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Medicine

  • Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery
  • 5 Years
  • Full-Time
  • 27 September 2027
  • Undergraduate
Main Site - Cardiff
Awarded by:
Cardiff University (Prifysgol Caerdydd)
More about Cardiff University

Course options

2026-20272027-2028
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Course summary

This MBBCh degree, which we call ‘C21’, will prepare you for a rewarding working life as a foundation doctor in the NHS and career beyond. C21 is structured over five years, to allow you to acquire knowledge, clinical skills and professional attitudes within an integrated spiral curriculum. This means you will continually build on what you learn. Our aim is to produce great clinicians who understand people and the environment in which we live.

The C21 programme initially focuses on preparing you for learning in higher education and building a platform for integrated clinical sciences. This is delivered in the classroom, practical classes, lectures and the virtual learning environment. You learn to apply your knowledge in the clinical environment, both in hospital and community settings.

C21 emphasises the importance of learning science in the clinical context, and the central place of the patient in a doctor’s work. We firmly believe that patients are at the heart of medical education and as such you will be introduced to patients from the first year. You will learn about common medical conditions from real patients, as well as their doctors, in authentic and impressively-equipped facilities.

As you progress through the programme you will find there is increasing emphasis on the acquisition of clinical skills, initially in a simulated environment progressing to extended clinical placements with increasing responsibility in hospital and community settings throughout Wales.

Throughout the course, you are expected to display the professional attributes of a doctor in training. By the time you graduate, you will have demonstrated that care of patients is your first concern. With full engagement in the course, you will be able to apply knowledge and skills in a competent and ethical manner and use your ability to provide leadership and to analyse complex and uncertain situations. You will have achieved all the outcomes and clinical competencies required by the General Medical Council set out in ‘Outcomes for Graduates'.

  • Prepare for your career - a smooth transfer into the first year of your career as a doctor

  • Have the whole of Wales as your classroom - get a breadth of clinical experience from small, rural GP practices and small cottage hospitals to fast-paced city A&E

  • Excellent teaching facilities - teaching from internationally-renowned researchers and clinicians

  • An innovative curriculum - a spiral curriculum based on evidence gathered from across the world

  • Intercalated courses - intercalate for a year to complete a medically related BSc in a subject of interest

Professional bodies

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

  • General Medical Council

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • Main Site - Cardiff

Study options

  • Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery • Full-Time • 5 Years

Start dates

  • 27 September 2027

Apply by
15 October 2026

This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.

Application codes

Course code:
A100
Institution code:
C15
Campus name:
Main Site - Cardiff
Points of Entry:
Year 1

How to apply

Apply by
15 October 2026

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:
A100
Institution code:
C15
Campus name:
Main Site - Cardiff

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

Typical qualification requirements

A level
AAA

Must include Biology or Chemistry plus a second science subject (Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, or Psychology). You will need to pass the science practical element of the A-level if this is part of your programme of study.

If you are a graduate applicant, you must have or be working towards a 2:1 (Hons) in your degree and have BBB/ABC at A-level (or equivalent), including subject requirements and meet the minimum GCSE requirements (or equivalent qualifications).

If you have completed a PhD, the minimum A-Level requirement is BBC and all other criteria listed for graduates must be met.

T Level
Not accepted

HND (BTEC)
Not accepted

UCAS Tariff
Not accepted

Access to HE Diploma
Not accepted

GCSE/National 4/National 5

On your application you must provide evidence of:
• English language or Welsh language at GCSE grade B/6 or an equivalent (if you require a Student visa, you must ensure your language qualification complies with UKVI requirements), and
• GCSE Double Science at grades AA/77 (or grade A/7 in Biology and Chemistry separately), and
• GCSE Maths grade B/6, and
• four other GCSEs at grade B/6, or equivalent qualifications (level, subjects and grade).

Re-sit results
GCSE re-sit results will only be considered if completed within 12 months of the first date of sitting, except for English language GCSE, which can be retaken at any time.

Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)
Not accepted

Extended Project
Not accepted

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Offer: 36

36 overall (excluding Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay) including 18 at HL. Must include grade 6 in HL Biology or HL Chemistry plus a second HL science subject (Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, or Psychology). Grade 7 in SL Biology or Chemistry can be taken in place of HL Biology or Chemistry if you also have grade 6 in HL Maths, Physics, or Statistics.

