Duration: 4 years full-time with integrated placement year
Start date: September
UCAS Code: C700
For 2020 entry:
- UK / EU students: £9,250 per year
- International students: £18,900* per year
Explore the costs involved in university and the financial support that may be available to you.
* Tuition fees are reviewed annually and may increase in subsequent years in line with inflation linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI) to take account of the University’s increased costs of delivering the Programme. When undertaking a placement year a placement year fee applies.
Admissions Review Process: All candidates are considered on an individual basis and the whole application is reviewed which includes previous and predicted qualifications, any experience, references and motivation. Whilst the grades listed here are our entry requirements, we understand that predicted grades are only an estimate. We will therefore consider applicants with lower predicted grades if the application is of a high standard which includes a strong personal statement and academic reference. However, any offer made will not be lower than stated below. Whilst we normally look for evidence of recent study (which we define as the past 3 years), we also welcome applications from mature students who have achieved grades up to 10 years old, which will be considered on a case by case scenario. You will be required to make a full UCAS application which lists your education and work history up to the time of application along with sufficient references. Find out more about our admissions policy.
Applicant Visit Days: Students who receive an offer will be invited to an Applicant Visit Day to discover more about the course and Aston University.
Typical offers
GCSEs: Five GCSEs which must include Mathematics and English Language all at grade C/4. Please note we do not accept Key skills or Functional skills in place of these.
A Levels:
- BBB in three A level subjects which must include Biology and Chemistry
- BBC in three A level subjects which must include Biology and Chemistry plus B in an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) or Core Maths.
- BCC in three A level subjects which must include Biology and Chemistry for contextual offer students.
Excluded Subjects: We welcome the following subjects as an additional A level, but not as one of the core three A levels - General Studies, Critical Thinking, Citizenship Studies.
We welcome applications from students who have tried to improve their examination grades by taking resits and only your latest grades will be accepted. We treat these applications in exactly the same way as other applications.
BTEC:We welcome BTEC qualifications in any subject which are taken with the relevant A Level subjects as listed below. Contextual offer applicants need to achieve a grade C as listed below.
BTEC qualification name |
BTEC grades required |
A Level requirements |
Extended Diploma (QCF/National) |
Distinction, Distinction, Distinction (DDD) |
With this BTEC you must also achieve a grade BB in both Biology AND Chemistry.
If this BTEC is being taken in Applied Science you must achieve a grade B in A Level Chemistry.
|
Diploma (QCF)
National Diploma
|
Distinction, Distinction (DD) |
With this BTEC you must also achieve a grade BB in both Biology AND Chemistry.
If this BTEC is being taken in Applied Science you must achieve a grade B in A Level Chemistry.
|
Subsidiary Diploma (QCF)
National Extended Certificate
|
Distinction (D) |
With this BTEC you must also achieve grades BB in both A Level Biology AND Chemistry.
|
90 Credit Diploma (QCF) |
Distinction, Distinction (DD) |
With this BTEC you must also achieve grades BB in both A Level Biology AND Chemistry.
|
National Foundation Diploma |
Distinction (D) |
With this BTEC you must also achieve grades BB in both A Level Biology AND Chemistry.
|
International Baccalaureate Diploma: 31 points overall and must include grades 5, 5, 5 in Higher Level subjects which must include Biology and Chemistry. You must also have Standard Level grade 5 in both Mathematics and English Language.
Access to Higher Education: We accept the QAA-recognised Access Diploma which must consist of 45 credits at Level 3. You must obtain a minimum of 30 distinction and the rest must be at merit or distinction. Please note that we do not accept the English and Maths components within the Access qualification and you must meet the GCSE entry requirement. Subjects Accepted: Applied Science, Biology combined with Chemistry, Biomedical Science, Biosciences, Combined Sciences, Health Sciences, Health Sciences Professions, Life Sciences and Sciences.
Foundation Programme in Science (Aston University): For students with good A level (or equivalent) grades, but who narrowly miss our standard requirements, it is also possible to gain entry to this course by completing the Foundation Programme in Science at Aston University.
International students
International qualifications: Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to provide evidence of an English language qualification. Find out more about our English language requirements. International students can discover more about the qualifications we accept on our international pages.
International Foundation Programme in Science (Aston University): For international students without equivalent qualifications, it is also possible to gain entry to this course by completing an International Foundation Programme. International applicants expected to gain foundation diplomas from other providers are welcomed and will be considered on a case by case basis.
Alternative qualifications
The information contained on this website details the typical entry requirements for this course for the most commonly offered qualifications. Applicants with alternative qualifications may wish to enquire with the relevant admissions teams prior to application whether or not their qualifications are deemed acceptable. For less commonly encountered qualifications this will be judged on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the academic admissions tutor.
Degree: We consider applicants for year 1 entry who are undertaking a degree in a related field elsewhere. You must meet the GCSEs and A level (or equivalent) requirements as listed. Alongside this you must have gained (or be expected to gain) 60% overall and 120 credits with no fails at another recognised university. In order to be considered you will need to submit a UCAS application as we do not accept direct applications and this must include an academic reference.
Please note that second year transfers are not part of the standard admissions process and is up the discretion of the admissions team and tutor. Applications are only considered if there is space on that year of the programme. Typically, applicants for second year entry must meet the GCSEs and A level (or equivalent) requirements as listed. Alongside this you must have gained (or be expected to gain) 60% overall and 120 credits with no fails on an equivalent programme at another recognised university. The equivalency of the programme is reviewed by the Admissions Tutor and you will be required to provide an official copy of the programme specification of this. It is also expected that you have not previously attempted the second year of a programme elsewhere. In order to be considered you will need to submit a UCAS application as we do not accept direct applications and this must include an academic reference.
External Foundation Programmes from another University: We consider external foundation programmes for entry into our year 1 programmes on a case-by-case basis. We will always require applicants to have met the following criteria prior to application:
- 5 GCSE’s at grade C/4 or above including Maths and English.
- CCC at A-Level
If you meet the above pre-requisite qualifications, we will be required to review the programme specification of your foundation programme. After we have reviewed the programme specification a decision will be made. Any conditional offers made will be based on meeting a specific grade in your foundation programme.