UCAS 170C, three years
UCL describes a three-year BSc in the social science of health.
Undergraduate · UCL Population Health Sciences
UCL Population Health Sciences: the health of populations, not patients
UCL's Population Health Sciences BSc studies what shapes health at the level of groups: the social and physical environment, healthcare systems, lifestyle and genes. It is notable for what it does not require: no particular A-level subject, at an ABB standard. The decision is whether public health and its social-science methods are your interest.
Official information · last verified for 2027 entry
What UCL asks for in Population Health Sciences
Taken from UCL's Population Health 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.
ABB, with no required A-level subject
The A-level requirement is ABB, with GCSE English Language and Mathematics or Statistics at grade C or 4.
IB 16 points at Higher Level
16 points in three higher level subjects, with no higher level score below 5.
No required A-level subject
Unlike UCL's laboratory-science degrees, the page lists no subject requirement.
Social science at the centre
UCL says the course gives a grounding in the social science disciplines used in population health science.
Official sources
Read on 31 October 2026 on UCL's Population Health 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
The factors that shape health
UCL says students study the social and physical environment, healthcare systems, lifestyles and genes, with a grounding in the social science disciplines used in population health science, preparing them for research and professional practice in the health sector and beyond.
Is it the right degree?
Population Health against the biomedical degrees
UCL's health degrees ask different questions.
Choose Population Health Sciences if
you are interested in public health, epidemiology and the social determinants of health.
Choose Applied Medical Sciences if
you want laboratory and clinical translation. Avandy's UCL Applied Medical Sciences guide covers it.
Choose Medicine if
you want to treat patients. Avandy's UCL Medicine guide covers that route.
Entry rules
ABB with no required A-level subject
A-level applicants need ABB with GCSE English Language at grade C or 4 and Mathematics or Statistics at grade C or 4; no required A-level subject is listed. IB applicants need 16 points in three higher level subjects 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.
Do you prefer social science to laboratory science?
The degree is grounded in social science.
Are GCSE Mathematics or Statistics in place?
A grade C or 4 is asked.
Do you want a research or policy career?
UCL names research and professional practice in the health sector.
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 Population Health Sciences BSc require?
ABB at A level, with GCSE English Language at grade C or 4 and Mathematics or Statistics at grade C or 4, in UCL's wording for 2027 entry.
What is the IB requirement?
16 points in three higher level subjects, with no higher level score below 5.
Do I need a science A-level?
The page lists no required A-level subject; it sets GCSE English Language and Mathematics or Statistics.
What does the degree prepare for?
UCL says it prepares students for research and professional practice in the health sector and beyond.
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 Population Health Sciences
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their essay and quantitative subjects, their interest in public health and how this degree compares with Medicine and the sciences, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.