How to Apply to Chemistry at the University of St Andrews: Four-Year Chemistry BSc and Five-Year MChem, Standard Entry of A Level AAA Including Chemistry or IB 38 for International Applicants, and Admissions and Prerequisites for UK, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Chemistry at the University of St Andrews in Scotland is taught by the School of Chemistry, and the course pages say all single Honours chemistry degrees are accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). Scottish undergraduate degrees normally take four years: the first two (sub-honours) years combine chemistry with other subjects, and the last two (Honours) years specialise. This guide sets out the key points for September 2027 entry from the course pages, for UK applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer and direct-entry applicants. The course pages are marked 2027 entry.

1. The chemistry degrees listed

• Chemistry BSc (Hons): UCAS F100, four years full time. Years one and two cover organic, inorganic and physical chemistry; Honours years offer advanced modules (the page gives examples such as Blockbuster Solids, Energy Conversion and Storage, and Fragrance, Food and Colour Chemistry) and a fourth-year research project.
• Chemistry MChem (Hons): UCAS F101 (the version with an external placement is F102), a five-year integrated masters leading to a Master in Chemistry, which the page describes as suited to those intending to enter the chemical sector or go on to postgraduate study.
• Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry BSc: F150, four years, focused on the interface of chemistry with biology and medicine; an MChem version is also listed but not covered here.
• Chemical Sciences BSc: F105, four years, allowing a small component of non-chemistry subjects at Honours level (examples on the page include science communication and teaching, psychology, management or economics), aimed at careers that use a strong science base outside research. The page shows no RSC accreditation statement; check the website.
• Materials Chemistry BSc: F201, four years, on the links between composition, structure, microstructure and properties of matter; an MChem version is also listed but not covered here.
• Joint and “with” degrees: the chemistry pages list Biology and Chemistry BSc (C761), Chemistry and Earth Sciences BSc (FF16), Chemistry and Mathematics BSc (FG11), Chemistry and Physics (FF13, a Master in Science), several Chemistry with French versions (F1R1, F1RA, F1RC, F1RD) and Chemistry with Mathematics MChem (F1G1). For joint degrees the subject with the higher entry requirements normally sets the grades; the Chemistry with French BSc has different requirements; see each page.
• Accreditation: the pages say all single Honours chemistry degrees are accredited by the RSC; what that means in practice is not given on these pages, so 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, F101 and so on). In year one you must study two further subjects alongside chemistry; in year two you usually continue at least one, sometimes two. In Honours (years three and four) students take four to six chemistry modules per semester.
• The BSc page says chemistry can also be taken as a five-year integrated masters (the MChem). The conditions and timing for moving from BSc to MChem after starting are not given on these pages; ask the School of Chemistry (chemistry@st-andrews.ac.uk).
• Whether you can switch between the chemistry routes (general chemistry, medicinal chemistry, chemical sciences, materials chemistry) after starting is not stated; ask the School.

3. Prerequisites and entry grades (2027 entry)

St Andrews sets three levels for each course: Standard, Minimum and Gateway. The UCAS page says applicants from countries and territories outside the UK should use the Standard requirements, while UK applicants use the university’s qualification indicator to see which level applies. The following is the same on the Chemistry BSc, MChem, Medicinal Chemistry BSc, Chemical Sciences BSc and Materials Chemistry BSc pages:

