Program Overview

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Medical Sciences (Extended International Pre-Med) September 2025 entry

The Medical Sciences (Extended International Pre-Med) programme offers students the potential to move on to a degree in medicine at the University of St Andrews.

Overview

This is a two-year programme of study with four taught semesters. During the first year, you will focus on studying sciences and learning to present and interact effectively in an academic environment. You will also start to reflect on how you can build knowledge about medicine. In the second year, you study modules focusing on the academic knowledge and skills required to study medicine.

Start and End Dates

• Start date: 8 September 2025 (Year 1) and 14 September 2026 (Year 2)
• End date: 5 June 2026 (Year 1) and 4 June 2027 (Year 2)

Duration

• Two years full time

School

• International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute (IELLI)

Course Type

• Extended International Pre-Med

Course Dates

The schedule for this programme differs slightly from the standard University semester dates. From the programme start date to end date there will be teaching, in-class revision or assessment weeks, and independent learning weeks. There will also be winter vacation and inter-semester weeks, and a Spring vacation week in Semester 2.

Who is this course for?

International students who are academically able, but whose high school qualification is not recognised for application to an undergraduate degree at the University of St Andrews.

Entry Requirements

Academic Requirements

• See typical academic requirements for the Medical Sciences (Extended International Pre-Med) programme.
• If your qualification is not shown, please note that any high school qualification you use as evidence of your academic ability should be from the last year you attended high school and dated within the previous three years.
• You should apply before your final results are available, as the University can make you a conditional offer based on your past exam performance and predicted grades.

English Language Requirement

• All International Foundation applicants must submit a Secure English Test (SELT) as evidence of their English language ability, unless they do not require a student visa to study in the UK.
• You will be required to submit a UKVI IELTS academic test score for progression onto BSc Medicine so you must take a UKVI IELTS academic test to meet English language entry requirements for the Medical Sciences (Extended International Pre-Med) programme.

Do I need to have studied this subject before?

• You need to have studied sciences throughout high school. Strong grades in English, chemistry, biology, and physics or mathematics would make your application more competitive.

Application Requirements

• The University will ask you to provide the following documents as part of your application:
  • your most recent high school transcript
  • a personal statement
  • an academic reference from your high school on their letterhead or from a school email
  • your official English language test result

Application Deadline

• The deadline for applications is Monday 14 July 2025.

Course Details

This two-year programme combines science and medicine to provide international students with a route onto the medicine degree at the University of St Andrews.

Modules

• Year 1:
  • Foundation Academic Thought in Arts and Science
  • Foundation Inorganic and Physical Chemistry
  • Psychology A
  • Communicating in Academic Contexts 1
  • Research and Writing for Science A
• Year 2:
  • Communicating in Medical Contexts 1
  • Biology 1
  • Introductory Inorganic and Physical Chemistry
  • Communicating in Medical Contexts 2
  • Organic and Biological Chemistry 1
  • Human Biology

Teaching

• Classes take place from Monday to Friday between 9am and 6pm.
• You will spend approximately 16 hours per week on focused learning activities.
• Class sizes are likely to be between 14 and 16 students.

Assessment

• There are assessments as part of each module.
• These may include:
  • end-of-module examinations (in-person or online)
  • lab and clinical reports
  • academic essays
  • reflective writing
  • integrated skills exams (which include reading and writing on a topic)
  • leading and participating in seminars
  • presentations
  • patient interviews

Fees

• The tuition fee for 2025 entry is £53,670 (£26,380 for Year 1 and £27,290 for Year 2).
• This fee includes:
  • access to all University facilities
  • a transfer from Edinburgh or Glasgow airport, or Leuchars train station, when you first arrive
  • the use of course books, handouts and other course materials

Accommodation Fees

• The International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute recommends that you request an en suite single room with either a self-catered or catered package.
• University accommodation is guaranteed for International Foundation students.

Scholarships

Kinnessburn Scholarship

• Students who successfully complete their International Foundation programme (IFP) at the University, with the required merit grade, and who move onto a degree at the University of St Andrews, will be eligible to apply for the Kinnessburn Scholarship.

Undergraduate Scholarships

• During their first semester, students on the International Foundation programme will receive a conditional offer for a degree programme at the University of St Andrews.
• With this offer, students can apply to any of the undergraduate scholarships for which they are eligible.

Your Future

Requirements to Progress from Year 1 to Year 2

• To progress from Year 1 to Year 2 of the Medical Sciences (Extended International Pre-Med - September entry), students must pass all modules in the year and achieve a minimum grade of 11.0 in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) modules, and a minimum grade of 7.0 in all other modules.

Requirements to Move from Year 2 onto the BSc in Medicine (A100)

• To move from Year 2 onto the BSc in Medicine (A100) at St Andrews, students must have met the progression requirements from Year 1 to Year 2, and then must pass all modules in Year 2, achieving:
  • an average grade of 11.0 or above at first sitting across the following modules:
    • Foundations for Medicine 1 (IE1101)
    • Foundations for Medicine 2 (IE1201)
    • Human Biology (IE1252)
  • a grade of 12.0 or above at first sitting in the following modules:
    • Introductory Inorganic and Physical Chemistry (CH1401)
    • Biology 1 (BL1101)
    • Organic and Biological Chemistry (CH1601)

Additional Information

• The programme director for the Medical Sciences (Extended International Pre-Med - September entry) programme is required to comment on your fitness to practise Medicine at the end of your studies, when you are considered for the BSc Medicine degree.
• Under the School of Medicine’s policy, any concerns about your health or previous conduct or both may be considered at the time of application or prior to entry to the medical course.