How to Apply to Biology at the University of Stirling: Four BSc Degrees Open to Direct Application, Year 1 Entry From Highers ABBB With One Science Subject, With Requirements for Home, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

The University of Stirling is in Scotland. Its website groups biology degrees under a Biology subject page that lists four BSc (Hons) degrees: Biology, Animal Biology, Cell and Molecular Bioscience, and Marine and Freshwater Biology. Each takes four years and you apply to the specific degree. This guide covers 2027 entry for home applicants, international applicants, Chinese applicants and transfer students. Nursing, paramedic science and other health degrees are outside this guide; see the subject pages on the university website.

1. The four degrees and UCAS codes

• BSc (Hons) Biology: UCAS code C100; start dates January 2027, September 2027 and January 2028; 48 months. The page describes training in cell biology, genetics, physiology, ecology and biodiversity, with optional modules in programming, data science and statistics with R.
• BSc (Hons) Animal Biology: UCAS code C300; the same three start dates; 48 months. Topics include animal behaviour, ecology, evolution, cell biology and physiology, and animal conservation and management. The core modules in semesters 1–4 include Cell Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Genetics, Biodiversity and Practical Skills.
• BSc (Hons) Cell and Molecular Bioscience: UCAS code C130; September 2027 only; 48 months. Topics include physiology, microbiology, evolution and genetics, and molecular techniques such as PCR, genomics, proteomics, cloning and gene editing.
• BSc (Hons) Marine and Freshwater Biology: UCAS code C160; September 2027 only; 48 months; coordinated by the Institute of Aquaculture, covering aquatic ecology, fisheries science, oceanography, biodiversity and conservation.
• Biology can be combined with Mathematics (CG11), Education (Secondary) (CX11) or Psychology (CC18); where the two subjects have different requirements you will usually be asked to meet the higher one.
• The four course pages show full-time and part-time study, delivered on campus. Environmental Science is listed as a related subject.

2. What you study and how you specialise

• Biology and Animal Biology: in years 3 and 4 you can stay on the general pathway or complete three prescribed modules plus a relevant dissertation to gain one of four specialisms: Biodiversity and Sustainability, Data Analysis and Biostatistics, Ecological and Evolutionary, or Physiology and Molecular. The Animal Biology page says specialisation begins in semester 5 and an independent research project runs in semesters 7–8.
• Fieldwork: Biology and Animal Biology offer a choice of two residential field trips, 7 days in southern France or 10 days in South Africa; travel, accommodation and subsistence on these are not included in course fees, and a non-residential field module is available. Marine and Freshwater Biology has one compulsory field trip on seashore and inshore organisms and an optional residential marine mammal course at Millport, Scotland.
• Placements and projects: an optional professional placement for Biology and Animal Biology, an optional lab-based placement for Cell and Molecular Bioscience, and an optional summer placement plus a final-year research project for Marine and Freshwater Biology. The Cell and Molecular page lists a lab coat and some personal lab kit among student costs, and travel costs for the placement.
• Time abroad: the Cell and Molecular and Marine and Freshwater pages say you can spend time at a university abroad in year 3; the Biology and Animal Biology pages refer to exchange links with North American, Australian and European universities. Places and conditions are on the website.
• Accreditation: the four course pages used for this guide do not name a professional body accreditation; ask admissions.

