How to apply for biology at Brunel University of London: Life Sciences BSc (three years, optional placement; the course page says the course is closed, so confirm with admissions that it is still recruiting), Biomedical Sciences via the Pathway College, for home, international (including Chinese) and transfer applicants

Brunel University of London is on a single campus in Uxbridge, west London. This guide covers the science-based biology degrees on its website: the Life Sciences BSc, and the Biomedical Sciences degrees (including the Biochemistry pathway) listed under the Biomedical Sciences subject area. Medicine (MBBS), nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and other health degrees are outside the scope of this guide; see the university website. The undergraduate subject list does not include chemistry (Chemistry); it lists Chemical Engineering, which is an engineering degree and also outside this guide.

1. The degrees

• Life Sciences BSc (Hons): UCAS course code LF01, or LF02 with placement; three years full time, four with placement; September start. The fees box on the course page gives 2027/28 fees, while the entry requirements are labelled 2026/27. The course page also says "Please note, this course is closed", yet the subject-area page still lists the course. The website does not say which intake this refers to, so confirm with admissions (admissions@brunel.ac.uk) whether 2027 entry applications are accepted before you prepare
• Biomedical Sciences BSc (Hons) and Biomedical Sciences (Biochemistry) BSc (Hons): the Pathway College health and life sciences foundation page lists these as degrees you can progress to. The Biomedical Sciences subject page says its undergraduate degrees are accredited by the Royal Society of Biology. The degrees' own course pages (UCAS codes, entry requirements, fees) are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the course pages on the website
• The Life Sciences course page does not mention professional accreditation; ask the school

2. Life Sciences BSc: how the course is structured

• The website describes studying several life-science streams (biological, environmental, psychological and sport sciences) with quantitative skills such as bioinformatics and statistical data analysis, with optional languages and creative writing; the course page also mentions a new geography course
• Year 1: a foundation in life sciences including biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, anatomy and physiology, biological psychology and environmental sciences. Compulsory modules: Biology of the Cell, Biosphere and Ecology, Brain and Cognition, Critical Scientific Reading and Communication, Experimental Design and Bioinformatics, Fundamentals of Human Anatomy and Physiology, and Medical Biochemistry
• Year 2: you choose specialist subjects and take a Career Planning and Entrepreneurship module; the page says you choose two streams from the allowed combinations and may take non-science options. Optional modules include Analytical and Clinical Biochemistry, Applied Molecular and Cell Biology, Bioinformatics and Big Data Analysis, Developmental Genetics and Stem Cell Biology, Genetics, Genomics and Human Health, Human Pathology and Immunology and Medical Microbiology, plus options such as Climate Change, Cognitive Neuroscience and the physiology of sport and exercise
• Final year: you continue your two streams and carry out a research project (laboratory or non-laboratory); options include the Biology and Treatment of Cancer, Gene Therapies, Genomic Medicine, Medical Immunology, Microbial Pathogenesis and Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology
• Placement: the course page offers a placement option (LF02, four years). The university notes that modules are subject to change
• Teaching is on-campus lectures, tutorials and laboratory sessions with some pre-recorded material; the page says laboratory sessions use Team-Based Learning. Assessment includes coursework, poster and oral presentations and written exams

3. Prerequisites and entry requirements (Life Sciences BSc, labelled 2026/27 entry)

• GCSE: at least five, including Mathematics (grade C/4) and either English Language (C/4) or English Literature (B/5)
• A-Level: standard offer ABB including a grade B in one named subject: Biology, Chemistry, Human Biology, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology or Statistics; contextual offer BBB (also including a B in one named subject)
• BTEC National Extended Diploma: standard DDM (Applied Science, Health and Social Care, or Forensic and Criminal Investigation), contextual DMM; several BTEC-plus-A-Level combinations are also listed on the course page
• IB Diploma: standard 31 points including at least 5 in Higher Level Biology, Chemistry or Physics, with English equivalent SL 5 or HL 4 and Mathematics SL 2 or HL 2; contextual 30 points
• Access to HE Diploma: standard 128 tariff points with 45 Level 3 credits in a related subject, all Biology and Chemistry units at Distinction; contextual 120 points. T-Level: Merit overall in a related subject (Health, Healthcare Science or Science)
• The key-information box reads "A-level ABB - BBB, BTEC DDM - DMM, IB 31-30", consistent with the above. How AP converts is not stated on the course page; ask admissions
• Applicants who cannot meet the direct-entry criteria are invited to apply for the life sciences foundation course at Brunel Pathway College, then progress to the Life Sciences BSc
• Interviews or admissions tests: not mentioned on the course page

