How to apply for biology at the University of Salford: six three-year BSc degrees (Biological Sciences, Marine Biology, Zoology, Wildlife Conservation, Human Biology and Infectious Diseases, Biochemistry) all ask for 104 UCAS points, mostly with A-level Biology at C – how UK, international (including Chinese) and transfer applicants are admitted and what you need to have studied

The University of Salford is in Greater Manchester, a few minutes from Manchester city centre. Its biology degrees are taught in the School of Science, Engineering and Environment on the Peel Park campus. This guide sets out what you need to know for September 2027 entry (2027/28) from Salford’s own pages, for UK applicants, international applicants (including students from China) and students who want to transfer in.

1. The courses and how you are admitted

In the School’s undergraduate course list, the standard biology degrees are these (all BSc (Hons), three years full-time, four with a placement year; the course pages also list six-year part-time study):

• All six course pages say they accept international students. The same course list also shows Wildlife Conservation with Zoo Biology, Biochemistry with Studies in the USA and foundation-year versions of several courses; those pages were not each read for this guide, so check the website.
• You apply directly to a specific course using its UCAS code. The course pages used do not say whether the first year is shared between these courses or whether you can switch between them after enrolling; ask Salford.
• First-year modules (as named on the course pages): Biological Sciences – Biological Skills, Biodiversity, Molecules to Microbes, Genetics, Study Skills, Cell Biology; Marine Biology – Introduction to Marine Biology, Genes to Ecosystems, Biological Skills, Study Skills for Marine Biology, Biodiversity, Global Distribution of Wildlife; Zoology – Global Distribution of Wildlife, Molecules to Microbes, Biological Skills, Genes to Ecosystems, Marine and Terrestrial Biodiversity, Study Skills for Life Sciences; Wildlife Conservation – Introduction to Zoo Biology, Biodiversity, Global Distribution of Wildlife, Field Biology, Genes to Ecosystems, Study Skills; Human Biology and Infectious Diseases – Molecules to Microbes, Genetics, Human Anatomy, Biological Skills, Study Skills, Cell Biology; Biochemistry – Biological Chemistry, Genetics, Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Skills, Introduction to Organic Chemistry, Introductory Biochemistry, Cell Biology.
• Accreditation: all six course pages say the course is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology. The Biochemistry page adds that if you take a placement year after the second year, the degree carries the Society’s “Advanced Degree Accreditation”.
• Placements and research projects: all six pages describe an optional placement year between years two and three, approved by the School’s placement coordinator; you find the placement yourself, with tutor support and monitoring. The Biological Sciences and Zoology pages also mention an independent final-year project. Biological Sciences also offers the option of spending Year 2 at the University of Toledo in the USA: the page says you pay only a reduced Salford fee and Toledo’s tuition is waived, but you pay for flights, the visa (about $340, with a visa interview in London), health insurance and roughly $10,000 of living costs (figures given “as of June 2023”).
• Field trips: the Biological Sciences, Marine Biology, Zoology, Wildlife Conservation and Biochemistry pages say national field trips are funded by the School and you cover food and spending money. International trips in optional modules (for example Diving for Marine Conservation in Marine Biology, or Tropical Ecology and Conservation in Zoology and Wildlife Conservation) are subsidised, but you pay a major contribution to flights and in-country costs, and are told the cost before choosing the module.
• Outside the scope of this guide: the School’s list also includes Biomedical Science and Pharmaceutical Science degrees, which are not covered here; check the website. The list used here shows no medicine (MBBS) or nursing degree, and the School of Health and Society’s courses were not read, so check the website. The School’s course list does not show a Chemistry degree.