• A Level: Standard AAA including an A in Chemistry; Minimum ABB including an A in Chemistry.
• IB: Standard 38 points (HL 6,6,6) including HL6 in Chemistry and HL6 in one of Biology, Computer Science, Economics, Geography, Mathematics or Physics; Minimum 36 points (HL 6,5,5) including HL6 in Chemistry and HL5 in one of those subjects.
• SQA Highers: Standard AAAAB including an A in Chemistry and an A in one of Biology (or Human Biology), Computing Science, Economics, Geography, Mathematics or Physics; Minimum AABB with the same subjects.
• Gateway: applicants who have narrowly missed the Minimum grades but meet the university’s contextual criteria may be interested in the Gateway to Science programme.
• General entry requirements (all applicants): GCSE (grade 5) in English language or English literature plus one GCSE (grade 5) from Biology, Chemistry, Computing Science, Geography, Mathematics, Physics or Psychology; the SQA equivalent is National 5 (B) in English plus one listed subject. The pages say you must have studied Chemistry at SQA Higher, A Level, IB Higher Level or equivalent, and that preference may be given to candidates with strong science qualifications.
• The pages say a wide range of other qualifications is accepted; see the university’s entry requirements pages for your country.
• Admissions tests or interviews: the application page says most applicants are not interviewed; the exceptions are Medicine, supported pathway programmes and part-time study. Chemistry is not among them.

4. Course structure and laboratory work

• Year one: Inorganic and Physical Chemistry 1, Introductory Inorganic and Physical Chemistry and Organic and Biological Chemistry 1, covering bonding, the periodic table and atomic structure, thermodynamics and kinetics, organic functional groups and reaction mechanisms, organic spectroscopy and mathematical tools for chemistry.
• Year two: Inorganic Chemistry 2, Organic Chemistry 2 and Physical Chemistry 2 (quantum mechanics, thermodynamics and electrochemistry, kinetics, molecular spectroscopy and diffraction).
• Honours: years three and four offer advanced options from physical inorganic chemistry to the quantum theory of atoms, molecules and solids; in the BSc, year four includes a research project in one of the School’s research groups on a topic chosen with staff. The MChem fifth year has advanced research-led modules (examples on the page include Advanced Spectroscopic Methods, Asymmetric Synthesis, Chemical Biology and Homogeneous Catalysis) and a substantial research project.
• Teaching and assessment: lectures of 80 to over 200 students, labs of 20 to 50 and tutorials of 5 to 10; all sub-honours modules are assessed 60% to 70% by written exams and 30% to 40% by coursework (laboratories, tutorials and transferable skills); Honours lecture modules use written exams, while laboratory, workshop and project modules use coursework including reports, presentations and oral exams. The pass mark for a module is 7.0 on the St Andrews 20-point scale, and entry to Honours requires meeting the university’s requisites.
• Cost note: the School charges no extra laboratory fees, but students provide their own lab coat and lab book and buy some textbooks under university policy.
• The page notes that modules and content may change each year; check the module catalogue.

5. MChem external placement and time abroad

• External placement (F102): in the fourth year of the MChem you can apply for a placement of up to 12 months in a leading industrial laboratory in the UK or overseas, typically in a research and development group, and you may receive a salary; the placement can also be at an overseas academic institution. The School helps with CV preparation, interview technique and applications. Companies listed as recent placement hosts include AstraZeneca, BASF, BP, DSM, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck KGaA, Mondelez, Novartis, Procter and Gamble, Roche and Syngenta. You can also complete the MChem without a placement, taking lectures and practical modules in year four (including a Research Skills lab and a Scientific Writing module).
• Fee in the placement year: the page says that if you take the external placement you are charged your normal tuition fee for a full academic year in year four; students funded by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) can get a half tuition fee grant and students funded by the Student Loans Company (SLC) a half tuition fee loan. How the overseas fee is treated in the placement year is not stated on the page; ask the university.
• Time abroad: chemistry students can apply for the university-wide St Andrews Abroad programme; chemistry students can only spend a full academic year abroad, and semester placements are not available.
• How placements are found and whether one is guaranteed is not stated; ask the School of Chemistry.

6. Fees and funding

• The chemistry course pages list annual fees of: Scotland: to be confirmed by the Scottish Government; England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man: £10,050 (to be confirmed by the UK Government); EU and overseas: £34,910.
• The university’s international fees page also says tuition fees for 2026-2027 in the Faculties of Arts, Divinity and Science are £33,250 for overseas students, and that fees are adjusted each year, typically by 3% to 5%. That figure is for the earlier year and sits alongside the £34,910 on the 2027-entry course pages; follow the course page and your offer.
• Scholarships: the university offers scholarships and bursaries, which you can view after applying under “My Scholarships and Funding” in My Application; it advises not to wait for an offer before applying for a scholarship. Chemistry-specific scholarships are not listed on the pages used for this guide; use the scholarship search by subject.

