
International Foundation Year
If you don't have a suitable qualification for direct entry to a UK university, we can help with our Foundation year courses.
Our flexible Biomedical Science BSc offers a broad introduction to the major themes and topics behind one of the UK's great scientific and commercial success stories. You will benefit from high-quality teaching in the School of Bioscience Education and choose from a wide range of modules to develop a Biomedical Science degree course that reflects your scientific strengths and interests. Studying a Biomedical Science degree with us means that you will be able to enjoy the flexibility to choose your degree after your first year with our Common Year One curriculum. All Biomedical Science disciplines are covered in the first year, making the decision for your future an informed one. You will be able to choose from the following Biomedical science degrees; Anatomy, Developmental & Human Biology BSc, Biochemistry BSc, Biomedical Science BSc, Medical Physiology BSc, Molecular Genetics BSc, Neuroscience BSc,and Pharmacology BSc.
“All bioscience students complete the same ‘common year one’ programme, broadly covering all the specialities that make up Biomedical Science; you then have no compulsory modules allowing you to delve deeper into the disciplines that interest you.”
The Biomedical Science BSc interdisciplinary degree is the most popular of our Bioscience courses, with an entry of over 300 students per year. It offers you great flexibility for your second and third years at university, including options to study abroad or undertake a work placement. Offering high-quality teaching throughout, the course will allow you to follow a degree programme that reflects your individual scientific strengths and interests. This course forms part of the suite of ‘Common Year 1’ courses within the School of Bioscience Education. These comprise Anatomy, Developmental & Human Biology; Biochemistry; Biomedical Science; Medical Physiology; Molecular Genetics; Neuroscience; and Pharmacology. Once you have successfully completed year one, you can choose to switch to another programme within this suite. In Year 2 you may choose to study a semester abroad at one of our partner institutions. Alternatively, you can apply to undertake a full year abroad or an extra-mural year, usually at a leading biomedicine employer, between your second and third years.
The Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine and the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences are based at the riverside Guy's Campus, next to the Shard.
Waterloo campus is home of the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery and facilities for other faculties
King's is regulated by the Office for Students
Please note that A-level General Studies, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills and Global Perspectives are not accepted by King's as one of your A levels.
Must include grade A in Biology and Chemistry. Notes: If you are taking linear A-levels in England, you will be required to pass the practical endorsement in all Science subjects. This is with the exception of private candidates who are unable to take the practical component. We do not consider the EPQ at any point of the assessment process.
AAC Please note that A-level General Studies, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills and Global Perspectives are not accepted by King's as one of your A levels. Must include grade A in Biology and Chemistry. Notes: If you are taking linear A-levels in England, you will be required to pass the practical endorsement in all Science subjects. This is with the exception of private candidates who are unable to take the practical component. We do not consider the EPQ at any point of the assessment process.
35 points including 666 at Higher Level
Must include grade 6 in Higher Level Biology and Higher Level Chemistry. Notes: The total point score of 35 includes TOK/EE.
34 points including 664 at Higher Level. Must include grade 6 in Higher Level Biology and Higher Level Chemistry. Notes: The total point score of 34 includes TOK/EE.
Course specific subject requirements are indicated in subject requirements above
English language band: D
Application deadline: 26th January 2022 - 18:00 GMT
Contextual consideration
We make contextual offers for this programme, which can be found in the entry requirements. As part of the assessment process, we take into account contextual information to gain a more complete picture of each application. More information can be found on the Contextualised admissions website.
Deferrals
Applications can be submitted for deferred entry by choosing the appropriate year of entry on the UCAS application.
If your circumstances change and, therefore, you need to request a deferral after an offer has been made, then we can generally permit these for this programme. However, each deferral request will be considered on a case-by-case basis and we reserve the right to decline any post-offer deferral request. Requests should be submitted via a message on King’s Apply with an explanation of the reason for making the request.
Please note, second deferral requests will only be considered where the request is due to extreme unforeseen extenuating circumstances, for example, health reasons. We are unable to permit deferral requests that go beyond two years and you would need to apply again. This is with the exception of deferrals which are due to military/national service.