3. Entry requirements (course pages, 2027 entry)

• Year 1 entry (four-year honours), the same for all four degrees: Scottish Highers ABBB; A-levels BBB; IB Diploma 28 points; BTEC Level 3 DDM. Essential subjects: one of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics, taken within the last five years; recent work experience can be considered in place of a formal qualification.
• Year 2 entry (three-year honours): Advanced Highers ABB; A-levels ABB; IB 32 points. For Biology, Animal Biology and Cell and Molecular Bioscience the subjects must include Biology and one of Chemistry, Environmental Science, Geography, Geology or Physics; for Marine and Freshwater Biology, Biology and one of Environmental Science, Geography or Geology.
• Other qualifications: Scottish HNC/HND for Year 1 entry needs Bs in graded units; English, Welsh and Northern Irish HNC/HND need Merits and Distinctions; English, Welsh and Northern Irish Access to Higher Education needs 60 credits, at least 45 at QCF Level 3, passed at 60% or above; Foundation Apprenticeships count as one Higher at grade B; the Stirling access course and the SWAP access course are for mature students only.
• The university’s general pages say: A-level offers are based on predicted grades and normally on three A-levels; BTEC applicants typically need DDM; T-levels generally need a Merit; a pass in the EPQ is taken into account for applicants who narrowly miss their offer conditions, but offers are not made on the EPQ. Highers may be taken over two sittings, with higher grades possibly asked for after a resit; Advanced Highers are considered only if Highers alone do not meet the requirements, where grade C or above counts as a Higher A.
• Tests and interviews: the four course pages do not list an admissions test or interview. The general page says some courses have a second-stage selection such as an interview or extra written work, with details on the course page; ask admissions.
• Widening access: eligible students may get an adjusted offer, and care-experienced applicants who meet the minimum requirements are guaranteed an offer.

4. How to apply and deadlines

• Full-time undergraduate study starting in September is applied for through UCAS by all applicants wherever they are based. The UCAS name is STIRL and the institution code is S75; course codes are on the course pages. You can apply for up to five courses, and universities do not see your other choices. A personal statement is required. The UCAS deadline is not printed on the pages used for this guide; check UCAS for the 2027 entry dates. The university says it cannot guarantee that applications received after the relevant deadlines will be considered.
• January entry: for international students and students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, some courses start in January, and the application goes directly to the university, not through UCAS. The January list includes Biology and Animal Biology for 2027 and 2028; the Cell and Molecular and Marine and Freshwater course pages list September 2027 only.
• Deferred entry applications are made through UCAS. After applying you receive access to the Applicant Portal, and offer holders are invited to an Offer Holder Day.

5. Home applicants

• Scottish applicants mainly use Highers (ABBB), with Advanced Highers possible; applicants from England, Wales and Northern Ireland use A-levels BBB or BTEC DDM; for Republic of Ireland qualifications, see the university’s UK and Ireland qualifications page.
• Tuition (2027/28): Scottish students £1,820, a fee set by the Scottish Government, which SAAS can pay for students domiciled in Scotland; students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland £10,050 (2026/27 is £9,790; the university says it may change with UK Government guidance). The course pages say Republic of Ireland students can get a tuition fee loan of up to £9,535 from SAAS. The fee is the same for all four degrees.
• Stirling Success Scholarship: worth £5,000 in total for eligible students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands: £2,500 cash in Year 1, a one-year £500 package of sports centre membership and campus eatery credit, and £2,000 at the start of Year 4 for students who progress to the honours year. It requires full-time study on the Stirling campus and is assessed automatically with no separate application; advanced-entry students get only the Year 1 part. The page says first-year university accommodation is guaranteed if you apply by 31 August.

6. International applicants

• Tuition: in the fee listing, the international (including EU) full-time fee is £23,700 a year for all four degrees, for both 2026/27 and 2027/28. Travel, accommodation and subsistence on residential field courses are not in the course fees.
• English: the course pages require IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.0 with at least 5.5 in each sub-skill; PTE Academic 60 overall with 59 in each sub-skill; TOEFL taken before 21 January 2026, 80 overall (18 reading, 17 writing, 17 listening, 20 speaking), or from 21 January 2026, 4 overall with no band below 4. The university’s general page says applicants from, or with a UK-degree-equivalent qualification from, listed countries such as the UK, the USA, Australia and Ireland do not need to prove English (the page gives the full list), and Canadian nationals are also exempt; applicants from Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka may only use a Secure English Language Test. A separate undergraduate waiver page lists local qualifications (such as English in A/O Level, GCSE or IB) that can replace a test if taken within five years of the start date. The International Study Centre offers pre-sessional English.
• International scholarship: the course pages say eligible international students automatically receive a scholarship worth £10,000–£20,000 over the course; the International Undergraduate Scholarship page says £2,500 a year (£10,000 over four years), assessed automatically with no separate application, not combinable with other university scholarships except the Sports Scholarship, and requiring an offer and full-time international status. Ask the university about the difference; the offer letter is the reference.
• Pathways: the International Study Centre offers an International Foundation (3–4 terms, leading to Year 2 of a Scottish undergraduate degree), an International Year 2 (3–4 terms, leading to Year 3), and iCAS programmes that combine pathway and degree under one visa. The website says applicants who do not meet the academic or English requirements can consider these routes.

