“Studying at St Andrews has given me much more than just education. It has instantly given me the feeling of home and it never ceases to amaze me how much the University cares about the wellbeing of the students. Thanks to the flexibility of the schedules, I was able to engage in other sciences besides Biology in the first year, and explore different aspects of the subject in the second year.”
- Bratislava, Slovakia
Entry requirements
The University offers different entry requirements, depending on your background. Find out more about Standard, Minimum and Gateway entry requirements using academic entry explained and see which entry requirements you need to look at using the entry requirements indicator.
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- Standard entry grades:
- AAAB, including Biology (or Human Biology) and one other science from the following: Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics.
- Minimum entry grades:
- AABB, including Biology (or Human Biology) and one other science from the following: Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics.
- Gateway entry grades:
- Applicants who have narrowly missed the minimum entry grades, but meet the University's contextual criteria, may be interested in one of the University’s Gateway programmes.
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- Standard entry grades:
- AAB, including Biology and one other science from the following: Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics.
- Minimum entry grades:
- ABB, including Biology and one other science from the following: Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics.
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- Standard entry grades:
- 36 (HL 6,6,5), including HL6 in Biology and HL6 in one of the following subjects: Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics.
- Minimum entry grades:
- 36 (HL 6,5,5), including HL6 in Biology and HL5 in one of the following subjects: Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics.
General entry requirements
All applicants must have attained the following qualifications, or equivalent, in addition to the specific entry requirements for individual programmes.
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SQA National 5 (B) in English and one SQA National 5 (B) from the following:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Computing science
- Geography
- Lifeskills Mathematics (A grade)
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Psychology.
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GCSE (5) in English language or English literature, and one GCSE (5) from the following:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Computing Science
- Geography
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Psychology.
Other qualifications
We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry on to our programmes. Please see our entry requirements for more information.
More information on how to apply via other entry routes or accreditation of prior learning and experience can be found on the University’s entry requirements web page.
Do I need to have studied this subject before?
Students must have studied Biology (or Human Biology) at SQA Higher, GCE A-Level or equivalent. Preference will be given to candidates offering strong science qualifications over and above the stated minimum requirements.
Alternative study options
Students interested in this course may also be interested in the following:
Direct entry to second year
Well-qualified school leavers may be able to apply for admission directly into the second year of this course.
Gateway programmes
Applicants who have narrowly missed the minimum entry grades but meet the University's contextual criteria may be interested in the Gateway to Science programme.
Study abroad
Biology students can apply to participate in the University-wide St Andrews Abroad programme. You may also have the opportunity to apply to participate in the School Abroad exchange programme. For information about study abroad options, please see the study abroad site.
International applicants
If English is not your first language, you will need to provide an English language test score to evidence your English language ability. Find out more about approved English language tests and scores for this course.
Careers
Graduates from the School of Biology have a wide range of skills sought by employers:
- laboratory and field data collection
- data handling and presentation
- problem-solving
- teamwork
- planning
- organisation and communication skills.
Biology graduates have secured employment as:
- clinical scientists
- consultant ecologists
- marine mammal scientists
- museum curators
- school teachers.
Beyond biology, recent graduates have gained employment in a wide variety of business sectors such as marketing and finance. Others have gone on to study for a wide range of Masters and PhD programmes in the UK and overseas.
The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students to build their employability skills.
What to do next
Online information events
Join us for one of our information events where you can find out about different levels of study and specific courses we run. There are also sessions available for parents and college counsellors.
Undergraduate visiting days
We encourage all students who are thinking of applying to the University to attend one of our online or in-person visiting days.
Contact us
- Phone
- +44 (0)1334 46 3401
- biology@st-andrews.ac.uk
- Address
- School of Biology
Biomedical Sciences Research Complex
North Haugh
St Andrews
KY16 9ST
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