How to Apply to Biology-Related Degrees at the University of Surrey: Biological Sciences, Biochemistry and Biomedical Science BSc Applied for Directly by UCAS Code, Typical Offer ABB–BBB at A-level With Biology or Chemistry Plus Another Science or Maths, an Optional Placement Year, With Requirements for UK, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Biology-related degrees at the University of Surrey are taught on the Stag Hill campus in Guildford by the School of Biosciences. This guide follows Surrey’s course, application, fee, China and scholarship pages for September 2027 entry, for UK applicants, international applicants, applicants studying in China and students hoping to enter the second year. Surrey also offers Nutrition, Nutrition and Dietetics, Veterinary Biosciences and Medical Sciences (Gateway to Graduate Medicine) and other health and medical courses; they are outside this guide, so please check the website.

1. Degrees and UCAS codes

All three course pages say: September 2027 start, full time, Stag Hill campus, subject area Biosciences. Each degree comes as a standard version, a version with a placement year, a version with a foundation year, and a foundation-plus-placement version.

• Biological Sciences BSc (Hons): 7C53 (3 years); with placement 7C54 (4 years); with foundation year 7C55 (4 years); foundation and placement 7C56 (5 years). Year 1 covers cell biology, microbiology, molecular biology and genetics, physiology, evolution and biochemistry; in Year 2 you can focus on animal biology and ecology, cellular and molecular sciences, or infection and immunity, or choose broader modules such as analytical biochemistry, cellular microbiology and neuroscience; Year 3 includes a research project. Fieldwork is offered if you choose the animal biology and ecology focus. Accredited by the Royal Society of Biology, meeting in part the academic and experience requirement for membership and Chartered Biologist (CBiol).
• Biochemistry BSc / MSci (Hons): BSc C700 (3 years); with placement C702; with foundation year C705; foundation and placement C706. MSci C703 (4 years); with placement C704 (5 years). Year 1 compulsory modules include Fundamental Chemistry and Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology and Genetics; in Year 3 you choose five options (for example genetics, immunology, pharmacology, systems biology, toxicology) and complete a research project. The MSci adds a research-focused year with a laboratory-based dissertation. The page says the BSc is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology.
• Biomedical Science BSc / MSci (Hons): BSc B900 (3 years); with placement B902; with foundation year B903; foundation and placement B904. MSci B905 (4 years); with placement B906 (5 years). Year 1 covers bacteriology, biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, human physiology and microbiology; Year 2 has a more clinical focus (pathology, molecular biology, clinical biochemistry, pharmacology); Year 3 has options and a research project. Both BSc and MSci are accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS). The page describes the degree as a recognised route into graduate-entry Medicine courses such as Surrey’s four-year BMBS, but medicine itself is outside this guide.

The first year of the three degrees overlaps heavily (cell biology, microbiology, molecular biology and genetics, physiology, biochemistry); the exact compulsory modules are on each course page. You apply to a specific degree by its UCAS code. Whether you can switch between the three degrees after arriving is not given on the pages used for this guide; check with admissions or the School. Surrey says the modules shown are indicative and may change with teaching availability and class size.

Placement year: Surrey’s Professional Training year lasts about a year, in the UK or abroad. The course pages say 80% of placements are paid and 60% pay between £18,000 and £30,000. The University generally does not place students but offers support and a vacancy site. Biological sciences students have worked in pharmaceutical, food, hospital and biotechnology organisations, in areas such as animal welfare, cancer research, genetics, microbiology and neuroscience research. Surrey also lists exchanges, work and research placements and summer programmes abroad.

2. Prerequisites and entry requirements (2027 entry)

A-level: BSc degrees are ABB–BBB with Biology or Chemistry and a second science or Mathematics. The Biochemistry and Biomedical Science MSci is AAB with the same subjects. The foundation-year versions are CCC with one science subject. GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade 4 (C) or equivalent. General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted; applicants taking the Science Practical Endorsement are expected to pass.

IB: BSc 33–32 points (Biology or Chemistry at HL5/SL6, plus another science or Mathematics at HL5/SL6); MSci 34; foundation-year versions 29 (a science subject HL4/SL6). Language and maths at GCSE level: English A HL4/SL4 or English B HL5/SL6, and Mathematics (either course) HL2/SL2.

Other qualifications: European Baccalaureate 78%–75% for BSc and 82% for MSci; Scottish Highers AABBB–ABBBB for BSc, AAABB for MSci and BBBCC for the foundation year; BTEC Applied Science DDD–DDM for BSc, DDD for MSci and MMM for the foundation year; Access to HE Diploma with relevant subject credits (for BSc 45 Level 3 credits with 30 at Distinction and 15 at Merit, or 27 at Distinction and 18 at Merit; for MSci 39 at Distinction and 6 at Merit); Welsh Baccalaureate combined with two A-levels; T Level in Science with an overall Distinction and at least C in the Core Component for BSc. Details differ slightly between pages (for example the Biological Sciences page has no MSci), so use the page for your course.

