Undergraduate admissions FAQs
Read our frequently asked questions.
Policies and dates relate to the 2024 UCAS admissions period. There may be small changes to details listed here for the 2025 admissions cycle.
Before applying
The most up-to-date and detailed information on the courses we offer and related matters is available on our undergraduate degree pages. Alternatively you can personalise your own undergraduate prospectus.
Please see our undergraduate fees page for the latest information.
The Professional Training placement year is a valuable opportunity to add real breadth to your University studies and experience. In most cases there is an option to take your chosen course with or without the placement year, but in some cases it does form an integrated part of the course. To check which options are available, please see the individual undergraduate degree pages for your chosen course. For more details on the types of placements available and student testimonials, our Professional Training pages are well worth a read.
Our undergraduate courses all start in September, other than some of our post-registration Health Sciences courses.
No, our undergraduate courses are all full-time.
Entry requirements
We can consider native language A-level subjects, including Chinese, Modern Greek, Urdu and many others. The only A-levels we cannot consider are General Studies and Critical Thinking.
Please also check whether your chosen undergraduate degree has any other subject specific requirements before applying. As long as you meet any subject specific requirements, we can consider your native language A-level as your second or third A-level.
Yes, Mathematics and Further Mathematics will be considered as two separate A-levels.
We can consider a number of different combinations. Please contact the Admissions team, specifying your programme of interest, along with details of your own particular combination of qualifications. We can then provide more information on the typical entry requirements appropriate to your circumstances.
We are able to accept applications from some students taking certain T-levels for some of our programmes. The T-levels that are accepted and the grades required are detailed on the relevant course pages in the “Entry requirements” section.
We can consider Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) recognised Access to Higher Education Diplomas for many of our undergraduate courses. Please see the undergraduate degree pages for individual requirements, or contact the Admissions team for further details. Some of our courses also require an A-level in addition to the Access course. In the majority of cases, once we receive your application the content of your particular Access Diploma will be assessed by the faculty to determine your suitability for a place on your chosen course.
We can consider the Higher National Diploma on a case-by-case basis. You will need to make an application in order for us to fully assess your particular HND study and your overall suitability for a place on your chosen course.
We can consider the Higher National Certificate on a case-by-case basis. You will need to make an application in order for us to fully assess your particular HNC study and your overall suitability for a place on your chosen course.
We can consider UK foundation years on a case-by-case basis. You will need to make an application in order for us to fully assess your particular UK foundation year and your overall suitability for a place on your chosen course.
We also consider the International Foundation Year taken by international students. Please contact the Admissions team with details of the course you have taken, so that we can advise you further.
Our offers are made in terms of grades, rather than tariff points. Please see our undergraduate degree pages for further details of our entry requirements. That said, when submitting your application please do include details of any tariff bearing qualifications that you hold so that we have well-rounded information when we are assessing your suitability for a place on your chosen course.
As part of the University of Surrey’s commitment to social mobility and fostering a diverse and representative society, we want to ensure that all learners with the potential to succeed at University are provided with that opportunity. We understand that the qualifications and grades that applicants have achieved should be considered in the context in which they were achieved.
To that end, if an applicant meets the criteria outlined in our full policy page, we will consider their application under a contextual admissions approach. We will receive relevant data from UCAS for these applications, and therefore won’t require applicants to provide any further information.
We also have our In2Surrey programme, which runs several workshops, provides advice, and mentoring programmes which will help you along your journey to University. Please visit our In2Surrey pages for more information including how to apply, or contact the team directly at in2@surrey.ac.uk. Please note that while you can be eligible, and benefit from both a contextual offer and the In2Surrey scheme, you will only receive a maximum of one grade reduction.
We can consider applications for Level 2 (second year) entry via UCAS, for a number of our courses (please check with us before applying). In order to be considered you would need to:
- Achieve at least a 2:1 in your current studies
- Have studied comparable modules in your current course (please see our undergraduate degree pages for details of the modules included in your chosen area of study)
- Non-native speakers of English will normally be required to have IELTS or other suitable English language equivalent.
We will need to see a completed application in order to fully consider your suitability for a place on the course. Unfortunately we are not able to consider applications from Tier 4 students wanting to transfer into Year 2.
The score or level of English language required varies between courses. Please visit the individual undergraduate degree pages to see the requirements for each one.
The qualifications we can accept as evidence of English language ability at the required level for your chosen course vary for undergraduate and postgraduate applicants. Detailed information is available on our English language requirements page.
If you are an international student planning to study on a degree course with us but don't meet our initial English language requirements, you may benefit from our pre-sessional English language courses. You can find further information about these courses on the Pre-sessional English language courses webpage.
If you have taken or are taking non-UK based qualifications, please check our international students pages, for information on the entry requirements for your country. If your country isn’t listed, contact the Admissions team for more information.
