Oxford requirement to study Biomedical Sciences; www.ox.ac.uk
UCAS code | BC98 | Duration | 4 years (MBiomedSci) 3 years (BA) |
Entrance requirements | A*AA excluding Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills and General Studies |
Subject requirements | Two from Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Physics | ||
Admissions test(s) | ox.ac.uk/bmat | Written work | None | ||
Admissions statistics* | Interviewed: 27% Successful: 10% Intake: 43 *3-year average 2019-21 |
Contact | Email Biomedical Sciences |
Subject requirements: Essential Recommended Helpful – may be useful on course
Unistats information for this course can be found at the bottom of the page
Please note that there may be no data available if the number of course participants is very small.
Biomedical science focuses on how cells, organs and systems function in the human body; an exciting and dynamic area that is highly relevant to the understanding and treatment of human diseases. Oxford is a highly respected and internationally recognised centre for biomedical research and students will benefit from tuition from leading experts working within a variety of nonclinical and clinical departments.
This course provides students with an intellectually stimulating education in modern molecular, cellular and systems biology and neuroscience. Please note this course does not provide medical training.
At Oxford, the Biomedical Sciences course was designed so that students begin with a comprehensive understanding of biomedical science and can tailor their subsequent studies to the subjects that most pique their interest. You will be required to complete these practical elements to a satisfactory standard in order to progress through the course because practical laboratory work is an integral part of this program. As students gain firsthand experience with laboratory research in later stages, the course places an increasing emphasis on scientific research. The university offers a wide range of possible research topics, and each student chooses their own project.
After three years, students can choose to earn a BA degree. Students will receive a degree in either Neuroscience or Cell and Systems Biology based on their specialization, which is established by selecting modules for the second and third years, respectively. The Master’s degree is awarded after the research-intensive fourth year. Understudies who complete the fourth year will graduate with a Graduate degree.
- OXFORD Admission requirements for entry
- oxford requirement to study Archaeology and Anthropology
- Oxford requirement to study Biochemistry (Molecular and Cellular)
- Oxford requirement to study Biology
A typical week
In your first year you would typically attend six to ten lectures, a Mathematics or Statistics class and a three-hour practical class each week. In addition, you will prepare for and attend weekly tutorials during which you will discuss, through consideration of experimental studies, the significance and limitations of a given topic with your tutors. Your remaining time will be available for independent study.
During the first two terms of the second year, your work is divided between around five lectures and one to two tutorials each week, in addition to practical classes, while the final term concentrates on experimental research in a laboratory. During the third year you will attend lectures, seminars and tutorials in your chosen specialist area.
During the fourth year, you will be working almost exclusively on your extended research project and attending original research seminars to bolster your understanding of experimental biomedical sciences.
Tutorials are usually 2-4 students and a tutor. Class sizes vary according to the type of class: workshops are typically 10 students, while practical classes are normally up to 40 students. Most tutorials, classes, and lectures are delivered by members of academic staff or research staff. Many are world-leading experts with years of experience in teaching and research. Some tutorial and class teaching may also be delivered by postgraduate students who are usually studying at doctorate level.
To find out more about how our teaching year is structured, visit our Academic Year page and the Biomedical Sciences website.
TERMS 1–3 (YEAR 1) | |
ASSESSMENTExamined by five written papers at the end of the year. A satisfactory practical record is required for progression to Year 2. |
TERMS 4–5 (PART I FINALS) | |
COURSESStudents select courses totalling ten units from a wide range of subject areas, which currently include:
The full list is available on the Biomedical Sciences website |
ASSESSMENTExamined by two written papers at the start of the sixth term. An academic penalty will be applied for an unsatisfactory practical record. |
TERMS 6–9 (PART IIA FINALS) | |
Terms 6-8Students work on their short research project and specialist review.
