A three-year BSc, with four-year options
The course lasts three years (UCAS code C100), with four-year options that add research abroad or a year in industry or research. It is delivered by the Department of Life Sciences.
Undergraduate · Imperial Biological Sciences
Imperial Biological Sciences BSc: organisms, ecology and life-science skills
Imperial's Biological Sciences BSc looks at living systems from molecules to ecosystems, with a dedicated skills programme and a final-year research project. It asks for AAA or 38 IB points with Biology, requires the ESAT in Mathematics 1, Chemistry and Biology, and generally holds no interviews. Because Imperial's Life Sciences department also teaches Biochemistry and Biotechnology, the useful question is whether your interest is organisms, evolution and ecology or molecules and metabolism, and Imperial does not allow a transfer from Biochemistry to Biological Sciences.
Official information · last verified for 2027 entry
What Imperial asks for in Biological Sciences
Taken from Imperial's Biological Sciences BSc course page and, for the transfer rule, its Biotechnology page and read on 31 October 2026. For a normal 2028-entry application, made in 2027, every requirement below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change; Imperial's 2028-entry requirements and dates are awaiting publication.
AAA, or 38 IB points, with Biology
The minimum A-level standard is AAA to include A in Biology, A in Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics, and A in a third subject. The IB standard is 38 points with 6 in Biology and 6 in Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics at Higher Level.
The ESAT is required
You must sit the Engineering and Science Admissions Test as part of the application. The three modules are Mathematics 1, Chemistry and Biology.
Interviews are generally not held
Imperial says the department generally does not hold interviews, so the application, ESAT and references carry the selection.
No transfer from Biochemistry
Imperial says it is not possible to transfer from the Biochemistry degree onto a Biological Sciences degree, so choose between them at application.
Official sources
- Imperial College London: Biological Sciences BSc (undergraduate course page)imperial.ac.uk
- Imperial College London: Biotechnology (undergraduate course page, transfer rule)imperial.ac.uk
Read on 31 October 2026 on Imperial's Biological Sciences BSc course page and, for the transfer rule, its Biotechnology page, which describes 2027 entry. Imperial's other life-science pages, the ESAT test pages, fees, the contextual-offer details and the 2028-entry values were not read and are not stated.
The course
From molecules to ecosystems, with skills and a research project
Imperial describes a course examining living systems from molecules and cells up to whole organisms and ecosystems, with detailed knowledge of the relationships, evolution and key features of organisms. The first year has core modules in biological chemistry and microbiology, evolution and diversity, cell biology and genetics, ecology and evolution, and core skills for life scientists covering mathematics, communication, statistics and bioinformatics with programming in Python and R. The second year offers optional modules in areas such as ecology, molecular biology, cell biology and development, microbiology and immunology. Laboratory, computational and field work build experimental skills, and the final year culminates in an extensive research project.
Choosing between degrees
Biological Sciences, Biochemistry or Biotechnology?
Avandy's Imperial Biochemistry guide covers the Biochemistry degrees; the entry rules differ, so compare them by course.
Choose Biological Sciences if
you are interested in organisms, evolution, ecology and the diversity of life as well as the cell, and want field work alongside laboratory work.
Choose Biochemistry or Biotechnology if
chemistry and molecular processes are the centre of your interest. Imperial notes that the transfer rules run between Biochemistry and Biotechnology but not from Biochemistry to Biological Sciences.
Choose the four-year options if
a research year abroad or a year in industry or research is part of your plan; the entry grades are the same.
Entry rules
Biology is required, and the ESAT tests Chemistry and Biology
The A-level standard is AAA to include Biology, a second subject from Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics and a third subject; the IB standard is 38 points with 6 in Biology and a second science or Mathematics at Higher Level. If you receive an offer you must pass the practical endorsement in each science used. You must sit the ESAT in three modules: Mathematics 1, Chemistry and Biology. General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted. The page shows 9 applications for each place for 2025; that is a historical ratio, not a requirement or a prediction.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Imperial's.
Which scale of biology interests you?
Organisms and ecosystems point to Biological Sciences; molecules and metabolism to Biochemistry.
Is your subject combination right?
Biology is required, with Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics as the second subject.
Can you prepare the ESAT in Mathematics 1, Chemistry and Biology?
Plan preparation alongside your exams; the test is part of the selection, not an extra.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Applying for 2028 entry means applying in 2027, under rules Imperial has not yet published for that cycle. Each item below carries one of two labels. Last verified for 2027 entry means Imperial published it for the previous cycle and it may change. Awaiting publication for 2028 entry means Imperial has not yet published it.
Grades, the Biology requirement, the ESAT modules and the no-interview policy: last verified for 2027 entry
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Imperial has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
ESAT dates, booking windows and the UCAS deadline: awaiting publication for 2028 entry
Check Imperial's course page for the 2028-entry values when they appear.
What to do now
Confirm Biology and a second subject, read the ESAT specification and decide between the life-science degrees.
Support
Independent support with course choice and preparation
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Imperial College London or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here means course-fit advice, biology mentoring and ESAT preparation; Avandy gives no scores or probabilities and does not supply test questions. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
What are the Imperial Biological Sciences entry requirements?
AAA at A level including Biology, or 38 IB points with 6 in Biology at Higher Level. This is Imperial's wording for 2027 entry.
Do I need to sit the ESAT?
Yes. Imperial says you must sit the ESAT, with the modules Mathematics 1, Chemistry and Biology.
Is there an interview?
Imperial says the department generally does not hold interviews.
Can I transfer from Biochemistry?
Imperial says it is not possible to transfer from the Biochemistry degree onto a Biological Sciences degree.
Are there four-year options?
Yes. Imperial lists Biological Sciences with Research Abroad and with a Year in Industry or Research.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Imperial's wording for the 2027 application cycle. Check the course page again when Imperial publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Imperial Biological Sciences
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their Biology and second science subject, their ESAT preparation and which life-science degree suits them, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.