How to Apply for Chemistry at the University of Liverpool: A Largely Common First Two Years with Switching Between BSc (F100) and MChem (F102), Year in Industry and Medicinal Chemistry Options and Royal Society of Chemistry Accreditation, for UK, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of Liverpool is in Liverpool, England. Undergraduate chemistry is taught by the Department of Chemistry, part of the School of Physical Sciences. You apply to a named course through UCAS. This guide sets out the main points for 2027 entry for UK applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and students seeking entry to year two. Biology, pharmacy and other degrees are outside this guide; see the relevant subject pages on the website.

Key points

• BSc Chemistry F100 (3 years) and MChem Chemistry F102 (4 years): A level ABB (two sciences including Chemistry) or AAB (one science with an A in Chemistry); IB 32 points including Higher Level 5 in Chemistry.
• 2027/28 tuition fee: £10,050 a year for UK students and £33,000 a year for international students.
• International English requirement: IELTS 6.0 with no component below 5.5 (BSc and MChem Chemistry pages).
• Applicants from China: the China page says students who completed senior high school, including those who took the Gaokao, must first complete a foundation programme or obtain A levels (or equivalent) before entering an undergraduate degree.
• UCAS: the usual deadline is 30 June for international applicants and 14 January for UK applicants (the page prints no year; check it applies to 2027 entry).

1. Degrees and routes

The department's degree-programmes page says the programmes are largely common for the first two years so that students can find the path they prefer. It lists:

• MChem Chemistry (F102, 4 years): an integrated Master's with advanced modules and a research project in the final year. MChem Chemistry with Research in Industry (F161, 4 years) includes a research placement in industry.
• BSc Chemistry (F100, 3 years) and BSc Chemistry with a Year in Industry (F111, 4 years).
• Medicinal Chemistry: BSc Medicinal Chemistry (F1B2, 3 years), BSc Medicinal Chemistry Year in Industry (F1B3, 4 years) and MChem Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology (F1BF, 4 years), run with the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics while keeping the same chemistry core.
• Versions with a year abroad: the page says some courses have versions with different programme codes; check the course pages for the codes.
• Foundation route: Chemical Sciences BSc with a four-year route including a Foundation Year at Carmel College. The course page says the foundation year is spent at Carmel College in St Helens studying chemistry and mathematics with options from biology, geography and physics, then progressing to BSc Chemistry, Chemistry with a Year in Industry or Medicinal Chemistry. The pages used for this guide show no UCAS code for it; check the course page.

BSc Chemistry (F100), MChem Chemistry (F102) and the Carmel College foundation course have full course pages here; Medicinal Chemistry and the industry versions are covered only as listed on the degree-programmes page, so check their course pages.

Structure: the BSc Chemistry page says the first 2 to 2.5 years are common, after which a move to MChem is possible subject to progression requirements (the department's degree-programmes page says "largely common first two years"; the two differ slightly, so confirm with the admissions tutors).

• Year 1 compulsory: Shaping Future Chemists (laboratory, analytical and digital skills 1), Core Chemistry 1A (structure, bonding and change), Core Chemistry 1B (reactions, mechanisms and sustainability principles) and Foundations of Chemistry (mathematics, physics and biology). Options include Introductory Medicinal Chemistry and Physiology and Modern Applications in Chemistry, plus 15 credits of subsidiary modules in semester two.
• Year 2 compulsory: laboratory, analytical and digital skills 2, Core Chemistry 2A (thermodynamics, transition metals and synthetic methods), Core Chemistry 2B (spectroscopy and strategies for sustainable synthesis) and quantitative skills and industry awareness. Options include Polymer Chemistry and Materials, STEM Communication and Education and Becoming Entrepreneurial.
• Year 3 compulsory: Core Chemistry 3 (current topics in synthetic design and advanced materials). BSc students complete an extended project worth about a quarter of the year (in teaching laboratories, research groups, international internships or industry), with options such as Catalysis, Further Analytical Chemistry, Further Medicinal Chemistry, Chemistry for the Environment and Renewable Carbon and Advanced and Future Healthcare Technologies.
• MChem Year 4: students join a research group and complete a major research project making up three-quarters of the year, with the compulsory Chemical Research Project: Preparation and Skills Development and options such as Chemistry of Solids and their Surfaces, Advanced Synthesis Methods, Electrochemical Systems for Energy Applications and Interfacial Electrochemistry and Spectroscopy.