2. What you need to have studied

• A-levels: see the table: at least two full A-levels with at least C in the named subject; the pages set no separate requirement for Mathematics, Physics or Chemistry (Biochemistry accepts either Biology or Chemistry). Wildlife Conservation accepts any subjects.
• BTEC: Biological Sciences, Marine Biology, Zoology and Human Biology and Infectious Diseases ask for DMM in Applied Science or another science BTEC with Biology modules; Wildlife Conservation asks for DMM; Biochemistry asks for DMM in a science BTEC with Biology or Chemistry units. T Level: mostly Merit in Science; Wildlife Conservation says Science or Animal Science; Human Biology and Infectious Diseases says Health, Healthcare Science or Science.
• Scottish Highers and Irish Leaving Certificate: two Higher Level subjects including the named Biology (or Chemistry for Biochemistry); Zoology states 104 UCAS points from at least two, including Biology; Wildlife Conservation states two subjects and 104 points. Access to HE: a science diploma at 104 UCAS points, mostly with Biology (or Chemistry) content.
• GCSE: English and Maths at grade C/4 or above (the Human Biology page adds that equivalents are accepted).
• Entrance tests and interviews: not mentioned on the course pages read.
• Alternative entry: every course page describes the Salford Alternative Entry Scheme (SAES): applicants who miss the stated criteria but can show they can succeed may be recommended after assessment, through a review of prior learning or a formal test.
• Foundation-year versions: for example Biological Sciences with Foundation Year (C204) asks for 64 UCAS points (at least one full A-level) or IB 26 points and takes four years, but its page says it is not suitable for international students, who are pointed to the International Foundation Year below.

3. Fees and scholarships (2027/28)

• International students: the six course pages in the table show £18,600 a year full-time; Home students pay £10,050 a year. The pages say the fee shown is for the first year only and later years may rise with inflation up to the UK government limit. Foundation-year versions (Home): £8,970 for the foundation year, then £10,050 a year.
• International scholarships: the Global Gold Excellence Scholarship and the Global Silver Excellence Scholarship need no separate application; you are assessed when you apply. For undergraduates starting from September 2026, Gold is worth £3,500 per year of study (A-level ABB or the equivalent from your country) and Silver £3,000 (BBC or the equivalent), and you must keep a good academic record; the pages are written for entry from September 2026, so check whether the same applies to 2027 entry. You must accept your offer and pay your deposit by the deadline. The two pages are not consistent on the International Foundation Year: one passage says self-funded students who pass it with 70 or higher (Gold) or 65–69 (Silver) are eligible, while another says International Foundation Year applicants are currently not eligible; ask Salford. The scholarships page says you can hold only one scholarship or discount (the highest in value), and paying fees in full on or before enrolment gives a further 3% off.

International applicants

• How to apply: the international application page says undergraduate applications go through UCAS, where you can make up to five choices (at Salford or at different universities). Enter Salford’s institution code S03, code name SALF and the course code, and leave the campus code blank. For the UCAS fee, check the UCAS website; the amount is not given on the pages used for this guide.
• English: the course pages say international students from countries that are not majority English-speaking need IELTS Academic 6.0 with no element below 5.5. The English requirements page lists other accepted tests (UKVI IELTS, PTE Academic UKVI, Trinity ISE, LanguageCert Academic SELT and others, with scores in its table), says online IELTS and online PTE are not accepted, and says Salford stops accepting the Oxford ELLT from 9 October 2026. If your English is below the level, the Marine Biology page mentions only the Pre-Sessional English course; the other five course pages also mention the International Foundation Year.
• Grades and credentials: the course pages say Salford accepts qualifications from around the world and send you to the “Your country or region” pages for the full list. The amount of funds to show is not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website and the UK government Student visa pages.
• Visa: the application page says you can request a CAS and apply for the Student visa once you hold an unconditional offer.
• Decisions: Salford says it tries to decide within a few weeks, sometimes longer in busy periods; undergraduate decisions are sent through the UCAS Hub.
• Deadlines: the international deadlines page lists only the September 2026 undergraduate dates (meet your conditions by 21 August 2026, induction 7 September 2026, teaching 14 September 2026). Dates for September 2027 entry are not given on the pages used for this guide; check UCAS and that page.
• International Foundation Year: the IFY page says the Biological Sciences route has five modules: English and Study Skills (40 credits) and Biological Principles, Scientific Method, Science for Health and Chemical Principles (20 credits each). It asks for an overseas secondary qualification equivalent to five UK GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including maths, a science (preferably Biology) and three other subjects, and can be joined in September only. The degrees listed for progression from this route are Pharmaceutical Science, Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Biochemistry with Studies in the USA, Biomedical Science, and Human Biology and Infectious Diseases; Marine Biology, Zoology and Wildlife Conservation are not in that list, so ask Salford whether they can be reached through the IFY. The IFY is not applied for through UCAS but through Salford’s online application form. It needs UKVI IELTS Academic 4.5 (no band below 4.0), costs £16,000 in 2027/28, and the page says you progress to the linked degree if you pass with the right grade; that grade is not given on the page.
• Contextual offers: the contextual offers page says these are for full-time undergraduate applicants who live in the UK, apply through UCAS, pay Home fees and fall in its lowest participation groups, are care experienced or are seeking sanctuary; international students are not eligible unless they are sanctuary seekers.