Foundation courses
Applicants studying Foundation Year programmes in the UK are welcome to apply for this programme. Foundation programmes from other universities and further education providers in the UK are considered on a case-by-case basis. Whether or not we can consider a particular foundation year as suitable for study at King's depends on the content of the syllabus and modules studied. In the past we have accepted foundation programmes from a number of other institutions.
We are unable to accept Foundation programmes that are integrated as part of a main degree at another institution. These may be called Year 0 or Integrated Foundations. We are also unable to accept non-UK Foundation courses.
Once you have submitted an application, the Admissions Office may contact you via King's Apply to ask for further details on your qualification, such as a list of modules and course specifications.
The King's International Foundation Programme has guaranteed pathways available for progression onto our King's undergraduate degree programmes, and information can be found on the website.
Graduates
Our general entry requirements are based on A-level or equivalent. However, where an applicant is completing/has completed a degree, we are able to consider the degree study as part of the assessment of the application.
Generally, we would consider a minimum of a UK Bachelor degree with a 2:1 grade profile (or overseas equivalent) as meeting the entry requirements for our undergraduate degrees. However, those who have achieved/are predicted a high 2:1 or a First may be considered more competitive.
Where a programme has subject requirements, these will still need to have been met. If you have not met the subject requirements via A-level (or equivalent) then we may be able to consider the content within your degree. We would be looking for significant study of the subjects across the degree programme with a 2:1 or above grading on those modules.
Once you have submitted an application, the Admissions Office may contact you via King's Apply to ask for further details on your degree study.
Personal Statement
Your personal statement is one of the many factors in the overall assessment of your application, and is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the university and inform us of your commitment to the programme and how the programme fits into your career plans, as well as any work experience or extracurricular activities you have done.
We recognise that many applicants applying to Medicine/Dentistry will apply to a non-clinical programme as their fifth UCAS option. Therefore, applicants are welcome to apply to our Common Year One programmes at King's with a Medicine/Dentistry statement and it will not count against you if your personal statement is geared towards these subject areas.
Resits
We are able to consider applicants who have retaken or are retaking their qualifications.
Transfers
Transfers into this programme are not permitted.
If you don't have a suitable qualification for direct entry to a UK university, we can help with our Foundation year courses.
If you have an offer from King's, but English isn't your first language, we have courses to help you.
The course of study is delivered through lectures, seminars and practical laboratory work. The rest of your time will be spent on self-study, including reading, research and writing assignments.
Course Stage | Percentage of time in scheduled learning and teaching activities* | Percentage of time in guided independent study* |
Year 1 | 25% | 75% |
Year 2 | 30% | 70% |
Year 3 | 30% | 70% |
*This is a guide and is dependent on the optional modules you choose.
Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and written/practical examinations. Forms of assessment may typically include essays, presentations, practical reports and unseen written examinations. The distribution of marks between coursework and examination will vary depending on the optional modules you choose.
Other information:
Study Abroad
You will also have the opportunity to study abroad for either a semester in your second year, or for a full year between years 2 and 3. If you choose to study abroad for a year, this will change your programme from a three year programme, to a four year programme. Our partner universities currently include:
You may be required to fulfil additional entry requirements for this option, and the availability of partner universities may vary depending on whether you wish to study abroad for a semester or a full year.
Extra-mural Year
You may apply for an extra-mural year, to be taken between the second and third years if selected. Students apply directly to placement providers through a process facilitated by the university. Placements, either in the UK or overseas, may be in a pharmaceutical company, a government research establishment or academic research institute. Placement companies and establishments in the past have included:
CIB (Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas), Madrid
Eli Lilly & Company Ltd
GlaxoSmithKline Co. Durham/Stevenage/Uxbridge
NUS Singapore
OSI Prosidion Limited
Pfizer
Pneumolabs UK Limited, Stevenage
St George’s, University of London
UCB
William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary’s University London
Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases (CARD), King’s College London
King’s College-Duke-NUS Academic Clinician Pathway (for Singaporean nationals/residents):
If you are a Singaporean national or resident and receive an offer for our Biomedical Science BSc, you are eligible to apply for the King’s College-Duke-NUS Academic Clinician Pathway. This pathway enables successful students to pursue their Biomedical Science BSc at King's, before returning to Singapore to embark on their medical training. Find out more about this pathway and how to apply on the Duke NUS Medical School webpage.
