Course contact details
University of Oxford
University Offices
Wellington Square
Oxford
OX1 2JD
Course summary
Biology is an exciting and rapidly developing subject area with great relevance to addressing global challenges from disease and poverty to biodiversity loss and climate change. The study of living things has undergone tremendous expansion in recent years, and topics such as cell biology, developmental biology, evolutionary biology and ecology, all of which are covered in the course, are advancing at a great pace. This expansion has been accompanied by a blurring of the distinctions between disciplines: a biologist with an interest in tropical plants may well use many of the tools and techniques that are indispensable to a molecular geneticist. For more information on this course please visit ox.ac.uk/ugbiosci.
Ways to study this course
Campuses
- St Anne's
- St John's
- Queen's
- New College
- Open Application
- Merton
- St Catherine's
- Somerville
- St Hilda's
- Wadham
- Hertford
- Worcester
- Jesus
- Lady Margaret Hall
- Pembroke
- St Hugh's
- Brasenose
- Balliol
- Christ Church
- Magdalen
- St Peter's
- Keble
Study options
- Master of Biology • Full-Time • 4 Years
Start dates
Application codes
- Institution code:
- O33
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
University of Oxford has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?
How to apply
Application codes
- Institution code:
- O33
This course may be available at alternative locations, please check if other course options are available.
Course optionsEntry requirements
Typical qualification requirements
A levelA*AA
Including Biology (or Human Biology) and one other science or Mathematics. With A* in Mathematics or a science.
Excluding General Studies (if taken)
Excluding General Studies (if taken)
UCAS TariffNot accepted
Scottish HigherAAAAB-AAAAA
Supplemented by two or more Advanced Highers.
Access to HE DiplomaDistinction: 45
Some Access courses allow students to take one or two A-levels as part of the course. This option is strongly recommended for students who wish to apply to Oxford, especially for those courses which have specific subject requirements. If you would like to discuss the suitability of your Access course for entry to Oxford University, please contact the subject department that you’d like to apply to for further information. (Contact details are at ox.ac.uk/courses)
Scottish Advanced HigherAA-AAB
Including Biology (or Human Biology) and one other science or Maths.
Conditional offers will usually be for AAB if a student is able to take three Advanced Highers; where this is not possible then a student would be expected to achieve AA in two Advanced Highers, as well as an A grade in an additional Higher course taken in Year 6.
Conditional offers will usually be for AAB if a student is able to take three Advanced Highers; where this is not possible then a student would be expected to achieve AA in two Advanced Highers, as well as an A grade in an additional Higher course taken in Year 6.
International Baccalaureate Diploma ProgrammeOffer: 39
with 7 in HL Mathematics or a science
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)D*D*D*-DDD
Conditional offers would usually be:
Extended Diploma with D*D*D to DDD, depending on the course.
Diploma with DD plus an A grade at A-level, possibly with one or two * grades, depending on the course.
Subsidiary Diploma with D plus two A grades at A-level, possibly with one or two * grades, depending on the course.
Extended Diploma with D*D*D to DDD, depending on the course.
Diploma with DD plus an A grade at A-level, possibly with one or two * grades, depending on the course.
Subsidiary Diploma with D plus two A grades at A-level, possibly with one or two * grades, depending on the course.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)H1H1H2H2H2H2
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - PrincipalD2D3D3
Pre-U subject requirements are the same as those for A-levels.
Candidates are required to have Biology (or Human Biology) and either Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics to A-level, Advanced Higher, Higher Level in the IB or another equivalent. We expect you to have taken and passed any practical component in your chosen science subjects.
A range of other international qualifications is also acceptable for entry. Please see ox.ac.uk/intquals for further information.
Additional entry requirements
- Interview
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 7.5 | Minimum 7.0 per component |
| TOEFL (iBT) | 110 | Minimum component scores: Listening: 22 Reading: 24 Speaking: 25 Writing: 24 |
| Cambridge English Advanced | Overall score of 191 or above, with at least 185 in each component | |
| Cambridge English Proficiency | Overall score of 191 or above, with at least 185 in each component |
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.
Oxford uses a range of evidence about applicants’ academic performance and potential, including personal statements, references, admissions tests (depending on the chosen course), and interview performance (for those shortlisted).
In some subjects, candidates are required to achieve A or A* grades in certain subjects.
A very small number of students are admitted to Oxford who don’t meet their offer conditions in non-essential subjects, and this is often as a result of exceptional circumstances.
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.
This course may have Historical entry grades data available, please select a course option to view.
Course optionsHistorical entry grades report
This report uses your grades to show how students with similar results have done when applying to this course in the past. Sometimes, there isn’t data for every possible set of grades. When that happens, universities and colleges occasionally fill in the gaps for sets of grades that are typically accepted.
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
For details on fee information, please visit ox.ac.uk/funding.
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