Accreditation: the website says the BSc Chemistry course has bachelor accreditation from the Royal Society of Chemistry and the MChem course is accredited by the same society.

Placements and time abroad: to take a year in industry you must transfer to the industry version of the course and secure a placement yourself; if you cannot, you continue on the standard course. Optional time abroad includes a year at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) in Suzhou, a year at a partner university after year two (the course page lists Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and the USA), a semester in year two, or a summer at a partner (Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea). The department also offers summer internships abroad, with past destinations including Thailand, Nepal and Cyprus.

Switching courses (department FAQ): within the first two years you can switch between BSc and MChem. Moving from BSc to MChem needs no particular grades; moving from MChem to BSc needs an average above 60%. Medicinal Chemistry courses have different first-year modules, so decide within a few weeks of starting; for an industry placement course, switch by the start of second year.

2. Entry requirements and prerequisites (UK qualifications version on the course pages)

• A level (same for BSc and MChem): ABB with two science A levels including Chemistry, or AAB with one science A level including an A in Chemistry. With an EPQ the offer is BBB plus an A in the EPQ. Accepted science subjects include Applied ICT, Biology (and Human Biology), Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Electronics, Environmental Science, Further Mathematics, Geography, Geology, ICT, Life and Health Sciences, Mathematics, Psychology, Physics and Statistics. The department FAQ says Maths counts as a science A level; A level Maths is not required but is helpful, as year 1 and 2 teach the maths needed, with Peer-Assisted Learning support.
• Practical endorsement: for A levels in Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Geology taken in England, a pass in the practical endorsement is required.
• Contextual offers: you may automatically receive up to a two-grade reduction; no separate application is needed.
• GCSE: grade 4/C in English and in Mathematics.
• BTEC: National Extended Diploma D*DD in Applied Science with the optional units Applications of Inorganic Chemistry, Applications of Organic Chemistry and Practical Chemical Analysis (the older BTEC QCF has its own unit requirements); applicants are invited to take an assessment.
• IB: 32 points overall with no score below 4, including 5 in Higher Level Chemistry and 5 in one other Higher Level science (or 6 in Higher Level Chemistry if no other science is taken); or the IB Diploma with 6, 5, 5 in three Higher Level subjects including 5 in Chemistry and 5 in another science.
• Irish Leaving Certificate: H1, H2, H2, H2, H3, H3 including Chemistry and one other science. Scottish Highers/Advanced Highers: not accepted without Advanced Highers. Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced: B, plus A levels AB including Chemistry and a second science (or an A in Chemistry if no second science). Access to HE Diploma: a relevant subject, 45 Level 3 credits with 33 at Distinction (including 15 in Chemistry and 15 in a second science) and 12 at Merit; applicants are invited to take an assessment.
• T Levels: considered in a relevant subject and specialism; contact the university through the website enquiry form to discuss the core components and occupational specialism.
• The general entry page adds that A* is not normally used in offers, AS results are not used formally, and Core Maths cannot replace A level Maths where Maths is required.
• Tests and interviews: the course pages do not describe a written test or interview for A level applicants (not given on the pages used for this guide); BTEC and Access applicants are invited to an assessment. The department's change log of April 2025 says references to an interview process were removed for BTEC and Access. Confirm with the admissions tutors.
• Foundation Year (Carmel College): a typical offer is CDD at A level in related subjects; T Levels are not currently accepted; GCSEs: at least five at grade C/4 including English Language, Mathematics and two sciences. The page says there is no direct Foundation Certificate route to this course for international qualifications; ask the university about your qualification.

