How to Apply to Chemistry at the University of Southampton: BSc and MChem at AAB Including Chemistry, Digital Methods and Computational Modelling, Medicinal Chemistry and MChem Placement Routes, and Admissions and Prerequisites for UK, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Chemistry at the University of Southampton is based at the Highfield campus. The course pages place it in the “Chemistry and chemical engineering” subject area and list accreditation by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). This guide sets out the key points for September 2027 entry from the course pages, for UK applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and applicants seeking entry to year two. A course page header may still show an older year (for example “starting September 2023”), but the entry requirements tab states academic year 2027/28. Chemical engineering (BEng/MEng) is an engineering subject and is not covered here; see the website.

1. The chemistry degrees listed

• Chemistry BSc: UCAS code F100, three years full time, typical offer AAB.
• Chemistry MChem: F103, four years, Master of Chemistry, typical offer AAB.
• Chemistry (Digital Methods and Computational Modelling) BSc: F106, three years, AAB (with mathematics). The page says it combines chemistry with computational techniques, that no previous computing experience is needed, that programming training is tailored to your level, and that graduates can write programs, analyse big data and explore digital simulations of molecules. A matching MChem is also listed but its page is not covered here.
• Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry BSc: F109, three years, AAB, adding specialist medicinal chemistry and organic synthesis to the core chemistry modules. A matching MChem is also listed but its page is not covered here.
• Chemistry with External Placement MChem (F101, four years, AAA) and Chemistry with Year-Long Industry Experience MChem (F102, four years, AAA): see section 5. Both pages say that from September 2026 this placement opportunity is available through the core courses (MChem Chemistry, MChem Medicinal Chemistry and MChem Chemistry Digital Methods and Computational Modelling). Which course code to use for 2027 entry is not stated on these two pages; ask Admissions.
• The chemistry course pages say all the chemistry degrees share core modules in years one and two.
• Accreditation: each chemistry course page lists the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) under “Accreditations”. What the accreditation means in practice (for example the route to Chartered Chemist status) is not given on these pages; check the RSC and the university.

2. Direct entry to the course or choosing later

• You apply through UCAS directly to a specific course (F100, F103, F106, F109 and so on).
• BSc to MChem: the BSc page says that because the first two years share core modules, you can transfer to an MChem at the end of year 2 (Chemistry MChem, Chemistry (Digital Methods and Computational Modelling) MChem or Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry MChem). Any grade threshold or limit on places is not stated on these pages; ask enquiries@southampton.ac.uk.
• Whether you can switch between the routes after starting (for example from general chemistry to medicinal chemistry or the digital methods route) is not stated; ask Admissions.

3. Prerequisites and entry grades (2027/28)

• A Level (Chemistry BSc and MChem, Medicinal Chemistry BSc): AAB including Chemistry, with a pass in the practical exam where it is separately endorsed; General Studies and Critical Thinking are typically excluded.
• A Level (Digital Methods and Computational Modelling BSc): AAB including Chemistry (with the practical pass) and Mathematics.
• EPQ: with an EPQ alongside three A Levels the offer is ABB including Chemistry (with the practical pass) plus an A in the EPQ (for the digital methods route, ABB including Chemistry and Mathematics plus an A in the EPQ).
• Contextual offers: the pages say eligible applicants can receive an A Level offer of BBB including Chemistry (with the practical pass); how much lower an IB contextual offer is is not stated.
• IB: Chemistry BSc and MChem and Medicinal Chemistry BSc ask for a pass with 34 points overall, 17 at Higher Level, including 5 at Higher Level in Chemistry; the digital methods route asks for 34 points with 6, 6, 5 in three Higher Level subjects including Chemistry and Mathematics (the page writes “AA or AI”).
• GCSE: the Chemistry BSc, MChem and Medicinal Chemistry BSc pages list GCSE English at grade 4/C and Mathematics at grade 6/B; the digital methods page lists English and Mathematics at 4/C.
• Other qualifications: BTEC Extended Certificate at D plus an A in A Level Chemistry and an A in another A Level (chemistry practical passed); BTEC National Diploma at DD plus an A in A Level Chemistry; the BTEC Extended Diploma only alongside A Level Chemistry; Irish Leaving Certificate six H2s including Chemistry (including Mathematics for the digital methods route); Welsh Baccalaureate AAB including Chemistry, or AA from two A Levels including Chemistry plus a B in the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales (also Mathematics for the digital methods route); T Levels are not accepted.
• MChem with an external placement or a year in industry (F101, F102): the page header gives a typical offer of AAA, but the entry requirements tab on these two pages is blank apart from the Scottish qualification note, so A Level subjects, IB points and GCSE requirements are not given there; check the website.
• Admissions tests or interviews: the chemistry course pages do not list one.

