How to apply for chemistry at the University of Sheffield: BSc (3 years) and MChem (4 years) in Chemistry and in Chemistry with Biological and Medicinal Chemistry, all Royal Society of Chemistry accredited, standard A-level offer AAB including Chemistry, gaokao accepted – how UK, international (including Chinese) and transfer applicants are admitted and what you need to have studied

The University of Sheffield is in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Chemistry is taught in the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. This guide sets out what you need to know for September 2027 entry (2027-28) from Sheffield’s own pages, for UK applicants, international applicants (including students from China) and students who want to transfer in.

1. The degrees and how you are admitted

The School’s chemistry undergraduate courses page lists four undergraduate degrees for 2027-28 entry:

• You apply directly to a specific course with its own UCAS code; the BSc and MChem have separate codes. The Chemistry BSc page says you can specialise through optional modules in years two and three, in areas such as sustainable chemistry and biological and medicinal chemistry. The course pages do not say how you can move between BSc and MChem, or between standard Chemistry and the Biological and Medicinal Chemistry route, after enrolling; ask the School.
• MChem versus BSc: the MChem adds a fourth year. Its page says that in year four you can specialise through more in-depth optional modules (for example materials chemistry, catalysis and chemistry of light; the biological and medicinal route names pharmacology, medicinal chemistry and drug design) and spend most of the year on your own research project in a research group. On the BSc, year three includes a group research project.
• Accreditation: the School’s page says all the courses are accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). The BSc pages say the accreditation leads towards meeting the academic criteria for Chartered Chemist (CChem); the MChem pages say it fully meets those criteria.
• First year (core modules named on the course pages): Fundamentals of Chemistry 1 (40 credits), Fundamentals of Chemistry 2 (40 credits), Essential Skills for Chemists (20 credits; covers fundamental physics and mathematics, data analysis, computing and using the literature) and “The chemical world around us: from biological chemistry to sustainability” (20 credits). Laboratory work starts in the first year. The Biological and Medicinal Chemistry pages add that this route covers biological and medicinal chemistry in its core teaching and uses industry-standard commercial software.
• Years two and three (examples named on the pages, which say modules may change): year two core includes Chemistry Lab and Skills (40 credits), Chemical Structure and Reactivity, Measurement and Modelling of Chemical Systems and Further Core Chemistry, plus one of Biological Chemistry or Introduction to Sustainable Chemistry; year three core includes Mathematical and Physical Sciences Projects and Professional Skills (40 credits), Advanced Organic, Physical and Inorganic Chemistry, plus one option such as Sustainable Energy Technologies and Systems, Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology or Digital Chemistry.
• Placement year, time abroad and summer research: the course pages say you may add an optional industrial placement year (three years become four, four become five); you apply for placements, and the page names organisations such as AstraZeneca, EDF Energy, GSK and PepsiCo. You can also apply to add a year abroad, usually between years two and three, with over 250 partner universities. The Sheffield Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) scheme offers paid summer research in a research group.
• Outside the scope of this guide: chemical engineering, materials and biomedical engineering sit in the School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering and are not covered here; check the website.

2. What you need to have studied

• A-levels: the standard requirement for all four degrees is AAB including Chemistry; the course pages do not state the grade required in Chemistry, so ask the School. If you are taking four A-levels or a fourth Level 3 qualification, the alternatives are ABB (including Chemistry) plus B in the EPQ, or ABB (including Chemistry) plus A in an AS or B in A-level Further Mathematics. Mathematics and Physics are not listed as required.
• GCSE: Mathematics grade 6/B (English: see the English language requirement below).
• IB: 34 points with 5 in Higher Level Chemistry; or 33 points with 5 in Higher Level Chemistry and a B in the Extended Essay.
• BTEC: Extended Diploma DDD in Applied Science (Basic, Analytical and Forensic Science or Physical Science streams only) including specific Chemistry units (Applications of Inorganic Chemistry, Applications of Organic Chemistry, Industrial Chemical Reactions and Practical Chemical Analysis); Diploma DD in Applied Science plus A in A-level Chemistry.
• Scottish, Welsh and Access to HE: Scottish Highers plus Advanced Higher(s) AAABB with B in Chemistry (the Biological and Medicinal Chemistry pages say one Advanced Higher); Welsh Baccalaureate plus two A-levels B + AA including Chemistry; Access to HE Diploma in a relevant subject with enough Chemistry units, 45 Level 3 credits with 36 at Distinction and 9 at Merit, a syllabus required, considered individually.
• Entrance tests and interviews: not mentioned on the chemistry course pages read.
• Access Sheffield offer: the course pages list lower conditions, for example A-level ABB including Chemistry or IB 33 with 5 in Higher Level Chemistry, for applicants with Home fee status; see below.