7. Applicants from China

The following are the undergraduate direct-entry requirements on the university’s China page. The page also tells applicants to check the specific grades and essential subjects on the course page; it does not say how these scores map to the essential subjects for biology, so ask admissions.

• Direct entry to Year 1: the 3-year Chinese Senior Secondary (Senior High) School Graduation Certificate with 70% overall; or the 2-year Huikao result with 75% overall (in provinces without Huikao exams, 75% overall from 6 modules); or Gaokao: 420 of 750 for most of China, 370 of 660 for Shanghai, 504 of 900 for Hainan. Foundation qualifications from pathway providers or universities are also considered.
• Direct entry to Year 2: Gaokao 495 of 750 (most of China), 435 of 660 (Shanghai), 594 of 900 (Hainan); pathway foundation qualifications are also considered.
• The page does not print a year for these requirements; check that they apply to 2027 entry.
• English: the China page and the undergraduate waiver page do not list a Chinese qualification as a replacement for an English test, so provide IELTS or another accepted test as the course page states, or ask the university.
• The China page also lists the university’s international recruitment contacts, approved representatives in China and a China microsite; how these affect admission to biology is not given on the pages used for this guide, so check the website.

8. Transfer students

• All four degrees have Year 2 entry (three-year honours) requirements, set out in section 3. The general page says some courses allow HNC holders into Year 2 and HND holders into Year 3 (not every course does, so check before applying); the Biology page says Year 2 entry may be possible depending on your HNC/HND and that other qualifications can be discussed with admissions.
• Recognition of prior learning: you must submit both an RPL application and a standard course application; credit is decided case by case; at least one-third of the credits for a Stirling award must come from study at or validated by Stirling; the same learning cannot count towards two awards; the university does not normally charge for RPL but may charge if the work involved is significant, notifying you in advance.
• International students can also reach Year 2 or Year 3 through the International Foundation and International Year 2 pathways above. The process for transferring from another UK university is not given on the pages used for this guide; contact admissions (admissions@stir.ac.uk).
• Eligible advanced-entry students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland receive only the Year 1 part of the Stirling Success Scholarship.

9. Checklist before you apply

• UCAS codes and start months differ: C100 and C300 can start in January or September; C130 and C160 start in September only.
• Essential subject: one of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics, taken within the last five years.
• Check the UCAS deadline and personal statement requirements on the UCAS site and the university’s apply page.
• Applicants from China: compare the three Year 1 routes (graduation certificate, Huikao, Gaokao) and the English requirement, then ask admissions about the essential subjects for biology.
• Costs: international tuition is £23,700 a year; the two pages describe the international scholarship differently, so confirm against your offer letter.

Sources: University of Stirling website: Biology subject page; Biology; Animal Biology; Cell and Molecular Bioscience; Marine and Freshwater Biology; Fees; How to apply; January entry; After you apply; Entry requirements; UK and Ireland qualifications; Recognition of prior learning; China page; English language requirements; Undergraduate English waiver; Pathway programmes; International Undergraduate Scholarship; Stirling Success Scholarship. Where a page prints a date without a year, check that it applies to 2027 entry. The university website is always the final authority.