How to Apply for Biology at Royal Holloway, University of London: Direct Entry by UCAS Code to Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Zoology and Ecology and Wildlife Conservation BSc, A-Level ABB–BBB with Biology Required, Royal Society of Biology Accredited, for UK, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Biology degrees at Royal Holloway, University of London (Royal Holloway) are taught in the Department of Biological Sciences on the Egham campus. The course pages listed below say the courses are accredited by the Royal Society of Biology (RSB), and the website describes a 135-acre parkland campus with woodland, meadows and watercourses that can be used for some practical projects. Below are the key points for September 2027 entry from the Royal Holloway website, for UK applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and students hoping to join year two.

1. Courses you can apply for

All are BSc degrees on the Egham campus, three years full time. You apply directly to a named course using the UCAS code on the course page (Royal Holloway's institution code is R72):

• Biology: C100; with a Year in Industry C102; with Integrated Foundation Year C10F. The page says the degree structure is flexible so you can tailor your studies even in the first year, with a foundation in cell biology and genetics, evolution, biological data analysis and plant life.
• Biochemistry: C700; with a Year in Industry C702; with Integrated Foundation Year C70F.
• Genetics: C400; with a Year in Industry C401; with Integrated Foundation Year C40F. The page says years 2 and 3 offer options including Evolution, Developmental Biology, Climate Change and Cell and Molecular Neuroscience.
• Zoology: C300; with a Year in Industry C302; with Integrated Foundation Year C30F. The page mentions a marine biology field course in Scotland and a tropical rainforest expedition to Borneo.
• Ecology and Wildlife Conservation: C150; with a Year in Industry C151; with Integrated Foundation Year C15F.
• Medical Biochemistry: C741; with a Year in Industry C742; with Integrated Foundation Year C74F. The page says part of the course is taught by health professionals from local hospitals, including clinical diagnosis of disease.
• Biomedical Sciences: B990; with a Year in Industry B991; with Integrated Foundation Year B99F. It is listed under the Department of Biological Sciences along with Medical Biochemistry, and is covered only briefly here.

The department's course list does not include medicine (MBBS/MD), nursing or pharmacy degrees; courses in other departments such as health and psychology are outside this guide; see the relevant subject pages on the Royal Holloway website. A chemistry undergraduate degree did not appear on the pages used for this guide.

Accreditation and teaching: the course pages say the courses are accredited by the RSB because they value practical teaching. Teaching combines lectures, seminars and small-group tutorials, with class sizes from 6 to 180; first- and second-year modules include many laboratory or field practicals, and in the third year you do an individual research project (30 credits; each year totals 120 credits and most modules are 15 credits). The first year is formative; the second and third years count one third and two thirds towards the final classification.

First-year compulsory modules (as listed on the course pages for the current year): Biology: Becoming a Bioscientist, Green Planet: Plants and Our Future, Cell Biology and the Origin of Life, Genetics, Introductory Animal Physiology and Academic Integrity. Biochemistry, Medical Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences add Chemistry of Life, Fundamental Biochemistry and Protein Biochemistry and Enzymology (Genetics lists the first two but not the third), and Medical Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences also add Introduction to Human Physiology in Health and Disease. Zoology adds Ecology and Conservation and Vertebrate Evolution and Diversity; Ecology and Wildlife Conservation adds Ecology and Conservation and Green Planet. The pages say you can tailor your studies from the first year, but they do not set out rules for changing between courses after enrolling; check with the Department of Biological Sciences.

