Biological and life sciences
Genetics
BSc
Overview
Genetics studies how traits and disease are inherited and how genomes are read and edited. You learn molecular methods, statistics and the ethics of using genetic information. It overlaps biochemistry and biomedical science but stays with inheritance, variation and genomics. Students who enjoy it like puzzles in data as well as laboratory work, and they are comfortable discussing what genetic information should and should not be used for.
You want genomes and inheritance at the centre, not only as one module.
Biology is broader. Biomedical science is more about disease investigation in the lab service sense.
People who like molecular biology and quantitative reasoning.
What you will study
Universities do not teach the same modules. The lists below are a general shape, not a syllabus.
Year 1
- Genes and cells
- Chemistry
- Introductory statistics
Later years
- Genomics
- Human and population genetics
- Research project
Skills
Useful before you start
- Biology
- Willingness to use statistics
- Chemistry
Developed during the degree
- Genomic data interpretation
- Laboratory methods
- Ethical reasoning
Teaching and assessment
Teaching often includes Lectures, Laboratory practicals, Data workshops.
Assessment often includes Exams, Data exercises, Project.
Typical weekly commitment
Estimate. Computing and statistics add independent work.
Entry requirements
Indicative patterns from published UK admissions information. Not an offer. Actual requirements vary by course, university and year. Pearson Edexcel International A Level and Cambridge International A Level are not treated as the same qualification as GCE A level.
Indicative requirements by qualification
The A-level band is the catalogue reference. IB and American lines come from the named university guides under the table. They are not a conversion every university uses, and they are not an offer.
| Qualification | Indicative requirements |
|---|---|
| A Levels | BBB–AAB. Biology is the usual requirement. Chemistry or mathematics is often recommended. |
| IB Diploma | UCL publishes 36 points for AAB. The other end of this band is not in that table. A required A-level subject must be Higher Level in UCL's rule. Each Higher Level subject in that table is at least 5. UCL equates A* to 7, A to 6 and B to 5. This is one university's table. |
| American curriculum | That Manchester guide gives AP 5, 5, 4 for AAB. The other end of this band is not in the guide. Bristol publishes a GPA of 3.2, or 3.4 for competitive courses, and does not use one AP pattern for every degree. |
- University College London: Undergraduate entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, School of Social Sciences: Americas country guide. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, Civil Engineering: USA country entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Bristol: USA international qualifications. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
A-level subjects
Biology is the usual requirement. Chemistry or mathematics is often recommended.
Often recommended: Chemistry, Mathematics.
GCSE and IGCSE
English and mathematics at GCSE or IGCSE are commonly requested. Science grades matter more for science degrees. No single national grade is stored. International GCSEs are not automatically accepted as GCSEs.
Indicative UK pattern only. Highly selective universities can ask for higher grades in the sciences than the typical band. Not an offer.
Other ways in
- Clinical genetics as a medical speciality still requires a medical degree.
Admissions tests and extra requirements
No admissions test is stored as usual for this course. A university can still set one for a particular year.
Course costs
For many standard full-time courses in England, the home-fee maximum in 2026 to 2027 is Up to £9,790. This is the maximum standard full-time fee published for approved English providers with a TEF award and an access and participation plan. It is not the fee a named university charges, and it does not decide whether you pay home or international fees.
Clinical, laboratory and studio courses are not given a different home-fee figure here, because the regulated maximum is not the same thing as an international or clinical fee.
International tuition is set by each university and is not stored here. Clinical courses are often much higher than classroom-based courses. A school in Qatar does not decide home-fee status.
Source: Changes to tuition fees: 2026 to 2027 academic year. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Living costs, field trips and professional fees are not included.
Where you could study
UK degrees in this subject are numerous. This page does not list every university, because a list without a checked entry requirement would look more certain than it is.
No individual UK course page is stored yet for this subject. Use the university site.
No overseas course has been checked for this subject yet.
Where could this degree take you?
Research scientist
Common route
A common academic route, often followed by postgraduate study.
Biologist
Common route
A specialist biology route.
Clinical scientist
Alternative route
Relevant to some scientist training posts. The training programme is separate and competitive.
Explore your pathway
A course sits between school subjects and a career. It does not guarantee either admission or a job.