3. How and when to apply

• How to apply: the application page says undergraduate applications go through UCAS; Sheffield’s UCAS code is S18 SHEFD and there is no campus code. For the UCAS fee, check the UCAS website; the amount is not given on the pages used for this guide. All undergraduate degrees start in September; there is no January or February intake.
• Timeline for September 2027 entry: applications submitted between 1 September 2026 and 13 January 2027 are guaranteed equal consideration; those submitted between 14 January and 30 June 2027 get further consideration, but Sheffield may not be able to consider them if the course is full (Medicine and Dentistry have different dates and are not covered here).
• How applications are assessed: the assessment page says applications are judged mainly on completed and predicted results, together with the personal statement, reference and contextual data. For most courses interviews are not required; the courses that interview include Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Orthoptics, Pharmacy and Speech and Language Therapy, and other schools may also interview. The chemistry course pages read for this guide do not mention an interview. Some schools do not begin considering applications until after the 15 January deadline.
• Decisions: Sheffield says it processes decisions as quickly as it can, with possible delays around the January deadline; decisions go to UCAS (see the UCAS Hub) and you also get an email. Unconditional offers are made only to applicants who have already met all academic requirements; conditional offers are normally based on three A-levels or equivalent.
• Deferred entry: Sheffield welcomes applications for deferred entry, considered under the conditions of the UCAS year in which you apply.

4. Fees and scholarships (2027/28)

• Home students: the undergraduate fees page says the standard annual full-time fee for Home students starting in 2027 is £10,050; it may rise each year in line with inflation (RPIX).
• International (Overseas) students: the overseas undergraduate fees page says that for 2027/28 new full-time overseas undergraduates pay between £27,650 and £34,670 a year (Medicine and Dentistry excepted). The fee for a particular course comes from Sheffield’s fee look-up tool, which was not used for this guide; check the website. The international tuition fees page describes a fixed-fee guarantee for courses longer than one year: you pay the same annual fee as in your first year as long as you stay on the same course; if you change course the fee may differ.
• Placement and year-abroad fees: the overseas fees page says students starting in 2027/28 pay 20% of the full-time fee in an industrial placement year and 15% in a year abroad.
• International scholarship: the international undergraduate scholarship page describes £2,500 for each year of the degree (subject to an average of 60% or above and at least 120 credits in the previous year), up to £10,000 for four-year programmes, awarded automatically as a fee discount with no separate application, to self-funded students paying overseas fees. That page is written for September 2026 entry: it required you to choose Sheffield as your firm or insurance choice by 4pm UK time on 3 June 2026, and says the application deadline has passed. Whether the same scholarship exists for 2027 entry, and on what terms, is not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website. It cannot be combined with other University scholarships or discounts, or with external sponsor funding (other than a loan that must be repaid in full).

International applicants

• English: the chemistry course pages ask for GCSE English Language at grade 4/C, or IELTS 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component, or another acceptable English language qualification. The English language page gives matching scores for its “Standard” level: PTE Academic (including UKVI) 61 overall with 56 in each component; LanguageCert Academic 70 overall with 65 in each; TOEFL iBT 88 overall with minimum section scores; Cambridge, Oxford and Trinity tests are also listed. Tests should have been taken no more than two years before the start date; the page says IELTS General Training and PTE Academic Online are not accepted. If your English is not yet at the level, the University’s English Language Teaching Centre offers pre-sessional courses.
• Grades and credentials: the international qualifications page gives tables converting overseas qualifications to A-level grades, and says courses differ in which qualifications they accept and that meeting the requirements does not guarantee an offer. Chinese qualifications are covered in the next section.
• Funds and visa: not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website and the UK government Student visa pages.
• Pathway programmes: the course pages say international applicants who do not meet the entry requirements can apply for the International Foundation Year in Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield International College, and progress to degree study on successful completion. Its entry requirements, fees and linked degrees are on the International College’s own website, which was not read for this guide; check the website. The foundation page also lists a foundation year in Business, Social Sciences and Humanities.
• Contextual offers: the Access Sheffield page says you must have Home fee status to benefit from a contextual offer (one to three grades below the standard requirement).