Terms 6-9 Students select from a wide range of specialised options that cover:
Students will choose whether they wish to graduate from the course with either a degree in Cell and Systems Biology or a degree in Neuroscience. The degree awarded will depend on the pattern of options chosen. The full list of current options is available here. |
ASSESSMENTExamined by three written papers during the third term of the final year. Students will also submit a project report, deliver a presentation on their research findings to the examiners and submit a specialist review. Performance at 2:1 level in Years 2 and 3 is required for progression to Year 4. |
TERMS 10–12 (PART IIB FINALS) | |
Term 10 Students receive skills based teachingTerms 10-12 Students work on their extended research project and a review article on state of the art research in a chosen field. |
ASSESSMENTStudents will submit an extended project report and deliver a presentation on their research findings to the examiners. Students will also submit their review article. |
The content and format of this course may change in some circumstances. Read further information about potential course changes.
A-levels: | A*AA excluding Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills and General Studies. |
Advanced Highers: | AA |
Highers: | AAAAA Candidates are required to have an Advanced Higher in at least one from Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics, and two Highers from Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics. |
IB: | 39 (including core points) with 766 at HL. Candidates are required to have two subjects from Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics at Higher Level. |
BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma: | Please see the Biomedical Sciences website for details. |
Or any other equivalent (see other UK qualifications, and international qualifications). |
Wherever possible, your grades are considered in the context in which they have been achieved. (See further information on how we use contextual data.)
Essential: | Candidates are required to have two of their A-levels from Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics. If a practical component forms part of any science A-levels taken, we expect candidates to have taken it and passed.If not taken on to a higher level (A-level or equivalent), all candidates will need to show that they have received a basic education (achieving at least a grade C/4 at GCSE, Intermediate 2 or Standard grade (Credit) or equivalent) in Biology, Chemistry, Physics (GCSE Dual Award Combined Sciences or equivalent is also acceptable) and Mathematics.
Please see the Biomedical Sciences website for further details. |
If English is not your first language you may also need to meet our English language requirements.
All candidates must follow the application procedure as shown in applying to Oxford. The information below gives specific details for students applying for this course.
Test: | BMAT |
Test date: | 18 October |
Registration deadline: | 30 September |
All candidates must also take the Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT) as part of their application. Separate registration for this test is required and it is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure that they are registered. We strongly recommend making arrangements in plenty of time before the deadline. Everything you need to know, including guidance on registration and preparation, can be found on the BMAT test page.
Please note, the University of Oxford will not accept BMAT results from any sitting other than the October one.
You do not need to submit written work as part of an application for this course.
What are tutors looking for?
Tutors look for lively, receptive minds with the ability to evaluate evidence critically. You should be able to consider issues from different perspectives and have a capacity for logical and creative thinking. BMAT results will be considered when shortlisting candidates for interview. For more detail on the selection criteria for this course, please see the Biomedical Sciences website.
This course provides a strong foundation to pursue academic research, work in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, or apply for an accelerated graduate-entry course in medicine. In recent years, around two thirds of our graduates have gone on to study for a higher degree or a clinical qualification.
The Biomedical Sciences course at the University of Oxford is a full-time, basic science degree course, offering education in cell and systems physiology and neuroscience. It is not accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science.
We don’t want anyone who has the academic ability to get a place to study here to be held back by their financial circumstances. To meet that aim, Oxford offers one of the most generous financial support packages available for UK students and this may be supplemented by support from your college.
These annual fees are for full-time students who begin this undergraduate course here.
Fee status |
Annual Course fees |
Home | £9,250 |
Overseas | £38,670 |
Further details about fee status eligibility can be found on the fee status webpage.
For more information please refer to our course fees page. Fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on likely increases to fees and charges.
Living costs at Oxford might be less than you’d expect, as our world-class resources and college provision can help keep costs down.
Living costs for the academic year starting are estimated to be between £1,290 and £1,840 for each month you are in Oxford. Our academic year is made up of three eight-week terms, so you would not usually need to be in Oxford for much more than six months of the year but may wish to budget over a nine-month period to ensure you also have sufficient funds during the holidays to meet essential costs. For further details please visit our living costs webpage.
Home | A tuition fee loan is available from the UK government to cover course fees in full for Home (UK, Irish nationals and other eligible students with UK citizens’ rights – see below*) students undertaking their first undergraduate degree**, so you don’t need to pay your course fees up front.Oxford is offering one of the most generous bursary packages of any UK university to Home students with a family income of around £42,875 or less, with additional opportunities available to UK students from households with incomes of £27,500 or less. The UK government also provides living costs support to Home students from the UK and those with settled status who meet the residence requirements.