7. How and when to apply

• Route: UCAS (the university’s UCAS name is STA and its institution number is S36). Overseas students may also apply through the Common Application or the university’s Direct Application; either counts as one of your five UK choices, and the transfer page says overseas students can use the direct application only if St Andrews is their only UK choice.
• Deadline: the UCAS page gives the date for full and equal consideration for all undergraduate courses other than Medicine as 6pm (GMT) on Wednesday 13 January 2027; it adds that international applications may still be considered after that date where places remain, and later applications are assessed according to subject and course availability.
• Personal statement and reference: the UCAS personal statement answers three questions; a reference is required and applications without one are incomplete. The university may request supporting documents at any stage, to be submitted directly through My Application or myapplication@st-andrews.ac.uk; for the 2027 cycle the page says documents uploaded to UCAS are not an official submission route.
• Decision timing: applications received by the equal consideration deadline receive a decision by May of the application year.
• The UCAS application fee is not stated on these pages; check UCAS.

8. UK applicants

• Fee status: the university classes applicants as Home (Scotland), RUK (rest of the UK) or Overseas for fee purposes, with guidance from UKCISA. Scottish students normally living in Scotland can have tuition fees paid by the Scottish Government through SAAS if they are full time and taking a first degree; the Scottish fee for 2025-2026 was £1,820 and the 2026-2027 figure is to be confirmed. Scottish students can also apply for student loans and government bursaries, depending on family income.
• England, Wales and Northern Ireland: the course pages list £10,050 (to be confirmed by the UK Government); scholarships and bursaries are in the scholarship search.
• Qualifications: A Level, IB and Highers requirements are in section 3; UK applicants use the qualification indicator to see whether Standard or Minimum applies. The chemistry pages say a wide range of other qualifications is accepted; whether BTEC or T Levels are accepted is not stated on the course pages, so see the university’s entry requirements pages.
• Contextual data: the application page says that for Home and RUK fee status the university considers context such as location, resits and extenuating circumstances; the Minimum and Gateway routes relate to this. See the university’s “Academic entry explained” page for the criteria.

9. International applicants

• Grades: Standard applies: for chemistry A Level AAA including an A in Chemistry, or IB 38 points (HL 6,6,6) including HL6 in Chemistry. For other countries’ qualifications, see the university’s entry requirements pages by country.
• English: the university says whether you need a test score depends on your background: UK nationals and nationals of UKVI majority English-speaking countries, applicants with a qualifying English-medium school-leaving qualification (including at least one subject with a substantial component of writing in English), and those who complete a St Andrews International Foundation programme at the required score do not normally need one; others must submit a valid score. The profile for the Faculty of Science is Profile 7-D; the accepted tests and scores are on that profile page, which is not covered here, so check the university’s English language pages. Scores are normally accepted if obtained within two years of the start. You can apply before you have a score; it becomes part of a conditional offer, and the university may recommend or require a 10-week or 4-week pre-sessional course.
• Visa English: the university says UKVI requires a Secure English Language Test (SELT), and the English evidence the university accepts may not be accepted by UKVI, so a visa needs an approved SELT.
• Proof of funds: the international students page says you must show sufficient funds to complete your studies when you apply for a student visa; fees can be paid online in advance or at matriculation, with instalments possible.
• International Foundation programmes: these are for international students who do not yet meet direct-entry requirements; which chemistry degrees they lead to, and their requirements and fees, are not given on the pages used for this guide, so check the university’s foundation pages.
• The university says its funding includes international scholarships covering full or partial tuition fees; the names, amounts and eligibility are not given on the pages used for this guide, so use the scholarship search (filterable by country and subject).