3. How admission works

• Apply to a named course: choose F100, F102 and so on on UCAS; the code is on each course page.
• EPQ: the course pages say EPQ applicants can receive a lower A level offer; the general page says it is accepted for most courses (not Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Science or Allied Health and Nursing) and only in combination with three A levels.
• If you miss the requirements: consider the Carmel College foundation route above; international applicants see the pathway routes below.

UK applicants

• Accepted qualifications: the general entry page says most school leavers from England, Wales and Northern Ireland apply with three or more A levels, and BTEC, EPQ, Scottish Advanced Highers, the Welsh Baccalaureate, Access to HE Diplomas, Cambridge Pre-U and the Irish Leaving Certificate are also considered; course pages give the exact requirements (chemistry above).
• How A levels are used: reformed and unreformed A levels are both accepted; A* is not normally used in offers but may be used to separate candidates at confirmation, and exceptionally an offer may require an A*.
• Fees: the course pages give £10,050 a year for 2027/28 (stated to apply to the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland), a year-in-industry fee of £2,010 and a year-abroad fee of £1,508 (stated to apply to the year in China); the Foundation Year page adds a foundation-year fee of £10,050. The website says fees may rise each year, with increases for UK students subject to government limits. The pages do not give separate fees for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; ask admissions to confirm your fee status.
• Funding: the course pages list bursaries for UK students, for example the Liverpool Bursary (household income below £35,000, up to £2,000 a year) and the Bloomberg Scholarship for Liverpool City Region residents (4 a year, £5,000 a year for 3 years). Conditions differ; check the scholarships pages.

International applicants

• Qualifications: country-specific requirements appear on the course pages once you choose your country; that section loads dynamically and was not available for this guide. The website says the IB Diploma is accepted for all undergraduate programmes. For non-UK qualifications you must send copies or scans of certificates and transcripts and show the originals at registration; Liverpool wants proof of every qualification listed on the UCAS form, not just those in an offer.
• English language: the BSc and MChem Chemistry pages ask for IELTS Academic 6.0 with no component below 5.5 (the Foundation Year page asks for 6.5 with 5.5 in each component); TOEFL iBT 88 overall (listening 17, writing 17, reading 17, speaking 19) for tests on or before 20 January 2026, or 4.5 overall with 4 or above in each component for tests from 21 January 2026 (Home Edition not accepted); Duolingo 115 (speaking, reading and writing at least 105, listening at least 100); PTE Academic 59 (no component below 59); LanguageCert Academic 65 (no skill below 60). Applicants from majority English-speaking countries need not prove English; see the website's English requirements page for the list.
• Pre-sessional English: if you fall short, you can take a Pre-sessional English course whose length depends on your latest IELTS score, for example 6 weeks for 5.5 overall with no component below 5.5, 12 weeks for 5.0 overall with none below 5.0, and 40 weeks for 4.0 overall with none below 4.0 (online or on campus depending on the score).
• Tuition fees: the course pages give £33,000 a year for 2027/28, a year-in-industry fee of £2,010 and £16,500 for the year in China; the website says fees may rise each year. Undergraduate fees can be paid in full each year or in two instalments (60% and 40%).
• Scholarships: the international page says Liverpool Scholarships are worth up to £7,500 for undergraduates; the pages used for this guide do not give the conditions or say whether they are automatic, so check the scholarships pages. Students progressing from a University of Liverpool International College Foundation Certificate are automatically allocated the Excellence Scholarship or First Class Scholarship if eligible.
• Visas and funds: the international section has visa pages that were not read for this guide; check them and the UK government website. The UCAS page says that, because of UK government limits on certain visa routes, Liverpool cannot currently provide Student visa sponsorship for applicants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar or Sudan.
• International pathway: applicants with good school grades who miss the entry requirements can take a one-year Foundation Certificate at the University of Liverpool International College (with Kaplan International Pathways), in Business, Law and Social Sciences or in Science and Engineering. Completing it at the required level with good attendance guarantees a place on the chosen degree; the website points to Kaplan's progression-route page for which certificate leads to which degree. The Carmel College foundation page says there is no direct Foundation Certificate route to that course.
• Department support: the department's international page describes a chemistry support office, an academic adviser for every student and lecture recordings on the learning platform, and says you can move between BSc and MChem.