4. Year one and laboratory work

• Year one: core topics give a grounding in organic, inorganic and physical chemistry: molecular structure, reactivity, thermodynamics, kinetics, atomic structure, bonding and the chemistry of the elements. Compulsory modules include Foundations of Chemistry I and II, Mathematical and Analytical Methods in Chemistry I and Practical Chemistry I, and you can choose options from the wider university such as mathematics, physics, biology and languages. The digital methods route adds the mathematical skills chemists need in year one.
• Year two: core topics include organic reaction mechanisms and synthesis, atomic and molecular interactions and equilibrium, symmetry in chemistry, transition metal and organometallic compounds, and bonding theories of solid-state chemistry; compulsory modules include Advanced Chemistry I and II and Practical Chemistry II, with options such as Mathematical Methods in Chemistry, Fundamentals of Biochemistry, Medicinal Chemistry and Introduction to Programming. The digital methods route adds more computation and programming.
• Year three: advanced core modules (for example pigments and f-block chemistry, natural product chemistry, electrochemistry and energy storage, organometallic chemistry) plus Advanced Practical Skills in Chemistry; the BSc page describes research-oriented, open-ended experiments. In Medicinal Chemistry BSc year three there is an individual chemistry research project that the page says involves over 150 hours of laboratory work, with biomedical topics such as pharmacology and toxicity to choose from.
• MChem year four: the Chemistry MChem page describes an advanced research project supervised by an academic (laboratory work, literature research and a dissertation) and three advanced taught modules in semester two.
• Study time and assessment (BSc page, for reference): about 40% scheduled teaching and 60% independent study each year; year one is 65% written exam, 13% coursework and 22% practical assessment; year two 65% written exam, 22% coursework and 13% practical; year three 52% written exam, 35% coursework and 13% practical. The page notes that modules change with staff and demand, so check the 2027/28 module list.
• Each student has a Personal Academic Tutor and access to a senior tutor.

5. Placements, research abroad and projects

• Chemistry with External Placement MChem (F101): four years, with a six-month industrial placement or a research project at an overseas university in year four, running July to December, then advanced modules back in Southampton in semester two (for example atmospheric chemistry and macrocyclic chemistry). Previous placement locations listed include the University of Sydney, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Humboldt University of Berlin, AkzoNobel (Netherlands) and Johnson Matthey (UK); a dedicated placement tutor supports you.
• Chemistry with Year-Long Industry Experience MChem (F102): four years, with two research projects: the first in a Southampton research group, the second a year-long project in industry or at a research establishment, with distance-learning modules in Chemical Enterprise and Professional Skills and Advanced Chemistry during the placement. The page says students have completed placements at GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer and Merck.
• How placements are secured, whether a placement is guaranteed, the number of overseas places and visa arrangements are not stated on these pages; ask Admissions or the course lead.

6. Fees and funding

• The chemistry course pages list annual fees of £10,050 for UK students and £34,100 for EU and international students (the same on the Chemistry BSc, MChem, Medicinal Chemistry BSc, digital methods BSc, F101 and F102 pages). The pages do not state the academic year, so check that it is the 2027/28 figure. Fees cover tuition and standard exams; accommodation and living costs are extra, and retake and professional exams may cost more.
• The scholarship for international applicants is the 75th Anniversary scholarship in the international section below. The pages used for this guide list no chemistry-specific scholarship.

7. How and when to apply

• All first-year full-time undergraduate applications go through UCAS, institution code S27, directly to a specific course (codes above). Southampton’s application page says you can apply before you have your final results or English test score and the university may still consider you.
• Applications are assessed on predicted grades, academic achievements, the personal statement and the academic reference, with a target of 2 to 6 weeks; applications made in January, particularly near the UCAS equal consideration deadline, may take substantially longer.
• Deadline: Southampton only tells you to check the UCAS timeline and does not print a 2027-entry date; check UCAS.
• The application page notes that many applicants use education agents and lists university-approved agents; using one is your own decision.
• After an offer, applicants are invited to an Offer Holder Visit Day or an online event (the page says usually January to April); students who are not British or Irish citizens may need a visa, which Southampton says you can apply for once you hold an unconditional offer.

8. UK applicants

• Fee status: the university has two categories, “UK (home)” and “International (overseas)”, decided by the Admissions Team under the fees regulations, and it may ask you to complete a Fee Status Questionnaire (feesclassification@soton.ac.uk). The course pages give a single “UK students” fee and do not separate England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; check with the university.
• Bursary: the course pages say UK or EU students with household income under £36,200 a year may get a University of Southampton bursary towards living costs, with specific bursaries for care leavers and estranged students.
• Qualifications: requirements for A Levels, the IB, BTEC, the Irish Leaving Certificate and the Welsh Baccalaureate are in section 3; for Scottish qualifications the pages say offers are based on exams at the end of S6 with S5 results reviewed, and refer to the university’s Curriculum for Excellence Scotland Statement; contact the relevant Faculty Admissions Office. Other qualifications such as Access to HE are not listed on the chemistry pages; see “Show more entry requirements” on each course page.
• Contextual offers: see section 3; an A Level offer can drop to BBB including Chemistry for applicants identified by the university’s contextual data, without extra documents.