Regulating Body
King’s College London is regulated by the Office for Students.
Courses are divided into modules and each module has a designated number of credits depending upon the workload involved. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work. During a 3 year BSc you will normally complete modules totalling 360 credits. There are options to switch to other courses in the Bioscience suite or to a four-year MSci after year 1, subject to programme regulations. On the three-year BSc programme, you can also choose to study a semester abroad during Year 2 or study a full year abroad or take an extra-mural year between Years 2 and 3, extending your course to a four year degree programme.
King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.
Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.
Graduates from the School of Bioscience Education are equipped with a variety of transferable skills including data gathering, analysis and interpretation, presentation skills and teamwork. Our graduates are well-qualified to undertake a wide range of careers. Others have continued to study in medicine, dentistry and other related fields including pharmaceutical sciences, cardiovascular pharmacology and biomedical research.
Recent graduates have found employment within the following job roles and companies:
The UK tuition fee for the 2022-2023 academic year is currently £9,250 per year. This is based on the UK Government’s cap.
The International tuition fee for the 2022-2023 academic year is £29,460 per year.
Please note that the International tuition fee is subject to annual increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.
All International applicants to Undergraduate programmes are required to pay a deposit of £2,000 against their first year’s tuition fee. This deposit is payable when you firmly accept an unconditional offer to study with us, and will be offset against your tuition fees when you join King’s.
If you choose the study abroad option with one of King’s partner universities, you will not be charged tuition fees by the host university (although some partners do charge a small administration fee for applying). King’s will continue to invoice for a proportion of King's tuition fees. You should also budget to pay for the associated subsistence costs, such as travel, visas, accommodation and food as well as any vaccination/immunisations required by the country to which you are travelling. Please see the Study Abroad web pages for details of the relevant partner universities and detailed information on the fees that apply under the Course Essentials tab.
In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:
The Biomedical Science BSc interdisciplinary degree is the most popular of our Bioscience courses, with an entry of over 300 students per year. It offers you great flexibility for your second and third years at university, including options to study abroad or undertake a work placement. Offering high-quality teaching throughout, the course will allow you to follow a degree programme that reflects your individual scientific strengths and interests. This course forms part of the suite of ‘Common Year 1’ courses within the School of Bioscience Education. These comprise Anatomy, Developmental & Human Biology; Biochemistry; Biomedical Science; Medical Physiology; Molecular Genetics; Neuroscience; and Pharmacology. Once you have successfully completed year one, you can choose to switch to another programme within this suite. In Year 2 you may choose to study a semester abroad at one of our partner institutions. Alternatively, you can apply to undertake a full year abroad or an extra-mural year, usually at a leading biomedicine employer, between your second and third years.
The Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine and the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences are based at the riverside Guy's Campus, next to the Shard.
Waterloo campus is home of the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery and facilities for other faculties
King's is regulated by the Office for Students
Please note that A-level General Studies, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills and Global Perspectives are not accepted by King's as one of your A levels.
Must include grade A in Biology and Chemistry. Notes: If you are taking linear A-levels in England, you will be required to pass the practical endorsement in all Science subjects. This is with the exception of private candidates who are unable to take the practical component. We do not consider the EPQ at any point of the assessment process.
AAC Please note that A-level General Studies, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills and Global Perspectives are not accepted by King's as one of your A levels. Must include grade A in Biology and Chemistry. Notes: If you are taking linear A-levels in England, you will be required to pass the practical endorsement in all Science subjects. This is with the exception of private candidates who are unable to take the practical component. We do not consider the EPQ at any point of the assessment process.