10. Applicants from China

• St Andrews has a page for applicants from China (China entry requirements). For applicants with a Chinese national school leaving certificate, the university also expects one of the following: an International Foundation programme certificate; the US curriculum (school transcript with A to B+ grades plus, for example, three AP subjects at 4 or above with 5 in required subjects, SAT 1320 or ACT 28+); IB 36 points (HL 6,6,5) to 38 (HL 6,6,6 plus SL 6,6,6); A Levels AAB to A*A*A; or SQA Highers AAAB to AAAAB. You must also meet the general and subject requirements on the course page.
• Gaokao: that page does not mention using Gaokao results on their own for undergraduate applications and gives no Gaokao conversion; whether it is accepted and how it is converted is not published, so ask the admissions team in writing (china@st-andrews.ac.uk). The chemistry subject requirement (an A in Chemistry) is on the course pages.
• Interviews, transcripts and school-leaving (huikao) documents: the application page says most students are not interviewed; the document lists for transcripts and school-leaving certificates are not published on the pages used for this guide, so contact the admissions team.
• Agents and contacts: the university says it works with agents in mainland China including IDP, ISA, JESIE, Liu Cheng and UKEC, and has a representative for China (china@st-andrews.ac.uk). Using an agent is your own decision.
• The China Scholarship Council collaboration funds PhD students and does not apply to undergraduates.

11. Transfers and direct entry to year two

• Direct entry to year two: well-qualified school leavers may apply for direct entry into the second year of some Faculty of Science degrees, earning a BSc Honours in three years instead of four, or an integrated masters such as the MChem in four years instead of five. The page says this route is particularly popular with Physics and Chemistry applicants but reduces the flexibility of course and module choice usually found in the St Andrews Honours programme; Chemistry BSc, MChem, Medicinal Chemistry, Chemical Sciences and Materials Chemistry are all on the list. The page says the additional entry requirements are on the course pages, but the chemistry course pages used here only say that well-qualified school leavers may be able to apply, so the extra grades are not published there; ask the School of Chemistry.
• Transfer from another university: the university accepts a small number of transfer students each year; places are limited and competitive, and applicants usually need an exceptional academic record and a valid reason for transferring. You must already meet the minimum grades and subject requirements of the course, and you cannot transfer into the final year of a four-year degree or into Medicine. Your personal statement must explain why you want to transfer, and you must send directly to myapplication@st-andrews.ac.uk a second academic reference, a detailed transcript from your current university (with an explanation of any non-standard grading), a high school transcript with final-year grades if you are an international student, and your syllabus so the university can work out which courses match its degree and transfer credits where possible. The deadline is the same, 13 January 2027; places are rarely available after it, and international applications after that date may be waitlisted.

Checklist

UK applicants:

• Standard: A Level AAA including an A in Chemistry (Minimum ABB); Highers AAAAB including an A in Chemistry; use the qualification indicator to see which level applies
• UCAS code S36 and course codes such as F100 and F101; submit by 6pm UK time on 13 January 2027

International applicants:

• Standard: A Level AAA including an A in Chemistry, or IB 38 points (HL 6,6,6) including HL6 in Chemistry; English Profile 7-D, and a SELT for the visa
• Overseas fee on the course pages £34,910 a year; send supplementary documents directly to myapplication@st-andrews.ac.uk

Applicants from China:

• Alongside the school leaving certificate, have one of IB, A Levels, an International Foundation certificate or US curriculum results; ask china@st-andrews.ac.uk in writing whether the Gaokao can be used

Transfer and year-two entry:

• Transfer: transcripts, syllabus and a second reference; no transfer into the final year; ask the School of Chemistry about the extra grades for direct entry to year two

Sources: University of St Andrews, Chemistry BSc; Chemistry MChem; Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry BSc; Chemical Sciences BSc; Materials Chemistry BSc; Undergraduate application page; Applying through UCAS; Transfer students; Direct entry into second year; China entry requirements; Undergraduate English language requirements; Fees for international students. The course pages are marked 2027 entry; check that any other undated information applies to 2027 entry. Check St Andrews and UCAS for the latest details.