King's College London

UK · Chemistry · Natural Sciences · Biomedical Engineering · Pharmacy · A-Level Applicant Guide · 2026–27 Entry

This guide covers 9 degree routes across 5 programme families — Chemistry, Chemistry with Biomedicine, Natural Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, and Pharmacy — at King's College London, ranked #37 in the world / #6 in the UK (QS World University Rankings 2027). Written for students applying with A-levels from international schools for 2026–27 entry.

Important scope note: King's has no Chemical Engineering degree — this is confirmed against KCL's official department listings and is a genuine structural gap versus institutions like UCL, not a data-access limitation. Biomedical Engineering is the closest engineering-adjacent route. Eight of the nine programmes require no interview or admissions test — selection is by A-level grades and personal statement through UCAS alone. Pharmacy MPharm is the one exception: it carries a mandatory 30-minute recorded interview and a different English language band, flagged throughout this guide.

#37QS World Rankings 2027 (#6 UK)

9Degree routes in this guide

8/9Programmes with no interview or test

1Exception: Pharmacy MPharm (interview required)

All 9 Programmes at a Glance

Department of Chemistry · School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences · Teaching Department of Pharmacy · Live-verified against official KCL pages, 20 July 2026

Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences

Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine

Programme	UCAS	A-Level Requirement	IELTS	Offer Rate
Chemistry BSc	F100	AAB — Chemistry A + one of Maths/Further Maths/Physics/Biology at A	6.5 / 6.0 (Band D)	65% (2023/24)
Chemistry MSci	F103	AAB — same subject profile as BSc	6.5 / 6.0 (Band D)	87% (2022/23)
Chemistry with Biomedicine BSc	FC17	AAB — Chemistry A + one of Maths/Further Maths/Physics/Biology at A	6.5 / 6.0 (Band D)	60% (2023/24)
Chemistry with Biomedicine MSci	F1C7	AAB — same subject profile as BSc	6.5 / 6.0 (Band D)	68% (2022/23)
Natural Sciences BSc	CFG0	AAC — Mathematics A + one of Biology/Chemistry/Physics/Computer Science at A	6.5 / 6.0 (Band D)	— not published (new programme)
Natural Sciences MSci	CFG2	AAC — same subject profile as BSc	6.5 / 6.0 (Band D)	— not published (new programme)
Biomedical Engineering BEng	H160	AAA — Mathematics A + one of Biology/Chemistry/Computer Science/Further Maths/Physics at A	6.5 / 6.0 (Band D)	69% (2023/24)
Biomedical Engineering MEng	H161	AAA — same subject profile as BEng	6.5 / 6.0 (Band D)	71% (2022/23)
Pharmacy MPharm	B230	AAA — Chemistry A + one of Biology/Mathematics/Physics at A	7.0 / 6.5 (Band B)	37% (2022/23)

No interview or admissions test for 8 of the 9 programmes above — selection is by A-level grades and personal statement through UCAS alone. The one exception is Pharmacy MPharm, which requires a mandatory 30-minute recorded online interview.

Offer rate = offers made / applications received (not enrolment rate). Figures are FOI-derived single-year snapshots (admissionreport.com methodology), not a multi-year trend series — data years differ by programme because that is the most recent year each specific page had published. Natural Sciences has no offer-rate history because it is a newly launched degree with no FOI track record yet. A-level, IELTS band and interview requirements verified directly against official King's College London course requirement pages on 20 July 2026.

Which Programme Suits You?

Find your best fit based on your interests and strengths

"I love atoms, molecules and chemical reactions, and want a pure chemistry foundation"

→ Chemistry

Also consider: Chemistry with Biomedicine (health-facing applications)

"I want to bridge chemistry with drug design, disease, and living systems"

→ Chemistry with Biomedicine

Also consider: Chemistry (broader, less health-specific)

"I don't want to commit to one science yet — I want to combine biology, chemistry, physics and maths"

→ Natural Sciences

Also consider: Chemistry if you already know chemistry is your focus

"I want to design medical devices, imaging systems or prosthetics as an engineer"

→ Biomedical Engineering

Also consider: Chemistry with Biomedicine (less engineering-focused)

"I want to become a registered pharmacist and work directly with patients and medicines"

→ Pharmacy MPharm

The only UK qualification leading to professional registration as a pharmacist

"I'm confident interviewing and want the most direct path into a licensed health profession"

→ Pharmacy MPharm

Note: this is the only route in this guide with a mandatory interview

Eight programmes, no interview — one exception: Chemistry, Chemistry with Biomedicine, Natural Sciences and Biomedical Engineering all make offers on UCAS application content alone — grades and personal statement, no interview or admissions test. Pharmacy MPharm breaks this pattern: it requires a mandatory 30-minute recorded interview on Microsoft Teams assessing communication, numeracy, values and motivation, plus a criminal-conviction disclosure/DBS check and an 18-by-1-January age requirement (for placement eligibility). If you're applying to Pharmacy alongside any of the other eight, budget real interview-prep time specifically for it.