35 points including 666 at Higher Level
Must include grade 6 in Higher Level Biology and Higher Level Chemistry. Notes: The total point score of 35 includes TOK/EE.
34 points including 664 at Higher Level. Must include grade 6 in Higher Level Biology and Higher Level Chemistry. Notes: The total point score of 34 includes TOK/EE.
Course specific subject requirements are indicated in subject requirements above
English language band: D
Application deadline: 26th January 2022 - 18:00 GMT
Contextual consideration
We make contextual offers for this programme, which can be found in the entry requirements. As part of the assessment process, we take into account contextual information to gain a more complete picture of each application. More information can be found on the Contextualised admissions website.
Deferrals
Applications can be submitted for deferred entry by choosing the appropriate year of entry on the UCAS application.
If your circumstances change and, therefore, you need to request a deferral after an offer has been made, then we can generally permit these for this programme. However, each deferral request will be considered on a case-by-case basis and we reserve the right to decline any post-offer deferral request. Requests should be submitted via a message on King’s Apply with an explanation of the reason for making the request.
Please note, second deferral requests will only be considered where the request is due to extreme unforeseen extenuating circumstances, for example, health reasons. We are unable to permit deferral requests that go beyond two years and you would need to apply again. This is with the exception of deferrals which are due to military/national service.
Foundation courses
Applicants studying Foundation Year programmes in the UK are welcome to apply for this programme. Foundation programmes from other universities and further education providers in the UK are considered on a case-by-case basis. Whether or not we can consider a particular foundation year as suitable for study at King's depends on the content of the syllabus and modules studied. In the past we have accepted foundation programmes from a number of other institutions.
We are unable to accept Foundation programmes that are integrated as part of a main degree at another institution. These may be called Year 0 or Integrated Foundations. We are also unable to accept non-UK Foundation courses.
Once you have submitted an application, the Admissions Office may contact you via King's Apply to ask for further details on your qualification, such as a list of modules and course specifications.
The King's International Foundation Programme has guaranteed pathways available for progression onto our King's undergraduate degree programmes, and information can be found on the website.
Graduates
Our general entry requirements are based on A-level or equivalent. However, where an applicant is completing/has completed a degree, we are able to consider the degree study as part of the assessment of the application.
Generally, we would consider a minimum of a UK Bachelor degree with a 2:1 grade profile (or overseas equivalent) as meeting the entry requirements for our undergraduate degrees. However, those who have achieved/are predicted a high 2:1 or a First may be considered more competitive.
Where a programme has subject requirements, these will still need to have been met. If you have not met the subject requirements via A-level (or equivalent) then we may be able to consider the content within your degree. We would be looking for significant study of the subjects across the degree programme with a 2:1 or above grading on those modules.
Once you have submitted an application, the Admissions Office may contact you via King's Apply to ask for further details on your degree study.
Personal Statement
Your personal statement is one of the many factors in the overall assessment of your application, and is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the university and inform us of your commitment to the programme and how the programme fits into your career plans, as well as any work experience or extracurricular activities you have done.
We recognise that many applicants applying to Medicine/Dentistry will apply to a non-clinical programme as their fifth UCAS option. Therefore, applicants are welcome to apply to our Common Year One programmes at King's with a Medicine/Dentistry statement and it will not count against you if your personal statement is geared towards these subject areas.
Resits
We are able to consider applicants who have retaken or are retaking their qualifications.
Transfers
Transfers into this programme are not permitted.
If you don't have a suitable qualification for direct entry to a UK university, we can help with our Foundation year courses.
If you have an offer from King's, but English isn't your first language, we have courses to help you.
The course of study is delivered through lectures, seminars and practical laboratory work. The rest of your time will be spent on self-study, including reading, research and writing assignments.
Course Stage | Percentage of time in scheduled learning and teaching activities* | Percentage of time in guided independent study* |
Year 1 | 25% | 75% |
Year 2 | 30% | 70% |
Year 3 | 30% | 70% |
*This is a guide and is dependent on the optional modules you choose.
Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and written/practical examinations. Forms of assessment may typically include essays, presentations, practical reports and unseen written examinations. The distribution of marks between coursework and examination will vary depending on the optional modules you choose.
Other information:
Study Abroad
You will also have the opportunity to study abroad for either a semester in your second year, or for a full year between years 2 and 3. If you choose to study abroad for a year, this will change your programme from a three year programme, to a four year programme. Our partner universities currently include:
You may be required to fulfil additional entry requirements for this option, and the availability of partner universities may vary depending on whether you wish to study abroad for a semester or a full year.
Extra-mural Year
You may apply for an extra-mural year, to be taken between the second and third years if selected. Students apply directly to placement providers through a process facilitated by the university. Placements, either in the UK or overseas, may be in a pharmaceutical company, a government research establishment or academic research institute. Placement companies and establishments in the past have included:
CIB (Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas), Madrid
Eli Lilly & Company Ltd
GlaxoSmithKline Co. Durham/Stevenage/Uxbridge
NUS Singapore
OSI Prosidion Limited
Pfizer
Pneumolabs UK Limited, Stevenage
St George’s, University of London
UCB
William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary’s University London
Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases (CARD), King’s College London
King’s College-Duke-NUS Academic Clinician Pathway (for Singaporean nationals/residents):
If you are a Singaporean national or resident and receive an offer for our Biomedical Science BSc, you are eligible to apply for the King’s College-Duke-NUS Academic Clinician Pathway. This pathway enables successful students to pursue their Biomedical Science BSc at King's, before returning to Singapore to embark on their medical training. Find out more about this pathway and how to apply on the Duke NUS Medical School webpage.
Regulating Body
King’s College London is regulated by the Office for Students.
Courses are divided into modules and each module has a designated number of credits depending upon the workload involved. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work. During a 3 year BSc you will normally complete modules totalling 360 credits. There are options to switch to other courses in the Bioscience suite or to a four-year MSci after year 1, subject to programme regulations. On the three-year BSc programme, you can also choose to study a semester abroad during Year 2 or study a full year abroad or take an extra-mural year between Years 2 and 3, extending your course to a four year degree programme.
King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.
Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.
Graduates from the School of Bioscience Education are equipped with a variety of transferable skills including data gathering, analysis and interpretation, presentation skills and teamwork. Our graduates are well-qualified to undertake a wide range of careers. Others have continued to study in medicine, dentistry and other related fields including pharmaceutical sciences, cardiovascular pharmacology and biomedical research.
Recent graduates have found employment within the following job roles and companies:
The UK tuition fee for the 2022-2023 academic year is currently £9,250 per year. This is based on the UK Government’s cap.
The International tuition fee for the 2022-2023 academic year is £29,460 per year.
Please note that the International tuition fee is subject to annual increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.
All International applicants to Undergraduate programmes are required to pay a deposit of £2,000 against their first year’s tuition fee. This deposit is payable when you firmly accept an unconditional offer to study with us, and will be offset against your tuition fees when you join King’s.
If you choose the study abroad option with one of King’s partner universities, you will not be charged tuition fees by the host university (although some partners do charge a small administration fee for applying). King’s will continue to invoice for a proportion of King's tuition fees. You should also budget to pay for the associated subsistence costs, such as travel, visas, accommodation and food as well as any vaccination/immunisations required by the country to which you are travelling. Please see the Study Abroad web pages for details of the relevant partner universities and detailed information on the fees that apply under the Course Essentials tab.
In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:
Chat with current students and King's staff to find out about the courses we offer, life at King's and ask any questions you may have.
First time study tracks vitamin's journey in the body
Dr Mieke Van Hemelrijck discusses how her team are working collaboratively, both nationally and internationally, to safeguard...
Take a look at our comfortable, safe residences to suit your budget, located close to King's teaching campuses.
Art, food, music, shopping – you'll never find yourself with nothing to do in the world's most vibrant city.
Information about living in London, including events, budgeting and expenses, travel and safety.
During your time at King's College London, a range of academic and personal support and guidance is available to you.