Regulated by the Office for Students

The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website.

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website.

Entry requirements

A-level

A*AA, including Chemistry and at least one other science or mathematics subject.

If you miss the MChem grades, but meet the BSc grades (AAA), you will automatically be considered for the BSc option.  

GCSE/iGCSE at grade 7/A, or equivalent, in an appropriate European Language is also required for students wishing to enrol at a mainland European university in Year 3.

If you do not have the required grades or subjects you may want to consider our integrated foundation year.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore there will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A-level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offers you will receive.

Contextual offer

AAA, including Chemistry and at least one other science or mathematics subject.

If you miss the MChem grades, but meet the BSc grades (AAB, including A in Chemistry), you will automatically be considered for the BSc option. 

GCSE/iGCSE at grade 7/A, or equivalent, in an appropriate European Language is also required for students wishing to enrol at a mainland European university in Year 3.

Find out more about contextual admissions .

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore there will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A-level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offers you will receive.

Duration of A-level study

Your application will be considered against the standard selection process of your chosen course if you either:

a) sat your examinations early;

or

b) followed an accelerated curriculum and spent three years studying A-levels where the examinations were taken over two years.

If you are studying an advanced curriculum where the examinations are spread over three years, consideration for an offer will be at the discretion of the admissions tutor for that subject.

AS-level

AS level results are not considered as part of the standard admissions process at The University of Manchester.

Subjects welcomed but not normally included as part of the standard offer

General Studies

Unit grade information

The University of Manchester welcomes the provision of unit information where available.  Like all other information provided by applicants this may be taken into consideration when assessing your application.  Unit grades will not normally form part of an offer conditions.

GCSE

Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education, typically a minimum of five GCSEs/iGCSEs, including acceptable levels of literacy and numeracy, equivalent to at least grade 4/C in GCSE/iGCSE English Language and grade 6/B in GCSE/iGCSE Mathematics. 

GCSE/iGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/iGCSE English Language.

Including grade 1 or 2 in the Oral exam component, if applicable.

International Baccalaureate

37 points overall with 7,6,6 at Higher Level, including Chemistry and at least one other science or mathematics subject.

We will accept Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches or Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation.

English language

All applicants to the University (from the UK and overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency. The minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:

GCSE/iGCSE English Language grade 4/C
IELTS 6.5 overall with minimum 6.0 in each sub-skill
TOEFL iBT 90 with no less than 20 in all other subscores
An acceptable equivalent qualificationPlease note that if you hold English as a Second Language iGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of our acceptable equivalent or achieve a higher grade in your iGCSE than the one stated above.

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

How to apply

Apply through UCAS .

Advice to applicants

Factors contributing to a successful application include:

past academic performance;
predicted academic performance;
enthusiasm for, and realistic grasp of, chosen degree programme;
evidence of interpersonal skills and non-academic interests/achievements.

Further guidance on how to apply .

Your referee should give realistic grade predications for all qualifications that you are currently studying at the top of their reference. If you attend a non-UK school or college that does not provide predicted grades your referee should explain this policy within their reference.

Where you have mitigating circumstances these should be reported to your education provider and relevant exam board. We cannot make further allowances.

We would normally only consider applicants who obtained the relevant qualification within the two years prior to entry. Applicants who have left education for more than two years should contact the Department Admissions Team to discuss their particular circumstances.

You should not normally apply for more than one course offered by the Department of Chemistry at The University of Manchester.

Applicants to this course can change to any one of the courses offered within the Department of Chemistry at any time before the start of the academic year. It is also possible to transfer between our Chemistry courses at the end of your first year or, in some cases, later, subject to academic achievement and approval.

How your application is considered

All applications are considered on an individual basis once we receive a formal application through UCAS which includes details of the subjects taken and grades achieved, a personal statement, academic reference and your predicted grades (if you have not yet taken your final examinations). Candidates may also be interviewed online or in person.

The personal statement is your opportunity to tell the admissions team why we should offer you a place here at Manchester. It will be read by an academic and administrative member of staff. We will be looking for evidence of the following: 

the nature and extent of the interest in your chosen course;
your motivation to study your course and potential to contribute to the teaching and learning environment within the Department;
your academic ability and potential (what do you know about chemistry; what have you read about chemistry; how have you engaged with chemistry at school/college or independently; what aspects particularly interest you);
we are also keen to hear about you - your interests, hobbies, extra-curricular experiences, career aspirations - and how these have prepared you for success on your chosen course.

All applicants should be aware that information provided in the personal statement may be used as the basis for further discussion during your interview with an academic member of staff.

Further information and advice on writing your personal statement and the UCAS application process .

Skills, knowledge, abilities, interests

Applicants are considered on their predicted grades, a good academic reference, their personal statement and an interview.

Overseas (non-UK) applicants

We welcome applications from overseas.  We have no quota limitations for international applicants and offer Chemistry International Scholarships.  International applicants are also eligible to apply for the Faculty Academic Excellence Scholarships.

Deferrals

Applications for deferred entry are considered equally to other applications up to the point of confirmation.

Deferred entry is granted at the discretion of admissions staff, and is normally granted for one year only and two years at the maximum in exceptional circumstances.

Some English Language test results, such as IELTS or TOEFL, are only valid for two years from the test date.

Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course. We normally guarantee a place in the current year should an applicant's gap year plans change. However, this is subject to availability of places.

Policy for applicants who resit their qualifications

If you have re-sat individual modules to improve your grades, we will consider your application according to the standard selection process. If you are planning to re-sit the final Year 13 examinations, or have already done so, the University will consider your application, but we may require further information in order to make an informed judgment on your application.