EPQ: the course pages say applicants with an A in the EPQ can receive an alternative offer one A-level grade lower than the standard offer; the reduction does not apply to required subjects, can be applied only once, and cannot be combined with contextual offers or In2Surrey.

Admissions tests and interviews: the “Selection process” on these course pages says offers are normally made in terms of grades; the Biochemistry and Biomedical Science pages add that suitable applicants may be invited to an offer-holder event. No admissions test or interview is listed. For anything else, it is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions.

3. UK applicants

Accepted qualifications are listed above: A-level, BTEC, IB, European Baccalaureate, Access to HE, Scottish Highers, Welsh Baccalaureate and T Level. Surrey’s alternative-qualifications page has a table for mixed combinations (for example ABB corresponds to AB+D, A+DD or DDD) and says it is guidance only; contact admissions for mixed combinations.

Contextual offers: for UK-domiciled applicants, made automatically from the information in the UCAS application with nothing extra to submit. Criteria include living in a POLAR4 quintile 1 or IMD quintile 1 area, experience of care, free school meals during secondary school, or being estranged from parents. Surrey says the offer is typically two A-level grades or one BTEC grade lower than the published offer, with subject requirements not reduced; contextual offers are for Home students only. Eligible applicants are also invited to the In2Surrey Transition Programme (June to October) and can get travel support for offer-holder events.

Fees: the course pages give UK fees of £10,050 a year for 2027–28; the placement year is about 20% of UK full-time fees (the page shows £2,010) and the foundation year is £10,050. Surrey says UK fees may rise in line with the government cap. The course pages say only “UK fees” and do not separate fee status for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland; check Surrey’s fee-status guidance and UKCISA.

Support: the Starting at Surrey Bursary is a cash payment for new undergraduates who are shown on their UCAS application as eligible for free school meals; it is identified automatically with no application (foundation-year students are not eligible).

4. International applicants

English: the course pages for these three degrees ask for IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in each other element. The English-language page also lists TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Duolingo English Test and other accepted tests with equivalent scores; validity periods and other details are on that page. Surrey offers 11-week and 8-week pre-sessional English courses if you fall slightly short. Whether undergraduate applicants can be exempt from a test is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions.

Country qualifications: the course pages have a “select your country” tool that loads dynamically; it is not given on the pages used for this guide, so choose your country on the course page.

International Foundation Year: international students who do not meet direct entry can take a foundation year at the Surrey International Study Centre and progress to the degree. The undergraduate application page lists three routes: Business, Economics, Law and Social Sciences; Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences; and Life Sciences. Which route leads to which of these degrees is not given on the pages used for this guide; check the Study Centre website. The biosciences courses also have their own foundation-year versions (Biosciences Foundation Year, CCC at A-level with one science).

Visas: applicants who need a student visa apply for a CAS through CAS Shield after accepting an offer. Changing course during a degree may affect immigration status for students on a student visa.

Scholarships for international students: see section 8.

5. Applicants from China

Gaokao: Surrey’s China page says it accepts the Gaokao for direct entry to Year 1 and gives a conversion to A-level: AAA = 80%, AAB = 78%, ABB = 73%, BBB = 70%, BBC = 68%, BCC = 65%, CCC = 63%. It adds that where a course has a subject requirement, the student should achieve the same percentage in that subject (the example given is Maths for a BBB course needing 70% in Maths). The Senior Secondary School Graduation Certificate and IELTS are required. The table is on the China page and is not converted course by course; the exact Gaokao requirement and subject for these three degrees is not published, so ask admissions.

International Foundation Year: see the previous section; the China page mentions that the Study Centre has a Chinese-language website.

English and contacts: English requirements are as above; the China page says Surrey has a dedicated Chinese-language site and lists contacts such as a regional manager for East Asia. Interview and accreditation-body arrangements for Chinese applicants are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the China page and the Chinese site.

Scholarships: the Vice-Chancellor’s Future Leaders Award (£7,500) is for international students domiciled in listed countries, and China is not on the page’s list; the International Excellence Award (£5,000) is open to self-funded overseas-fee students of any nationality (section 8).

6. How to apply and timeline (September 2027 entry)

Apply only through UCAS; Surrey does not take direct applications. Surrey’s UCAS institution code is S85; the course codes are in section 1. A UCAS application can list up to five courses, and universities cannot see your other choices until you reply to offers. For the UCAS website, fees and references, check UCAS.