2. Prerequisites and entry requirements

• A-Level: ABB-BBB for all the BSc courses above. Biology, Zoology and Ecology and Wildlife Conservation require A-Level Biology plus a pass in the practical element; Biochemistry requires A-Level Biology and a pass in the practical element of all science A-Levels taken; Genetics, Medical Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences require Biology ("including Biology") with a pass in the practical element of all science A-Levels taken. The entry requirements page says A-Level students must pass three subjects.
• GCSE: English Language and Mathematics at grade 4 (C). For UK students the entry requirements page says at least five GCSE passes at A*-C or 9-4 including Maths and English.
• IB: the course pages say HL 655 (without Diploma) or 32 overall (with Diploma).
• BTEC, Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers, Irish Leaving Certificate, Access diplomas, T-levels and others: the course pages show these in a drop-down menu whose content was not available on the pages used for this guide; choose your qualification on the course page on the website. The entry requirements page says Scottish Advanced Highers applicants are expected to achieve at least three passes, and gives T-level equivalences (Pass with a C or above on the core equals CCC, Merit equals BBB, and so on); where a course needs a specific A-Level subject, T-level applicants may be asked to offer that A-Level as well.
• Interview: the website says none of its undergraduate courses currently require an interview as part of a standard application.
• Contextual offers: not mentioned on the biology course pages used for this guide; ask Admissions.
• English (course pages): IELTS 6.5 overall with no sub-score below 5.5; Pearson Test of English 67 with no sub-score below 59; TOEFL iBT 88 with Reading 18, Listening 17, Speaking 20, Writing 17; Duolingo 120 with no sub-score below 100; Trinity ISE III. If your result is slightly below, you may attend a pre-sessional English course.

Integrated Foundation Year: for example, the Biology with Integrated Foundation Year course asks for A-Level CCC-CCD including A-Level Biology and English Language and Mathematics GCSE at grade 4 (C). The page says it suits non-standard entrants, including mature returners to study with science qualifications below the standard for direct entry. The foundation-year modules include Global and Planetary Health, Foundation Life Sciences and The Environment, Foundation Mathematics for Life Scientists, Environmental Science for Foundation Life Sciences, Life Sciences II: Organ Systems and Foundation Statistics for Life Sciences. The course page says that after the foundation year you can also transfer to Zoology or Ecology and Conservation. The Integrated Foundation Year page says it is open to Home students and international students who meet the English language requirements. For the requirements of the foundation versions of other biology courses, check the website.

Year in Industry and Optional Placement Year: on the "with a Year in Industry" courses the placement starts at the end of year 2, and the website says the fee for the year in industry is 20% of the course fee for that academic year for both Home and international students. The separate Optional Placement Year page applies to standard courses: it can be spent studying at a partner university overseas, working or volunteering, recommended at 9-12 months after the second year; it says you should apply for the standard version of the degree on UCAS and apply for the placement year in the autumn term of year two, with the same 20% fee.

3. Application process and timing

• Apply through UCAS; you can choose up to five courses. Royal Holloway's institution code is R72 and the course codes are on the course pages. The personal statement should explain your interest in the subject and the skills you bring.
• The application page says UCAS opens on 1 September 2026 and the Equal Consideration deadline is 13 January 2027; the page also labels this as "2026 entry", so check the entry year on the UCAS website. International students are advised to apply by that date, although applications are still considered until 30 June if places remain. Other dates on the page: UCAS Extra opens 25 February 2027; universities inform UCAS of decisions by 12 May 2027; reply-to-offers deadlines 5 May, 2 June or 21 July 2027 depending on your final decision date; Clearing starts 2 July 2027; A-Level results 12 August 2027.
• Applications are assessed on completed grades, predicted grades for qualifications not yet completed, the personal statement and the reference; the website says offers can be made to applicants with predicted grades below the advertised range if the whole application suggests they can succeed.
• Most offers are conditional. If English is not your first language and you have no recognised test, an English condition is likely. The website says no portfolio is required as standard. The FAQ page says the University aims to respond within about four weeks, longer around the Equal Consideration deadline.

4. By type of applicant

UK applicants: A-Level requirements are above. The 2027/28 home fee is 10,050 pounds a year (the course pages say it is set by Government regulation); UK students may be eligible for a student loan (see the funding pages). Whether the requirements differ for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland is in the drop-down content of the course pages that was not available for this guide; check the website.

International applicants: the same A-Level and IB requirements apply, plus an English language result. If you do not meet direct entry, the website says you can take the International Foundation Year (including a sciences route) at the Royal Holloway International Study Centre (run with Study Group) and then progress to the degree; you could also consider the Integrated Foundation Year above, which has English language requirements. International Year One is offered only in business and management, computer science, economics and electronic engineering, so it does not cover biology. The University also recognises foundation pathways from the University of London International Foundation Programme (IFP), INTO, On Campus, NCUK, CATS Colleges and David Game College.