Applicants from China

• Is the Gaokao enough? The China (mainland) page says students who completed 12 years of education (senior high school) in China must complete a Foundation Programme or GCE A Levels (or equivalent) and show English proficiency before an undergraduate degree, and that students who took the Gaokao also need a Foundation Pathway programme. The page gives no way of converting Gaokao scores into direct entry and no Gaokao cut-off.
• Pathway in China: the Xi'an Jiaotong University - University of Liverpool International Undergraduate Foundation Programme (one year, launched June 2025), whose successful completers are guaranteed admission; and the XJTLU 2+2 route, where students transfer to Liverpool for the final two years and receive degrees from both universities. The Chemistry BSc page says XJTLU Applied Chemistry BSc students can take this course at Liverpool through 2+2.
• Pathway in the UK: the University of Liverpool International College Foundation Certificate (above).
• Other recognised routes: Aptitude Scholastic Tests (at least 200/300 in two relevant subject tests; where a course needs a specific A level subject, the AST in that subject is compulsory), NCUK pathway programmes and the Bellerbys foundation programme. Students who completed the first year at a recognised Chinese university may be considered for year 1 of some courses, and those with more than two years for year 2; the website advises checking with the programme's admissions team first.
• Transcripts, verification, interviews: the China page does not describe transcript or certificate verification requirements or an interview. The Chemistry course pages give no Gaokao or Chinese high-school requirement of their own (not given on the pages used for this guide); ask admissions.
• Applying: the China page says undergraduate applications go through UCAS, or through an approved education agent; it lists approved agents and a WeChat account (英国利物浦大学).

Transfer students and entry to year two

• The UCAS page says Liverpool considers direct entry to year 2 of an undergraduate course; mark it on the UCAS form and apply by the main UCAS deadlines. Year 2 applications cannot be considered in Clearing.
• The grades, credit transfer rules and available places for year-2 entry to chemistry are not given on the pages used for this guide; contact admissions (+44 (0) 151 794 5927 on the course pages, or the website enquiry form). The department FAQ names admissions tutors Dr Gina Washbourn and Dr Joe Forth.
• For students at Chinese universities see the China section above.

How to apply, deadlines and fee

• Route: all full-time undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Liverpool's UCAS institution code is LVRPL L41; the course code is on each course page. Check forms and process on the UCAS website. You can submit from the beginning of September in the year before entry.
• Deadlines: the UCAS page says the normal closing date for UK applications is 14 January, after which you can use UCAS Extra; the normal closing date for international/EU applications is 30 June; and if your choices include Oxford or Cambridge, or professional programmes in Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science, the date is 15 October in the year before entry. The page prints no year; check the dates for 2027 entry on UCAS and the course page.
• Application fee: the page says the UCAS fee for 2026 entry is £28.95 for up to five choices; check the 2027 figure on the UCAS website.
• Personal statement: Liverpool has personal statement guidance (not read here); check format and length on the UCAS website. UCAS scans statements for plagiarism and Liverpool may require a new statement. The pages do not describe reference requirements; check UCAS.
• Deferred entry: you can ask to defer for one year, on the application or in writing to admissions by 31 July at the latest; requests are decided case by case, places may be limited, and offer conditions must be met by the end of the application cycle.

All of the above comes from the university's 2027 entry pages; fees, deadlines and course requirements may change, so check the University of Liverpool and UCAS websites before applying.

Sources: University of Liverpool, Chemistry degree programmes; Chemistry BSc; Chemistry MChem; Chemical Sciences BSc with a Foundation Year; Chemistry undergraduate FAQs; Chemistry international students; Applying through UCAS; Entry requirements and qualifications; Applicants from China (mainland); Foundation Certificates; International students; Tuition fees. Information is for 2027 entry and the 2027/28 academic year. Check the University of Liverpool website for the latest details.