• From September: UCAS sends completed applications to universities.
• 13 January 2027, 18:00: the application deadline for most courses; applications received before it get equal consideration, and later ones are considered first come, first served. The 15 October 2026 early deadline applies only to Veterinary Medicine and Science BVMSci and to home applicants to Medicine (Graduate Entry) BMBS, not to these three degrees.
• 25 February 2027: UCAS Extra opens.
• 30 June 2027: Surrey’s final application deadline; later applications are considered through Clearing.
• Deadline to meet offer conditions: 27 August 2027 (TBC) for some courses including Health and Medical Sciences, 3 September 2027 (TBC) for most others; start date 20 September 2027; enrolment deadline for most courses 8 October 2027 (TBC). Which group these degrees fall into is not given on the pages used for this guide; follow your offer letter.

Personal statement: the same statement goes to every choice, so do not name a university. Deferral: the FAQ says deferral is not possible for Health Sciences, Medicine and Veterinary Medicine and Science courses; for other courses, ask admissions by 3 September 2027. Whether these three degrees can be deferred is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions.

7. How applications are assessed

After UCAS sends your application, Surrey normally emails within 24 hours with a University Number and a Surrey Self-Service link (the page says the confirmation email should arrive within five days; check junk mail if not). Initial screening against the published criteria, plus the personal statement and reference, aims to finish within two weeks; an academic referral can add up to a week; some courses invite applicants to a selection event. Surrey normally decides by the end of March, and the final UCAS deadline for universities to decide is early May.

Offers are conditional or unconditional. Conditional offers usually require the stated grades and English level, with evidence normally due by 3 September (earlier for some courses). Results are taken from UCAS; qualifications not on the UCAS list should be uploaded to Surrey Self-Service.

8. Fees and scholarships

International tuition (2027–28): the course pages for all three degrees show Overseas fees of £28,100 a year (the same for foundation year and MSci); the placement year is £2,010. The fees page says overseas undergraduate fees rise by 4% for each subsequent year of study, rounded up to the nearest £100, and UK fees may rise with the government cap. The course pages also list a laboratory equipment pack of about £24. Students without a tuition fee loan can pay in full or in two instalments (50% within 10 days of the invoice date and 50% in January).

International Excellence Award: a £5,000 fee waiver for the first year only, for self-funded overseas-fee students of any nationality. You must hold an offer for a full-time bachelor’s degree (first-year entry), have Surrey as your UCAS firm choice (Clearing applicants can apply too), have applied through UCAS by 30 June 2027, and apply before a CAS is issued. Applications are reviewed monthly, first come, first served; for September 2027 they close on 24 August 2027; the panel looks at previous results, predicted grades and the personal statement. It cannot be combined with other Surrey scholarships, cannot be deferred, is not open to Surrey International Study Centre students, and Clearing applicants need at least ABB or equivalent. You must apply; it is not automatic.

Vice-Chancellor’s Future Leaders Award: a £7,500 fee waiver for self-funded international students domiciled in listed countries (including Algeria, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Kenya, Vietnam and South Africa); China is not on the list. It must also be applied for before a CAS is issued.

9. Transfers and second-year entry

Surrey’s transfer page says it considers second-year entry on many undergraduate programmes and asks applicants to contact admissions about their programme. The FAQ says you would need at least a 2:1 in your current studies and must submit a full application through UCAS. Conditions include available places, meeting the entry requirements, and previous content that maps to the target programme. For applicants who need a student visa, the page says Surrey may not be able to consider the application, so contact admissions first. Recognition of prior learning normally applies to learning completed within five years of the application. Whether these three degrees accept second-year entry is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions and the School of Biosciences. Internal course changes depend on places, academic approval and the entry requirements of the new course.

Checklist

UK applicants

• Apply through UCAS (S85) with the course code; typical A-level ABB–BBB (Biology or Chemistry plus another science or Maths); equal consideration for applications by 13 January 2027, 18:00
• UK fees £10,050 a year; contextual offers (two A-level grades lower) if you qualify

International applicants (including China)

• IB 33–32 or A-level; applicants from China can use the Gaokao (conversion table on the China page) with the graduation certificate and IELTS, or the Life Sciences International Foundation Year
• IELTS 6.5 (6.0 in writing); international fees £28,100 a year; International Excellence Award £5,000, apply before a CAS is issued, closing 24 August 2027

Transfer students

• At least a 2:1 in current studies and comparable modules; apply through UCAS; contact admissions first if you need a student visa

Sources: Surrey website Biological Sciences; Biochemistry; Biomedical Science; undergraduate application; application timeline; how to apply through UCAS; after you apply; your offer; FAQs; contextual offers; alternative qualifications; student transfers; English language requirements; 2027 undergraduate tuition fees; China page; China entry requirements; International Excellence Award; Vice-Chancellor’s Future Leaders Award; Starting at Surrey Bursary. This is for September 2027 entry; the FAQ page’s policies and dates may relate to the 2026 application cycle, so the university website is the final authority.