Applicants from China: the China page says the gaokao is accepted for direct entry to year-one undergraduate programmes, with these A-Level-to-gaokao equivalences: AAA needs a minimum 75%, AAB 75%, ABB 73%, BBB 70%, BBC 67%, BCC 65% and CCC 63%, and additional requirements may apply depending on the programme. The biology course pages show 73% for the gaokao against an A-Level range of ABB-BBB; the website does not explain course by course which band applies, so confirm with Admissions. The China page also says one year at a recognised university in China with an overall average of 60% or above can be considered; A-Level or IB students apply on the course requirements. It also mentions the International Foundation Year and International Year One at the International Study Centre (which has a Chinese-language website), 30-minute one-to-one online counselling sessions, and a list of the University's agents in China.

Transfer into year two: the course pages, the application page and the FAQ page do not explain how to join year two from another university, how credits are recognised or the deadline; this is not given on the pages used for this guide, so contact Admissions or the Department of Biological Sciences directly.

5. Fees and scholarships

• International tuition: the course pages give 27,900 pounds a year for EU and international students for 2027/28, and say Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase fees annually. Optional residential field courses cost extra, and students are recommended to buy a laptop. The Borneo rainforest expedition module is listed as likely to cost about 800 pounds, with travel paid separately.
• Home students: 10,050 pounds a year.
• Year in industry or placement year: 20% of the course fee for that year.
• International Undergraduate Scholarship: the Royal Holloway International Undergraduate Scholarship 2027 reduces tuition by 3,000 pounds a year for international fee-status students who achieve BBB at A-Level (or IB 30 overall or 5,5,5 at Higher Level, or an equivalent) and hold an offer for an undergraduate degree starting in September 2027. It is awarded automatically, with no separate application, and cannot be combined with other tuition-reducing scholarships or partnership discounts.
• The Integrated Foundation Year page says international students taking the Integrated Foundation Year starting in 2026 get a 10% discount off the Year 1 tuition fee for their full degree; the page does not say whether this continues for 2027 entry, so ask Admissions.

6. Inconsistencies and points to check

• The Optional Placement Year page says to apply for the standard version of your degree and apply for the year after joining, while biology courses also have separate with a Year in Industry versions with their own UCAS codes (for example C102); the website does not explain the difference between the two routes.
• The application page labels its timetable "2026 entry" but gives dates from 1 September 2026 to January 2027, and the FAQ page mentions an Equal Consideration deadline of 14 January 2026. Check the exact 2027-entry dates on UCAS.
• In the department's course list, "Ecology and Conservation with Integrated Foundation Year" and "Ecology and Wildlife Conservation with a Year in Industry" both show code C151, while the course page gives C15F for the foundation version and C151 for the industry version.
• Gaokao score: the course pages show 73%, while the China page lists different bands from 63% to 75% by A-Level grade.

7. Checklists

UK applicants:

• A-Level ABB-BBB including Biology with a pass in the practical element; GCSE English and Maths at grade 4 (C)
• Apply through UCAS with R72 and the course code; see the application page for the Equal Consideration deadline and check UCAS for the 2027-entry date
• Home fee 10,050 pounds a year (2027/28)

International students (including China):

• IB HL 655 or 32 points; or the gaokao equivalence on the China page (73% on the course pages); IELTS 6.5 (5.5 per component)
• If you do not meet direct entry, consider the International Foundation Year or the Integrated Foundation Year
• International fees are 27,900 pounds a year (2027/28); eligible students receive an automatic 3,000 pounds a year scholarship

Transfer students:

• Year-two entry rules are not published; contact Admissions or the Department of Biological Sciences first

Sources: Royal Holloway, University of London, Department of Biological Sciences; Biology; Biochemistry; Genetics; Zoology; Ecology and Wildlife Conservation; Medical Biochemistry; Biomedical Sciences; Biology with a Year in Industry; Biology with Integrated Foundation Year; Integrated Foundation Year; How to apply; Entry requirements; Your offer; Information for students from China; International Undergraduate Scholarship; Optional Placement Year. Information is for 2027/28 entry; module lists are those the pages give for the current year; fees, scholarships and deadlines may change, so check the Royal Holloway website for the latest.