Applicants from China

• Gaokao is accepted for direct entry: the China qualifications page says “We accept the Gaokao for direct entry to our undergraduate programmes”. Its rule: for courses with A-level grades of AAA or above you need an overall score equivalent to at least 75% of the total marks available; for AAB to ABB, at least 70%; for BBB to BBC, at least 65%. Where a course has individual subject requirements, you must reach the required score in that subject taken as part of the Gaokao (typically Maths and/or a science subject): A-level grade A means 75% of the total marks in the Gaokao subject, B means 70% and C means 65%. On that table a course whose headline level is AAB falls in the 70% band; the course pages say only “including Chemistry” without a grade, and the China page does not say which band applies to the Chemistry subject score, so confirm with the China Team.
• Chinese Senior High School Certificate (高中毕业证): the page says applicants who hold only the 3-year certificate need to complete a recognised foundation programme (预科) to be considered for first-year entry; contact the China Team to check whether your foundation programme is acceptable.
• Pathway programmes: the page lists the International Foundation Year and International Year One at the University of Sheffield International College, and the NCUK International Foundation Year and International Year One offered across China; NCUK IFY graduates with the required grades are considered for first-year entry.
• Other Chinese qualifications: applicants who have completed the first year of a four-year Chinese bachelor’s degree are considered for first-year entry; holders of a three-year university diploma (大专) are considered for direct entry to the second year of Sheffield undergraduate courses (a general statement; see the transfer section for whether it applies to chemistry); applicants with three A-levels or the IB Diploma are considered for direct admission.
• English: the China page gives a general undergraduate minimum of IELTS 6.0 or equivalent and says some departments require more; the chemistry course pages ask for 6.5 (6.0 in each component), so go by the course page.

Transfer students

• Direct entry to Year 2: the application page says Sheffield is happy to consider applications for the second year; you should normally meet the course’s standard A-level requirements (or equivalent) and show you have successfully completed a programme of study it deems equivalent to the first year, and it may ask for syllabuses. It also says some academic schools do not accept any transfers into Year 2. The chemistry course pages read do not say whether Chemistry accepts transfers into Year 2; ask the School.
• Chinese three-year diploma: the China page says holders of a three-year diploma (大专) are considered for direct entry to the second year; the course pages read do not say whether that applies to chemistry, so ask the School.

Checklist

UK applicants:

• All four degrees: A-level AAB including Chemistry (or IB 34 with 5 in HL Chemistry); GCSE Mathematics 6/B and English 4/C
• Apply through UCAS with code S18 SHEFD and course code F100, F105, F112 or C720; applications by 13 January 2027 get equal consideration
• Home fee £10,050 a year for 2027 entry; check the lower Access Sheffield conditions if you are eligible

International applicants (including China):

• Apply through UCAS; IELTS 6.5 with 6.0 in each component (the China page’s general minimum is 6.0; go by the course page)
• The gaokao is accepted for direct entry; the percentage bands are set out above, and the exact Chemistry subject score should be confirmed with the China Team
• Fees for 2027/28 are between £27,650 and £34,670 a year, with the figure for this course from Sheffield’s fee look-up tool; the international scholarship page is written for 2026 entry
• If you hold only the senior high school certificate you need a foundation programme first; the International College’s Science and Engineering International Foundation Year is the route named for those who miss the requirements

Transfer students:

• Year 2 entry needs the standard A-level requirements and a first year judged equivalent; whether Chemistry accepts transfers is not published, so contact the School first

Sources: University of Sheffield, Chemistry undergraduate courses; Chemistry BSc; Chemistry MChem; Chemistry with Biological and Medicinal Chemistry BSc; Chemistry with Biological and Medicinal Chemistry MChem; Application; Assessment; English language; International qualifications; Undergraduate fees; Overseas fees; International tuition fees; International undergraduate scholarship; Foundation programmes; China qualifications; Access Sheffield. Information is for September 2027 entry (2027-28). Check Sheffield and UCAS for the latest details.