5 programme families · 9 degree routes · Department of Chemistry · School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences · Teaching Department of Pharmacy

Programme Introductions

Chemistry

BSc · 3 years / MSci · 4 years · Department of Chemistry · UCAS: F100 / F103

No InterviewRSC Accredited

What is it?

Rigorous training in the core principles of chemistry — physical, organic and inorganic — plus hands-on laboratory skills, from how medicines work to developing sustainable solutions. King's own framing explicitly points graduates toward the chemical, biotech and pharmaceutical industries, alongside tech, finance and law. Ranked 8th in the UK for Chemistry (THE/QS 2025 subject rankings).

What you'll study

Physical, organic & inorganic chemistry
Integrated laboratory course & open-ended project
Mathematics for Chemists (for students without A-level Maths)
MSci only: substantial 4th-year research project — in the Department, King's Health Faculties, or the Francis Crick Institute

Career paths

Research scientist (pharma / academia)
Chemical analyst
Biotech & nanotechnology roles
PhD / postgraduate research

★ Flexible transfer to Chemistry with Biomedicine, or to the MSci / Year in Industry variants. 6th in the UK for graduate employability (THE Graduate Employability Rankings 2024/5). Practical endorsement in all science A-levels required for linear A-level (England) takers.

Chemistry with Biomedicine

BSc · 3 years / MSci · 4 years · Department of Chemistry · UCAS: FC17 / F1C7

No InterviewRSC Accredited

What is it?

King's is the only London university — and one of very few in the UK — to offer a dedicated Chemistry with Biomedicine degree. It layers the same rigorous physical/organic/inorganic chemistry core with biomedicine content: the chemistry of disease, drug design and delivery, and the chemistry of living systems, drawing on King's world-class Health Faculties and teaching hospitals.

What you'll study

Physical, organic & inorganic chemistry core
Chemistry of disease, drug design & delivery
Integrated laboratory course & open-ended project
MSci only: 4th-year research project across Chemistry, Health Faculties/hospitals, or the Francis Crick Institute

Career paths

Biomedical engineering & chemical biology
Biotech & biomedical research
Pharmaceutical industry
PhD / postgraduate research

★ Flexible transfer to Chemistry BSc/MSci or to a Year in Industry programme. Same entry-grade profile as standard Chemistry — the differentiator is course content, not admission difficulty.

Natural Sciences

BSc · 3 years / MSci · 4 years · Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences · UCAS: CFG0 / CFG2

No Interview

What is it?

An interdisciplinary degree spanning biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics, for students who don't want to commit to one single-subject department. Bespoke modules explore the interconnections between the sciences, with a strong emphasis on computational and mathematical skills — coding, simulation, and machine learning/AI tools — plus an entrepreneurship-focused final-year project.

What you'll study

Year 1: core biology, chemistry, mathematics & physics foundations
Years 2–3: advanced maths, Machine Learning/AI, bespoke interdisciplinary modules
Optional Year Abroad between Years 2 and 3
Final-year research project with an employability/entrepreneurship module

Career paths

Emerging & interdisciplinary science industries
Data science / computational science
Scientific consultancy
PhD / postgraduate research

★ 6th in the UK for employability (THE Graduate Employability Rankings 2025). A newly launched degree (~2023) with no FOI offer-rate history yet — the lowest stated A-level grade profile (AAC) of the five families in this guide, but treat that as reflecting a young programme, not lower academic rigour.

Biomedical Engineering

BEng · 3 years / MEng · 4 years · School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences · UCAS: H160 / H161

No InterviewCEng Accredited

What is it?

Trains the next generation of biomedical engineers for healthcare research and development, with graduates going on to specialise in medical engineering, medical physics, or further study in Medicine. Based in a clinical setting at St Thomas' Hospital — a UK centre of excellence for medical imaging, with access to on-site MRI and PET facilities in later years.

What you'll study — Year 1 (no optional modules)

Mathematics & Mechanics for Biomedical Engineering
Physics for Biomedical Engineering
Introduction to Human Anatomy & Physiology
Introduction to Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Computer Programming, CAD, Computational Statistics

Career paths

Clinical / medical engineering
Medical devices R&D
Medical physics
Further study in Medicine

★ CEng-accredited — fulfils the educational requirements for Chartered Engineer when presented with an accredited MSc, and meets Incorporated Engineer registration requirements outright. This is King's closest equivalent to a chemical/process engineering degree; King's has no standalone Chemical Engineering programme.