We will consider applications from students who narrowly miss out on achieving the required grades, or predicted grades.
UK/EU students: Some of our undergraduate degrees offer a foundation year. Take a look at our undergraduate degrees pages for more details on which courses include this option.
International students: Students who don’t meet the required grades can apply for an International Foundation Year at the University of Surrey International Study Centre.
Students can choose the International Foundation Year in the following routes:
- Business, Economics, Law and Social Sciences International Foundation Year
- Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences International Foundation Year
- Life Sciences International Foundation Year
Upon successful completion, students can progress to the relevant undergraduate degree at the University of Surrey. Find out how to apply, or if you are ready, apply directly by using the online application form.
Please note that you will still need qualifications equivalent to 3 A-levels to be admitted to our BSc with Foundation year programmes.
Many of our courses will offer a grade reduction of 1 A level grade compared to the standard offer if you achieve an A in your EPQ. If EPQ is accepted for a course, it will be mentioned on the course page. Please note that some of our courses only consider EPQ for specific routes of the course. The EPQ grade reduction will not apply in combination with any other grade reduction policy.
Making an application
All undergraduate applications must be submitted via UCAS. Take a look at our how to apply through UCAS page. You can also visit the UCAS website.
We cannot accept applications directly to the University. All undergraduate applications must be submitted via UCAS. Take a look at our how to apply through UCAS page. You can also visit the UCAS website.
There is a fee for submitting a UCAS application. Please see UCAS undergraduate: apply and track for up-to-date details.
You will need to include the following:
- Details of completed and pending qualifications
- A well written personal statement displaying your passion for the subject area, while demonstrating motivation, enthusiasm, and the skills/experiences that will enable you to succeed at university
- A reference from an appropriate source, e.g. school/college.
You must include your full academic history on your application form, from secondary education onwards, including completed and pending qualifications. We need a full picture of your academic background in order to make an informed assessment of your suitability for a place on your chosen course. Omissions can lead to delays while we request further information from you. Take a look at filling out your UCAS undergraduate application on the UCAS website.
We base our decisions on the grades that you have been predicted, or have achieved. If you feel that there are exceptional circumstances (which may include illness, family circumstances, personal responsibility or instability affecting the school or the college) that may affect (or have effected) your performance, we recommend that you contact your school or college and ensure that the exam boards are made aware of your situation, prior to the announcement of any results. It may be that special concessions can be offered during your examinations, or in some cases the exam board may be able to make compensations on the grades awarded if they feel the circumstances warrant it.
Applicants should also advise us at admissions@surrey.ac.uk as soon as possible so that further consideration can be given.
You can apply via UCAS from the end of May for September entry in the following year. Your application will be received by us later in the year and we usually start processing them from October onwards. More details on how to apply are available on the UCAS website.
Yes, you can apply for up to five courses though UCAS and can use as many of these choices at the University of Surrey as you’d like to. You do not need to use a separate choice for the full time and Professional Training placement year version of the same course. Please choose the one you are most interested in taking and then you can let us know if you want to add or remove the placement year option at a later date.
UCAS allows the selection of four medicine/veterinary medicine courses. The remaining fifth choice can be used to select a non-medicine degree course. Selecting a different course for your fifth choice will not disadvantage your application at Surrey.
Applications for Veterinary Medicine and Science BVMSci must be submitted by the early deadline of 15 October. Home applicants for funded places to study Medicine (Graduate Entry) BMBS must also be submitted by this early deadline of 15 October.
For all our other courses, the main UCAS deadline for ‘equal consideration’ of applications is on 29 January. Any applications received before this date will be considered. After 29 January, we may still be able to consider late applications, but we cannot guarantee that places will continue to be available.
It is not possible for you to defer your application for our Theatre and Performing Arts, Health Sciences, Medicine or Veterinary Medicine and Science courses. For anything else, please send your request to the Admissions team by 3 September 2025. We will confirm whether or not the deferral is possible and will then notify UCAS if we are able to make the change. You will still need to meet any conditions of your offer in the academic year in which you submitted your application.
Take a look at our undergraduate bursaries and scholarships page to see what is available this year.
For information on the Government Student Loans, please see our student finance pages.
The In2Surrey scheme is part of the University’s Widening Participation programme. The scheme is designed for students who have the ability and desire to study at the University of Surrey and achieve their goals regardless of their personal circumstances and can lead to a reduced offer and other benefits.
For more information please visit our In2Surrey pages, or contact the team directly on in2@surrey.ac.uk if you have any questions.
