UCAS F603, three years
UCL describes a three-year BSc that draws on several sciences to study the Earth.
Undergraduate · UCL Earth Sciences
UCL Earth Sciences: the flexible, many-science route
UCL's Earth Sciences BSc is the department's broad option: a flexible course that draws on physics, chemistry, biology, geology and geophysics to study the planet. Its entry rules match UCL's Geology BSc, so the choice is not about grades. It is whether you want breadth across the Earth sciences or a specialism.
Official information · last verified for 2027 entry
What UCL asks for in Earth Sciences
Taken from UCL's Earth Sciences BSc course page (a saved copy that UCL labels as possibly not showing recent changes) 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; UCL's 2028-entry requirements and dates are awaiting publication.
AAB, with sciences preferred
The A-level requirement is AAB, with Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Geography, Mathematics, Further Mathematics or Physics preferred.
IB 17 points, preferably with two sciences
17 points in three higher level subjects, preferably including two sciences, with no higher level score below 5.
Five sciences in one flexible course
UCL says the course combines physics, chemistry, biology, geology and geophysics.
No required subject
Sciences are preferred but none is required.
Official sources
Read on 31 October 2026 on UCL's Earth Sciences BSc course page (a saved copy that UCL labels as possibly not showing recent changes), which describes 2027 entry. UCL's department pages, the fees pages, the contextual-offer details and the 2028-entry values were not read, and the page lists no admissions test or interview so none is stated and are not stated.
The course
A planet studied through five sciences
UCL says students explore how the planet works at depth and at the surface, the biological processes that build diversity and cause extinction, and the ocean and atmospheric processes shaping climate.
Is it the right degree?
Earth Sciences against its siblings
UCL's department teaches several degrees on near-identical entry rules.
Choose Earth Sciences if
you want breadth and are undecided between the Earth science specialisms.
Choose Geology if
you want field-based rock and Earth-history study. Avandy's UCL Geology guide covers it.
Choose Geophysics if
you take Mathematics and Physics and want a quantitative route. Avandy's UCL Geophysics guide covers it.
Entry rules
AAB with sciences preferred
A-level applicants need AAB, with Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Geography, Mathematics, Further Mathematics or Physics preferred but none required. IB applicants need 17 points in three higher level subjects, preferably including two sciences, with no higher level score below 5. UCL's page lists no admissions test or interview. This page states no scores.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not UCL's.
Are you undecided between specialisms?
The flexible course keeps them open.
Do you want to sample several sciences?
The course combines five.
Would a specialist degree fit better?
Geology and Geophysics are specialisms.
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 UCL has not yet published for that cycle. Each item below carries one of two labels. Last verified for 2027 entry means UCL published it for the previous cycle and it may change. Awaiting publication for 2028 entry means UCL has not yet published it.
Grades, the subject requirements and the preferred-subject guidance: last verified for 2027 entry
These are the best guide to what to prepare. UCL has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
The UCAS deadline and the 2028-entry requirements: awaiting publication for 2028 entry
Check UCL's course page for the 2028-entry values when they appear.
What to do now
Confirm the required subjects, read the course structure and plan your preparation around it.
Support
Independent support with course choice and preparation
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with University 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, subject mentoring and ethical preparation; Avandy gives no scores or probabilities and does not write applications. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
What does UCL Earth Sciences BSc require?
AAB at A level, with sciences preferred but none required, in UCL's wording for 2027 entry.
What is the IB requirement?
17 points in three higher level subjects, preferably including two sciences.
How does it differ from Geology?
It is the broader, flexible course drawing on five sciences; Geology is the specialist degree. The entry rules read the same.
Is Mathematics required?
No. It is one of several preferred subjects.
Does Avandy state offer scores?
No. This page records UCL's wording for 2027 entry and states no scores or probabilities.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are UCL's wording for the 2027 application cycle. Check the course page again when UCL publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about UCL Earth Sciences
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their science subjects, whether they want breadth across the Earth sciences and how this degree compares with Geology and Geophysics, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.