Pharmacy

MPharm · 4 years · Teaching Department of Pharmacy · UCAS: B230

Interview RequiredGPhC Accredited

What is it?

The only UK qualification leading to professional registration as a pharmacist. An integrated four-year course combining pharmaceutical science with clinical pharmacy practice, taught alongside nursing, medical, dental and midwifery students, with placements at Guy's, King's College Hospital and St Thomas'. Reaccredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council for 6 years in February 2025 with no conditions. Ranked 7th in Europe for Pharmacy & Pharmacology (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026).

What you'll study

Year 1: underpinning scientific principles + intro to pharmacy practice
Years 2–3: disease, drugs & clinical uses of medicines; pharmacist-specific science
Year 4: clinical decision-making, emerging therapeutics, substantial research project
Increasing clinical placement time each year; optional Semester 1 study abroad in Year 4

Career paths

Registered pharmacist — hospital or community
GP practices & care homes
Pharmaceutical industry
Clinical research

★ The one programme in this guide with a mandatory interview: 30 minutes, recorded, on Microsoft Teams, assessing communication, numeracy, values/judgement and motivation for pharmacy specifically — King's says it can consider Medicine/Dentistry personal statements but still wants clear evidence of pharmacy-specific commitment. Also requires GCSE grade 6/B in English & Maths, a criminal-conviction/DBS disclosure, Occupational Health Clearance, and applicants must turn 18 by 1 January of Year 1 (placement eligibility). English requirement sits at Band B (7.0/6.5) — higher than every other programme in this guide.

Offer rates · A-level requirements · Single-year FOI-derived snapshot per programme

Admissions Data

Offer Rate by Programme

BSc/BEng vs. MSci/MEng Offer Rates

Offer rate = offers made / applications received · most recent published year per programme (2022/23 or 2023/24)

65–87%Chemistry BSc / MSci

60–68%Chemistry w/ Biomedicine BSc / MSci

69–71%Biomedical Engineering BEng / MEng

Across all three paired families, the 4-year integrated Master's route (MSci/MEng) shows a higher offer rate than its 3-year counterpart — most visibly for Chemistry (65% BSc vs. 87% MSci). This is a pattern seen across UK chemistry departments generally, not unique to King's, and reflects applicant pool composition rather than a lower academic bar for the MSci.

Natural Sciences & Pharmacy

The Two Outliers in This Guide

One has no offer-rate history yet; the other has the lowest offer rate and the only interview

Natural Sciences BSc/MSci — no data published. A newly launched degree (~2023) with no FOI offer-rate track record yet. Stated grade profile (AAC) is the lowest in this guide, consistent with a young, still-building programme rather than lower rigour.

Pharmacy MPharm — 37% offer rate (2022/23). The lowest offer rate of the nine programmes in this guide, and the only one with a mandatory interview stage layered on top of the AAA academic bar.

A-Level Grade Profile

Stated Minimum Grades by Programme Family

Grades range from AAC (Natural Sciences) to AAA (Biomedical Engineering, Pharmacy) — all well below the A*AA/A*A*A tier typical of Imperial or UCL's equivalent departments

AAC
Natural Sciences

AAB
Chemistry

AAB
Chem. w/ Biomedicine

AAA
Biomedical Eng.

AAA
Pharmacy

Data provenance: offer-rate figures are FOI-derived single-year snapshots (admissionreport.com methodology), cross-checked for programme/UCAS-code accuracy against official King's College London pages on 20 July 2026. They are not a five-year trend series like some other guides in this series — King's FOI responses publish irregularly by programme, so Chemistry's figures are 2023/24 (BSc) and 2022/23 (MSci) because that is the latest year each specific record covers, not a data-entry inconsistency. Offer rate ≠ enrolment rate: it measures the share of applicants who received an offer, not the share who ultimately enrolled. The Year in Industry variants are excluded from this guide because no offer-rate history could be located for them.

UCAS · Personal statement · Key dates · Common mistakes

How to Apply

UCAS Application Process

Step-by-step for 2026–27 entry · Shared timeline for all nine routes — Pharmacy adds an interview stage

A-Level student applies →

May 2026

Register on UCAS Hub — Registration opens 12 May 2026. Choose up to 5 UCAS choices; you can mix King's programmes with other universities.

1 Sep 2026

Submissions open — Completed UCAS applications can be submitted from 1 September 2026.