Our contextual admissions policy automatically identifies students where the context in which they achieve their qualifications should be considered when assessing their application. This is based on information collected by UCAS, and will be applied as part of an applicant’s offer. The In2Surrey scheme also offers contextual offers, however based on different criteria, and must be applied for through this form. Please note that while you can be eligible, and benefit from both a contextual offer and the In2Surrey scheme, you will only receive a maximum of one grade reduction.
In addition to a contextual offer, In2Surrey offers various workshops, webinars, and mentoring opportunities to help support applicants through the transition to University. If you meet the criteria for the Contextual Admissions policy, you may also be eligible for the In2Surrey programme, and can apply through the linked form.
Take a look at our top tips for writing a personal statement.
If you are applying for courses in more than one subject area, we are sometimes able to consider an additional personal statement sent to us directly (depending on the course). Please contact the Admissions team including your university number or UCAS personal ID number, after you have applied through UCAS.
We can consider applications for second-year entry on many of our undergraduate courses. Please contact the Admissions team for specific advice regarding your course of interest.
Applications for veterinary medicine courses in UK veterinary schools have to be submitted to UCAS by 15 October (including overseas applicants). We are unable to consider any applications submitted after the deadline.
UCAS allows the selection of four veterinary medicine courses. The remaining fifth choice can be used to select another degree course, for example Surrey offers BSc Veterinary Biosciences. Selecting a different course for your fifth choice will not disadvantage your application at Surrey.
Take a look at the University of Surrey veterinary medicine and science admissions procedure (PDF) for detailed information on the admissions process.
As with all of our courses, you will need to provide a reference, ideally an academic reference from your most recent education provider. We do not require students to have specific animal handling work experience references. If you do have the opportunity to complete work experience in a role that has contact with animals, you may find it valuable to have direct experience to be able to refer to.
Applications for medicine courses in UK medical schools have to be submitted to UCAS by 15 October (including overseas applicants). Applications received after this point are unlikely to be considered.
You will need to have a valid GAMSAT to be eligible for shortlisting for an interview. Depending on the field your Bachelor’s degree was in, we may also be able to accept UCAT. You will need to share your results with the University of Surrey. Depending on the proficiency test you are taking, the deadline to register and the validity period may vary.
UCAS allows the selection of four medicine or dentistry courses. The remaining fifth choice can be used to select another degree course, such as Biomedical Sciences. Selecting a different course for your fifth choice will not disadvantage your application at Surrey.
Take a look at the University of Surrey Medicine (Graduate Entry) BMBS admissions procedure (PDF) for detailed information on the admissions process.
UK/EU students: Some of our undergraduate degrees offer a foundation year. Take a look at our undergraduate degrees for more details on which courses include this option.
International students: The University of Surrey International Study Centre also offers an International Foundation Year in the following subject routes:
- Business, Economics, Law and Social Sciences Foundation Year
- Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences International Foundation Year
/a> - Life Sciences Foundation Year
Upon successful completion, you can progress to undergraduate study in a degree related to your chosen International Foundation Year programme. Find out how to apply for these programmes using the online application form on the University of Surrey International Study Centre website.
After applying/accepting an offer
You can track the progress of your application via your UCAS Hub account. You can also track progress and submit documents via Surrey Self-Service.
If you have not received an email from us with your University number 48 hours after submitting your application, please check your spam/junk folder, and if you don't see anything there, please contact the admissions team at admissions@surrey.ac.uk.
You can either cancel a choice, or your whole application, via UCAS Hub. Take a look at making changes to your UCAS undergraduate application on the UCAS website for more details.
Offer holder events are designed to give you the best possible insight into the University of Surrey to help you make your final decision on where to further your education. We do recommend that you come along if you are able to, but we understand that this may not always be possible due to school or college commitments. Your attendance will not affect your application.
Applicants of certain nationalities and studying subjects in certain areas require an ATAS certificate, irrespective of country of residence at the point of application. However, if you have indefinite leave to remain, you will not require ATAS to study in the UK.
To check whether your chosen course requires ATAS, look at the CAH3 code shown on your offer letter and then visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website to see if this is on the list of subject areas concerned and whether your nationality requires a certificate. There you’ll find further details on how to apply. We will also contact you if you require an ATAS certificate, with specific instructions when it is time for you to apply. When making your application, you must use the specific module list or research summary that has been sent to you by the University of Surrey.
Please note that UK immigration law does not allow universities to register international students (nationalities that require an ATAS) for an ATAS applicable course until the student has supplied the university with all the relevant ATAS certificate details for their application.
If you have questions about how and when to apply, please refer to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website.
You will need to:
- Apply for accommodation if you selected us as your firm choice. If you accepted us as your insurance choice, you will get the chance to apply for accommodation if your offer from us is confirmed at results day
- Apply for ATAS (if required and following specific instructions that we will send you)
- Upload evidence to meet the conditions of your offer via Surrey Self-Service.