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Medicinal Chemistry with Foundation Year

Course details
  • BSc (Hons)
  • 4 Years
  • Full-time including foundation year
  • 09/2026
  • Undergraduate
Course location
Stag Hill

Course summary

Foundation courses
A foundation year can develop your skills and make it easier to get started at university. It is an extra year of study at the start of your course that leads in to a full degree programme. It’s a great option if:

  • You don’t have the grades for a full degree course

  • You have non-traditional qualifications or experience

  • You’re starting university after some time away from education

  • You’re looking for more support during the transition into university study.

Life as a foundation year student
During a foundation year you’ll learn about your chosen subject, develop your study skills and get used to university life. On successful completion of your foundation year, you’ll be ready to progress to the first year of your degree course.

As a foundation year student, you’ll be a full student of the University and part of our community. You’ll have access to all our campus facilities and support.

Why choose this course
Our professionally accredited BSc and MChem medicinal chemistry courses teach you the fundamentals of medicinal chemistry and encourage you to make your own discoveries.

Take the opportunity to get industry-ready with our award-winning Professional Training placements.

You’ll benefit from our research-active academics and strong professional links, learn about the fundamental importance of chemistry in medicine and gain the confidence to translate your ideas into practice. You’ll also have the opportunity to study modules delivered by our School of Biosciences and Medicine.

Our medicinal chemistry degrees offer one of the best staff-to-student ratios in the country. This means you’ll have excellent support, gaining the knowledge and skills you need to enter the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industries.

What you will study
Our medicinal chemistry courses train you in core and medicinal chemistry, covering topics such as physiology, pharmacology and cell biology.

You’ll also benefit from Surrey’s excellent links with leading pharmaceutical companies, where you can choose to complete a Professional Training placement or Industrial Research placement.

You can apply to study for either a BSc or an MChem. The MChem builds on the BSc with a masters year and is a direct route to a masters qualification, known as an integrated masters. If you study for an MChem, you’ll spend a year doing industry-based research before returning for a final-year of masters-level modules.

Modules

To see the full range of modules for this course please visit our website – the link is under the Course contact details. You will also find full details of the programme, including programme structure, assessment methods, contact hours and Graduate prospects.

How to apply

Apply by
14 January

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
F152
Institution code:
S85
Campus name:
Stag Hill
Campus Code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Foundation

International applicants

We are proud to be one of the most culturally diverse universities in the UK, with more than 140 nationalities playing a role in university life. Our International Recruitment team are here to help you throughout the application process – from advising on choosing the right course to applying for a visa and preparing for your first few weeks at Surrey. You can contact them via international@surrey.ac.uk

Applicants who require a Student Visa to study in the UK:
To apply for a Student Visa, you must have a Confirmation of Acceptance (CAS) for the University you wish to study at. This is a unique number which will enable you to apply for your visa. The University is under no legal obligation to sponsor any individual and exercises caution with respect to issuing a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) to avoid risking its status as a Student sponsor. Confirmation of Acceptance to Study (CAS) will be issued in accordance with the Student Route and CAS Issuing Policy, available at: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/apply/policies

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

UCAS Tariff - Not accepted

A level - CCC

Overall: CCC We do not include General Studies or Critical Thinking in our offers. Required Subjects: Chemistry. Applicants taking the Science Practical Endorsement are required to pass.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - MMM

Overall: MMM Required Subjects: BTEC must be in a relevant subject.

Access to HE Diploma - D: 21 credits M: 3 credits P: 21 credits

Overall: QAA recognised Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits overall including 21 at Distinction, 3 at Merit and and 21 at Pass Required Subjects: Modules must be in relevant subjects. GCSE or Equivalent: Inclusion of GCSE English and Mathematics equivalent within Access programme

Scottish Higher - BBBCC

Overall: BBBCC Required Subjects: Chemistry GCSE or Equivalent: English Language: Scottish National 5 - C. Maths : Scottish National 5 - C

Scottish Advanced Higher - CCC

Overall: CCC Required Subjects: Chemistry GCSE or Equivalent: English Language: Scottish National 5 - C. Maths : Scottish National 5 - C

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 29 points

Overall: 29 Required Subjects: Chemistry HL4/SL6 GCSE or Equivalent: English A HL4/SL4 or English B HL5/SL6 and Mathematics (either course) HL4/SL4.

WJEC Level 3 Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales

Overall: Pass overall with CCC from a combination of the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales and two A-levels. Required subjects: Chemistry. Applicants taking the Science Practical Endorsement are required to pass. A-level General Studies and A-level Critical Thinking are not accepted. GCSE or equivalent: English Language at grade C (4) and Mathematics at grade C (4) (or equivalent).

Extended Project - Not accepted

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE English Language at Grade C(4) and Mathematics at Grade C(4).

T Level - P

Overall: Pass overall, with minimum D in the Core Component. Required subjects: Science. GCSE or equivalent: English Language and Mathematics at grade 4 (C).

Applications are considered on an individual basis, taking into account qualifications achieved, predicted grades, personal statement and academic reference. Conditional offers are specified in terms of required grades; we do not make offers in terms of overall UCAS tariff.

We understand that predicted grades are an estimate and will consider applicants who have predicted grades that are a little lower than our published requirement. Any offers we make will align with the grades shown above unless a grade reduction can be offered under our Contextual Admissions policy or our In2Surrey scheme. Details can be found here: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/schools-colleges/contextual-admissions-policy

Applicants with a mixed qualification profile (e.g. those taking A-levels and BTEC qualifications) are encouraged to contact admissions@surrey.ac.uk for guidance on the grades accepted.

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)66.0 overall with 5.5 in each element

View the other English language qualifications that we accept: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/apply/international/english-language-requirements

Historical entry grades data BETA

This section shows the range of grades students (with UK A-Levels or Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diplomas) who received offers were previously accepted with (learn more). It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place. Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not enough data available

We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

Please see our website for up-to-date information on our fees for 2026/27:

https://www.surrey.ac.uk/fees-and-funding/tuition-fees/undergraduate-2026-entry

Sponsorship information

The University of Surrey offers a range of scholarships and bursaries to support our students, please visit https://www.surrey.ac.uk/fees-and-funding/scholarships-and-bursaries for more details.

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