9. International applicants

• Qualification equivalencies: Southampton has country pages of entry qualification equivalencies and country information pages; use them to see how your qualifications map to the A Level requirements on the course pages. The IB Diploma can be used directly (section 3).
• English: the chemistry course pages ask for IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in reading, writing, speaking and listening. You can apply before you have the score, and if you do not meet it you may be able to take a pre-sessional English course before starting. For other accepted tests see the university’s English language pages.
• Science Foundation Year: the F101 and F102 pages say a Science Foundation Year can be a route for applicants without the right qualifications for direct entry (for example A Level subjects other than those normally asked for, mature applicants, or applicants from an education system different from A Levels). Which chemistry degrees it leads to, its entry requirements and fees are not given on the pages used for this guide; see the university’s Science Foundation Year page.
• Transcripts and proof of funds: the document lists for these are not published on the course pages used for this guide; check the university’s International pages or international@southampton.ac.uk.
• 75th Anniversary Undergraduate Excellence Scholarships: for new international undergraduates from listed countries and regions (the list includes China, Hong Kong, India and the USA among 12): £3,000 off tuition each year for up to four years, up to £12,000. You must be self-funded and pay overseas fees and hold a conditional or unconditional offer for a full-time on-campus undergraduate course (except Medicine); there is no separate application and no deadline; eligible students are told by email. Permanent residency means where you lived for three or more years before the course, not counting places lived only to study. If you qualify for more than one Southampton scholarship, the highest-value award is applied.

10. Applicants from China

• Southampton has a dedicated page for students from China: for undergraduate degrees it says you can apply with UK A Levels studied in China, the IB (the page says between 28 and 38 points; follow each course page) or the Gaokao; your grades must reach the level equivalent to the A Level requirements of the course, and you must also meet the English requirements and any subject requirements on the course page.
• Gaokao: Southampton accepts the Gaokao for many degrees but gives examples of degrees that do not accept it: degrees requiring a specific A Level subject other than mathematics (such as music, a language or a science), all Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences undergraduate degrees, and its three undergraduate medicine degrees. The chemistry course pages require A Level Chemistry; the China page does not name chemistry or say which faculty it sits in, and there is no explicit statement on whether chemistry can be applied for with the Gaokao. Ask the International Office in writing, and prepare an A Level, IB or OnCampus foundation route in parallel.
• Gaokao conversion (country page): convert your score to a percentage of your province’s maximum (for example 600 out of 750 is 80%); overall equivalents are A*AA and AAA 80%, AAB 75%, ABB 70%, and BBB, BBC, BCC and CCC 70%; for single subjects A* 85%, A 80%, B 75% and C 70%.
• Foundation routes: the country page lists OnCampus undergraduate foundation programmes including “Engineering and physical sciences” and “Life sciences” routes, requiring completed senior secondary education and IELTS 4.0 (no element below 4.5), including English study, and securing a place on your chosen degree if completed; which route leads to chemistry degrees is not given on the pages used for this guide, so ask the university. The Foundation year for engineering, maths or physics leads to 19 undergraduate degrees in those subjects and asks for the senior high school certificate (two- and three-year), at least 85% overall and 85% or more in maths and physics; whether it leads to chemistry degrees is not stated.
• Interviews, recognised bodies, transcripts and school-leaving (huikao) documents: the China page covers equivalencies and the foundation requirements above only; the document lists for transcripts and school-leaving certificates are not published on the pages used for this guide, so contact international@southampton.ac.uk (+44 (0)23 8059 9699, 9am to 5pm UK time). Southampton also has a WeChat Official Account, 南安普顿大学 (UofSouthampton).

11. Direct entry to year two and transfers

• The chemistry course, application and UCAS pages used for this guide do not give conditions for transferring from another university into year two or for credit recognition; this is not published on those pages. Contact enquiries@southampton.ac.uk (+44 (0)23 8059 5000).
• Southampton also says it recognises skills gained through work or life experience (recognition of prior learning), and treats students aged 21 or over at the start of the course as mature applicants, assessing academic ability and commitment and possibly arranging a meeting with an Admissions Tutor.

Checklist

UK applicants:

• BSc or MChem: A Level AAB including Chemistry with the practical passed, GCSE English grade 4 and Mathematics grade 6; the digital methods route also needs A Level Mathematics; MChem with a placement (F101, F102) is listed at AAA
• UCAS code S27 and course codes such as F100, F103, F106 and F109; check the deadline on UCAS

International applicants:

• IB 34 points (17 at HL, 5 in HL Chemistry); IELTS 6.5 (6.0 in each component)
• The 75th Anniversary scholarship (£3,000 a year) is automatic if you are eligible

Applicants from China:

• Ask the International Office in writing whether the Gaokao can be used for chemistry; keep an A Level, IB or OnCampus route ready
• Ask international@southampton.ac.uk about transcript and school-leaving documents

Year-two entry:

• No published conditions; email Admissions first

Sources: University of Southampton, Chemistry BSc; Chemistry MChem; Chemistry (Digital Methods and Computational Modelling) BSc; Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry BSc; Chemistry with External Placement MChem; Chemistry with Year-Long Industry Experience MChem; Entry equivalencies: China; Undergraduate application page; Applying through UCAS; 75th Anniversary Undergraduate Excellence Scholarships. Information is for September 2027 entry (check that any undated figures apply to 2027 entry). Check Southampton and UCAS for the latest details.