4. How and when to apply

• Full-time undergraduate courses are applied for through UCAS using Brunel's institution code B84, with up to five choices, a personal statement and a reference, and the course code from the course page. Part-time degrees are applied for directly. International applicants using a registered agent can use the direct online application only if they have not applied, and will not apply, through UCAS for that year
• The "key dates" page prints the 2026 entry cycle: 15 October 2025 for Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Sciences, 14 January 2026 for on-time undergraduate applications, and 30 June 2026 as the closing date of the UCAS main system (the page adds that many courses stay open for late applications). UCAS dates for 2027 entry are not given on the pages used for this guide; check UCAS
• The international page says international applicants for September 2027 must apply by 20 August 2027 (some courses may close earlier; after that, applications are accepted only if places remain and there is time for interviews and visa processing). For students who do not pay international fees, September 2027 courses stay open until early October subject to vacancies, but the university recommends applying by the UCAS deadlines
• Application fee: not given on the pages used for this guide; check UCAS

5. Home applicants

• Entry requirements are above. The contextual admissions page says contextual offers (reduced offers) go only to undergraduate applicants eligible for Home fees; international students are not eligible. Criteria include living in an area of low higher-education participation (POLAR4 quintiles 1 and 2), disability, care experience, mature applicant status (21 or over on 1 September), the Brunel Urban Scholars programme, young carers aged 25 or under, estrangement, refugee, humanitarian protection or asylum-seeker status, Armed Forces families or service, and free school meals; meeting one is enough. The page says essential criteria such as minimum Maths or English requirements cannot normally be waived, and most of the information comes from your UCAS application
• Fees: Life Sciences BSc 2027/28 UK full time £10,050 (the page says this is subject to Parliamentary approval, and that the cap is expected to rise with inflation from 2028). The page does not distinguish England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; it gives no placement-year fee figure and points to the university's placement-year fee page, so check the website
• Scholarships and bursaries: the scholarships page lists undergraduate items including the University of London Scholars Programme 2026/7 (£10,000, deadline 6 November 2026), Care Leaver and Estranged Student bursaries (£2,000, closed at the time), a 15% fee reduction for partnership schools, music awards and sports scholarships (up to £3,000); check the terms of each for whether they apply to you

6. International applicants

• English: the Life Sciences course page lists IELTS 6.0 (minimum 5.5 in all areas), Pearson 59 (59 in all sub-scores), BrunELT 6.0 (5.5 in all areas) and TOEFL 4.5 (4 in all sub-scores). Applicants who need a student visa must hold a UK Visas and Immigration approved SELT result (IELTS for UKVI or Trinity), valid for two years. Those who fall short can take a pre-sessional English course at the Brunel Language Centre
• Academic qualifications: each course page has a drop-down box of entry criteria by country (the content for each country is not shown in the page text used here); you must provide an official transcript and certificate, or an interim transcript if still studying, plus a passport photo page
• Fees: Life Sciences BSc 2027/28 international full time £22,445 a year; the page says international fees may change annually by no more than 5% or RPI, whichever is greater. International students must pay a £5,000 deposit before a CAS is issued
• International scholarships: the scholarships list showed, as open to international undergraduates at the time, a 10% Brunel Family Discount (online application), a 2% early payment discount (no application), sports scholarships (up to £3,000) and a 20% Beaconhouse School Discount (automatically considered); the China page says around 130 international scholarships are offered each year, some up to £6,000 a year. Whether they apply to biology courses depends on each award's terms