*For courses starting on or after 1 August, the UK government has confirmed that EU, other EEA, and Swiss Nationals will be eligible for student finance from the UK government if they have UK citizens’ rights (i.e. if they have pre-settled or settled status, or if they are an Irish citizen covered by the Common Travel Area arrangement). The support you can access from the government will depend on your residency status. See further details. |
Islands (Channel Islands and Isle of Man) |
Islands students are entitled to different support to that of students from the rest of the UK.Please refer the links below for information on the support to you available from your funding agency:
States of Jersey |
Overseas | Please refer to the “Other Scholarships” section of our Oxford Bursaries and Scholarships page. |
**If you have studied at undergraduate level before and completed your course, you will be classed as an Equivalent or Lower Qualification student (ELQ) and won’t be eligible to receive government or Oxford funding
Additional Fees and Charges Information for Biomedical Sciences
In the third term of the second year, students who undertake a research project may wish to remain in Oxford after the end of full term to facilitate completion of their project. (See the likely range of living costs for an additional month in Oxford.) However, this extended residence in Oxford is not a requirement and students should be aware that no financial support is available to help with any additional living costs during this time.
In the (optional) fourth year of the Biomedical Sciences course, students will need to be in residence for an extended first term to begin their research project. You will need to be in Oxford for 12 weeks in the first term. This extended term means that you will need to budget for slightly higher living costs in the final year, as you will be required to be in Oxford for longer than the standard term. The additional work in the fourth year means that you will graduate with an MBiomedSci – a master’s degree – as well as invaluable research experience that will be excellent preparation for further study or a range of careers.
Course data from Discover Uni provides applicants with statistics about undergraduate life at Oxford. But there is so much more to an Oxford degree that the numbers can’t convey.
The Oxford tutorial
College tutorials are central to teaching at Oxford. Typically, they take place in your college and are led by your academic tutor(s) who teach as well as do their own research. Students will also receive teaching in a variety of other ways, depending on the course. This will include lectures and classes, and may include laboratory work and fieldwork. However, tutorials offer a level of personalised attention from academic experts unavailable at most universities.
During tutorials (normally lasting an hour), college subject tutors will give you and one or two tutorial partners feedback on prepared work and cover a topic in depth. The other student(s) in your college tutorials will be from your year group, doing the same course as you and will normally be at your college. Such regular and rigorous academic discussion develops and facilitates learning in a way that isn’t possible through lectures alone. Tutorials also allow for close progress monitoring so tutors can quickly provide additional support if necessary.
Our colleges are at the heart of Oxford’s reputation as one of the best universities in the world.
- At Oxford, everyone is a member of a college as well as their subject department(s) and the University. Students therefore have both the benefits of belonging to a large, renowned institution and to a small and friendly academic community. Each college or hall is made up of academic and support staff, and students. Colleges provide a safe, supportive environment leaving you free to focus on your studies, enjoy time with friends and make the most of the huge variety of opportunities.
- Each college has a unique character, but generally their facilities are similar. Each one, large or small, will have the following essential facilities:
- Porters’ lodge (a staffed entrance and reception)
- Dining hall
- Lending library (often open 24/7 in term time)
- Student accommodation
- Tutors’ teaching rooms
- Chapel and/or music rooms
- Green spaces
- Common room (known as the JCR).
- All first year students are offered college accommodation either on the main site of their college or in a nearby college annexe. This means that your neighbours will also be ‘freshers’ and new to life at Oxford. This accommodation is guaranteed, so you don’t need to worry about finding somewhere to live after accepting a place here, all of this is organised for you before you arrive.
- All colleges offer at least one further year of accommodation and some offer it for the entire duration of your degree. You may choose to take up the option to live in your college for the whole of your time at Oxford, or you might decide to arrange your own accommodation after your first year – perhaps because you want to live with friends from other colleges.
- While college academic tutors primarily support your academic development, you can also ask their advice on other things. Lots of other college staff including welfare officers help students settle in and are available to offer guidance on practical or health matters. Current students also actively support students in earlier years, sometimes as part of a college ‘family’ or as peer supporters trained by the University’s Counselling Service.