Applicants from China

• Direct undergraduate entry: the Salford and China page says applicants who have completed three full years of high school and hold a senior secondary school graduation certificate with an overall grade of at least 60% will be considered for undergraduate study. This is a general statement for undergraduate study, not a mark for any one subject; you must also meet the subject and UCAS-points requirements on the course page, and how the two fit together is not published, so ask admissions.
• Gaokao: neither the China page nor the course pages mention gaokao scores or cut-offs. This is not published; the China page names a contact for applications from China, whom you can ask.
• International Foundation Year: applicants with a zhongzhuan graduation certificate at 60% or above, or who completed the huikao with a final grade of 60% or above, will be considered.
• Education consultants: the China page lists the consultancies Salford works with; the international application page says you do not have to use one.

Transfer students and changing course

• Joining Year 2: the course pages used for this guide do not describe direct entry to Year 2. The China page says only that applicants with a dazhuan qualification at 60% or above who have studied appropriate modules will be considered for advanced entry on relevant undergraduate programmes; whether that applies to these courses is not published, so contact admissions.
• If you do not meet the standard requirements: see the Salford Alternative Entry Scheme above.
• Changing course inside Salford: the changing your course page says the earlier you ask the more likely you can switch, you should contact askUS first, the new course leader or admissions tutor decides and must have a place, and you get a transfer form from the new course administrator.

Checklist

UK applicants:

• All six courses: 104 UCAS points; most need grade C in A-level Biology (Biochemistry: Biology or Chemistry; Wildlife Conservation: any subjects); GCSE English and Maths at 4/C
• Apply through UCAS with institution code S03 and the course code from the table
• Home fee £10,050 a year (2027/28); if your grades fall short, look at the foundation-year versions (Biological Sciences with Foundation Year asks for 64 UCAS points)

International applicants (including China):

• Apply through UCAS; IELTS 6.0 with no band below 5.5; the China page says a senior secondary certificate at 60% is the starting point; how the gaokao is used is not published, so ask admissions before you apply
• £18,600 a year; ABB or the equivalent gives £3,500 a year automatically, BBC or the equivalent £3,000 (check the website)
• If you cannot enter directly, consider the International Foundation Year (Biological Sciences route, September start); the foundation-year degree versions do not take international students

Transfer students:

• Entry to Year 2 is not described on the course pages; contact admissions first. To change course inside Salford, contact askUS and the new course leader

Sources: University of Salford, School of Science, Engineering and Environment undergraduate courses; Biological Sciences; Marine Biology; Zoology; Wildlife Conservation; Human Biology and Infectious Diseases; Biochemistry; Biological Sciences with Foundation Year; International applicants; Application deadlines; English language requirements; International Foundation Year; Salford and China; International scholarships; Global Gold; Global Silver; Contextual offers; Changing course. Information is for September 2027 entry (2027/28). Check Salford and UCAS for the latest details.