Autumn 2026

Write your personal statement — One statement for all 5 UCAS choices. For the 8 no-interview programmes this is doing most of the persuasive work; for Pharmacy, King's says it can consider a Medicine/Dentistry-style statement but still wants pharmacy-specific commitment.

13 Jan 2027

Submit UCAS application — 18:00 UK time equal-consideration deadline for all nine programmes in this guide (none carry the earlier 15 October Oxbridge/Medicine/Dentistry deadline).

Jan–Mar 2027

Pharmacy applicants only: interview invitations — a 30-minute recorded interview on Microsoft Teams, covering motivation, numeracy, values/judgement and a situational scenario. You'll need to show photo ID on camera at the start.

Jan–May 2027

Decisions issued — Chemistry, Chemistry with Biomedicine, Natural Sciences and Biomedical Engineering are assessed on grades and personal statement alone; Pharmacy decisions also fold in interview performance.

Aug 2027

A-level results & confirm — Meet your conditional offer. Resits are accepted by King's for these programmes (check the specific course page, as this can vary). Pharmacy offer-holders also complete Occupational Health Clearance, usually notified end of May/early June.

Personal Statement Do's & Don'ts

One statement for all 5 choices · Carries extra weight for the 8 programmes with no interview

Name specific chemistry topics, biomedical applications, or engineering problems that excite you
Link your A-level subjects directly to the degree content
Show a clear commitment to pharmacy specifically if applying to Pharmacy — not just "science" in general
Mention relevant lab work, EPQ-adjacent projects, or reading — note King's does not consider the EPQ itself for entry
Write for your subject — one statement must serve all 5 UCAS choices

DON'T

Assume an interview will "fix" a weak statement for the 8 non-Pharmacy programmes — there isn't one
Take A-level General Studies, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills or Global Perspectives as one of your three A-levels — King's does not accept these
Confuse Chemistry (F100/F103) with Chemistry with Biomedicine (FC17/F1C7) UCAS codes
Apply to Biomedical Engineering or Natural Sciences assuming a science A-level substitutes for Mathematics — Maths A is compulsory for both
Under-prepare for the Pharmacy interview by treating it like a formality — King's explicitly reviews the recording for consistency

Common Application Mistakes

Applying to Biomedical Engineering or Natural Sciences without A-level Mathematics

Maths at grade A is a fixed requirement for both — the second subject slot is what varies

Assuming Chemical Engineering exists at King's

It doesn't — Biomedical Engineering is the closest engineering-adjacent route; consider UCL or Imperial if Chemical Engineering specifically is the goal

Applying to Pharmacy without checking the age requirement

You must be 18 by 1 January of Year 1 (placement eligibility) — if you won't be, apply the following cycle

Not disclosing spent/unspent convictions on the Pharmacy UCAS application

UCAS requires this disclosure for Pharmacy specifically; offers are conditional on a satisfactory DBS check

Missing the practical endorsement in science A-levels (England, linear specs)

Required for Chemistry, Chemistry with Biomedicine, Natural Sciences and Biomedical Engineering — check with your school early

Assuming Pharmacy uses the same IELTS threshold as the other 8 programmes

Pharmacy sits at Band B (7.0 overall / 6.5 per skill) — the other eight sit at Band D (6.5/6.0)

Application Timeline

12 May 2026

UCAS Hub registration opens

1 Sep 2026

Applications can be submitted

Autumn 2026

Write personal statement

13 Jan 2027

UCAS equal consideration deadline

Jan–Mar 2027

Pharmacy interviews (only)

Jan–May 2027

Decisions issued

25 Feb 2027

UCAS Extra opens

Aug 2027

Results — confirm place

Useful Resources

Chemistry BSc / MSci

kcl.ac.uk/.../chemistry-bsc

Chemistry with Biomedicine

kcl.ac.uk/.../chemistry-with-biomedicine-bsc

Natural Sciences

kcl.ac.uk/.../natural-sciences

Biomedical Engineering

kcl.ac.uk/.../biomedical-engineering-beng

Pharmacy MPharm

kcl.ac.uk/.../pharmacy-mpharm

English Language Requirements

kcl.ac.uk/.../english-language-requirements

UCAS 2027 Key Dates

13 Jan 2027 equal consideration deadline

Contact

newstudents@kcl.ac.uk

All information verified directly against official King's College London course pages on 20 July 2026. Always re-check requirements on the official KCL course pages before submitting — offer grades, module lists, English bands and deadlines can change year to year, and King's requirements pages are updated more frequently than most (several were last modified within the current admissions cycle).