If you are a graduate applicant, you must have or be working towards a 2:1 (Hons) in your degree and have 32 overall in the IB, including subject requirements at Standard and Higher level.

WJEC Level 3 Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales

The Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales will be accepted in lieu of one A level at the A level grades specified, excluding any subject specific requirements.

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

Distinction overall and distinction in all modules in the Higher National Diploma.

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)

The Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate will be accepted in place of one A-level at the A-level grades specified, excluding any subject specific requirements.

You must also demonstrate an awareness of the healthcare system in the UK and the nature of the medical training in your personal statement.

We do not accept A-level Critical Thinking, General Studies, Citizenship Studies, or other similar equivalent subjects.

You must take the UCAT test in the year of application. We don’t have a minimum threshold score; however, we may use UCAT scores in our application assessment procedure.

Scoring your application
We will assess your application and give you a score based on your best nine GCSEs/Level 2 qualifications. Post A-level/Level 3 applicants will receive additional points for qualifications achieved.

Our interview process
We won’t make an offer without an interview.

All applicants must meet the minimum requirements at Level 2 (typically GCSE) and Level 3 (typically A-level) in order to be eligible for consideration for interview. If you meet the minimum entry requirements your application will be given a numerical score. Eligible applicants will be ranked according to this score and the top ranking applicants will be invited to interview.

Multiple mini interviews
We use the multiple mini interview (MMI) format, which is a series of short, carefully timed interview stations that you will rotate around in turn.

The MMIs help us to determine if you:

  • can think on your feet
  • have thought about some of the issues that are important to the profession
  • can critically appraise information
  • can communicate ideas effectively.

They also focus on exploring the personal qualities and attributes that are important to your future career development.

These interviews allow us to meet you in person and assess information that isn’t always readily forthcoming in the application process—they aren’t intended to test the amount of prior knowledge you have about the subject or the profession, though you must show you have an awareness of the healthcare system in the UK and the nature of the medical training in your personal statement.

ENROLMENT CONDITIONS
Before you start your course, you will also need to undergo a health check—including screening for blood-borne viruses and tuberculosis—by our Occupational Health Service. If you are non-immune to Hepatitis B, you will need to complete a full immunisation programme before taking part in clinical procedures.

Having a blood-borne virus or other infectious diseases won’t prevent you from completing this course and obtaining General Medical Council registration, but some specialities won’t be open to you during training or in your career.

If you have a health issue that you think might have an impact on your ability to study or practise, please contact us before submitting an application.

Additional entry requirements

Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) / Disclosure Scotland Check
Health Checks
Interview
University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)
Must be sat in the year of application and before the programme commences.

English language requirements

All applicants are expected to have demonstrable English language skills. Most courses ask for GCSE English grade C/4 or equivalent, but some courses ask for GCSE English grade B/6 or equivalent.https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/international/english-language-requirements/undergraduate

Contextual admissions

Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.

At Cardiff we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, as part of this our contextual admissions policy aims to widen participation and improve access to Higher Education (HE).

For more information on Cardiff University contextual admissions, including how applications are scored and how we use that score, please see our website.

Learn more on the Cardiff University website

Historical entry grades data

This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course 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

Per year tuition fees

LocationFeeYear
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands & Republic of Ireland£9790
EU & International£47450

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

Fees stated are for the 2026/7 academic year.

Tuition fees cover all reasonable costs required to complete the stated programme. Optional study trips, placements, or equipment are at your own cost. Tuition fees exclude living costs such as accommodation, subsistence and travel.

UK and Islands:

The University may increase fees as permitted by law or Welsh Government policy. We will notify you of changes by the end of June in the preceding academic year.

EU, EEA, and Switzerland:

Unless eligible for UK fee status, fees will align with international fees. Check eligibility at: https://www.ukcisa.org.uk/student-advice/fees/full-list-of-categories-for-he-in-wales/

International:

Fees are fixed for the programme duration, excluding Medicine and Dentistry programmes. During the pre-clinical element of Medicine and Dentistry programmes the fee rate will be fixed, after which the clinical fee rate is charged. Further details: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/international/funding-and-fees

Sponsorship information

Scholarships and bursaries

Cardiff University has many scholarships on offer to our prospective students. Please see our website at http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/funding/scholarships for further information.

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