7. Applicants from China

• The university's China page says one thing about bachelor degrees: "There are no Chinese academic equivalents accepted for Undergraduate Bachelor degrees". The conversions that follow (a UK 2:1 as 75%–80% and a 2:2 as 70%–75%) are a guideline for grades from Chinese institutions; the page does not say which level of entry they apply to, so ask admissions. Whether the Gaokao is considered, and how, is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions or the China contact
• For students who cannot enter directly, the usual route is the Pathway College Foundation in Health and Life Sciences. The Pathway College academic requirements page gives, for China: the Senior Secondary School Graduation Certificate (3 years) with an average of 70%, or Senior Middle School 2 completed with at least 80%, including an 80% average in Maths or Physics
• The China page lists the university's representatives in China; whether to use one is your decision

8. The Pathway College foundation in Health and Life Sciences

• The page describes a two-semester course, with a September start and a January start for selected courses, in Uxbridge. Modules: Biology 1 and 2, Chemistry 1 and 2, ICT Skills, Interactive Learning Skills and Communication, Maths for Science and Computing, and Research Methods, Critical Thinking and Expression
• After passing you can progress directly to Biomedical Sciences BSc, Biomedical Sciences (Biochemistry) BSc, Psychology, Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences degrees, and also nursing, physiotherapy and occupational therapy (which need an interview and IELTS 7.0 and are outside this guide)
• Academic requirements: the UK system asks for five GCSEs at A–C including Maths and Science; the IB route asks for the IB Certificate with SL 5 in both Maths and Physics, or HL 4 in Maths or Physics (per the Pathway page); China is above
• English: foundation stage IELTS 5.5 (no band below 5.5); the page lists 6.0 for a group of "higher-level pathways" (Law, Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, Psychology, Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences). To progress to the degree you must meet that degree's direct-entry English requirement, with an English module if needed
• Fees: international Foundation in Health and Life Sciences £17,450 for 2026/27; foundation and first-year entrants pay a 50% deposit. 2027/28 pathway fees and dates are not given on the pages used for this guide (the dates page shows September 2026 and January 2027 intakes; for September 2026 the standard application deadline was 21 August 2026)

9. Transfer and part-way entry

• The transfer page says most transfers are into the second year, and third-year entry is also considered. Year 2: you are usually expected to meet the first-year entry criteria and to be completing or have completed the first year of a similar degree; the admissions tutor reviews your first-year module specifications; apply through UCAS and select second-year entry; a few courses cannot take second-year entrants because of places or structure
• Year 3: you should have completed, or be completing, the first two years of a degree at an OfS-registered university (the page says HNDs and professional qualifications cannot currently be accepted for transfer); transcripts and module specifications are reviewed, and the page recommends emailing admissions first
• Transfer from a Chinese university is not specifically covered on the page; contact admissions first

10. Checklist by background

Home applicants:

• Confirm with admissions that the Life Sciences BSc is open for 2027 entry; A-Level ABB including one named science subject at B (2026/27 data)
• Apply through UCAS (code B84) and check whether you qualify for a contextual offer

International applicants:

• Choose your country in the course-page drop-down to see qualification requirements; IELTS 6.0 (5.5 in each); apply by 20 August 2027 for September 2027; £5,000 deposit

Applicants from China:

• The China page lists no accepted Chinese equivalent for bachelor degrees; ask admissions. The foundation route asks for a certificate average of 70% plus 80% in Maths or Physics

Transfer applicants:

• Prepare transcripts and module descriptions, email admissions first, then apply through UCAS for Year 2 or Year 3 entry

Sources: Brunel University of London, Undergraduate study; Biomedical Sciences; Life Sciences; Life Sciences BSc; How to apply through UCAS; Key dates and deadlines; Looking to transfer; International: how to apply for an undergraduate course; Requirements for international students; China; Contextual admissions; Scholarships and bursaries; Pathway College: Health and Life Sciences; Pathway academic requirements; Pathway English requirements; Pathway international fees; Pathway important dates. Entry requirements on the course page are labelled 2026/27 entry; fees are for 2027/28. Check UCAS and the university for the latest dates and rules.