chemistry or biology in Year 11 or 12; a gaokao total average of at least 80%, with 80% in mathematics; and the English language requirement of the programme. For questions on how gaokao results are recognised the page gives admissions@qmul.ac.uk. The page does not say how these percentages translate into a specific offer; ask admissions.
• The China page does not describe chemistry-specific requirements for Chinese high school results; the course pages’ subject requirements (chemistry required) still apply. How the two fit together is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions.

7. How to apply and the timeline

• The application page says all applications go through UCAS: use the course’s UCAS code with institution code Q50, and do not send original certificates or transcripts by post.
• Deadline: the application page gives 13 January 2027 as the equal consideration deadline for most Queen Mary courses and encourages early applications; international applicants have “more flexible deadlines”, which are not given on the pages used for this guide. The key dates page still shows the previous cycle (for example 14 January 2026), so check the dates for 2027 entry.
• The personal statement length, UCAS fee and reference requirements are not given on these pages; check the UCAS website.

8. Transfers and joining year two

• The transfer page says that, depending on the course, you may be able to join at the start of year 2 of a standard three-year degree; it is not possible to transfer into the final year.
• Apply through UCAS and choose point of entry 2; direct applications are not accepted. The university normally expects you to have achieved or be on track for a 2.1 (60%) in your current degree, to meet the programme’s subject requirements (through A levels, level 3 qualifications or modules in your degree) and to have a syllabus similar to Queen Mary’s, as assessed by academic selectors.
• You need evidence of your studies (an interim transcript if unfinished) and module descriptors or a course handbook. Offers depend on school policy, available places and suitability; transferring can affect your funding, visa and accommodation. Transfer students entering year two are not eligible for the Global Talent Scholarship.

This guide is based on Queen Mary University of London’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.