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We compile these profiles from each university's own published admissions pages and review them monthly. Entry requirements do change mid-cycle, and universities sometimes publish updates without announcing them.
Use this page to get oriented quickly, build your shortlist, and work out which questions to ask — then confirm the specifics that your application depends on (grades, admissions test, fees, eligibility) directly with the university before you apply. If you spot something that looks out of date, tell us and we will check it.
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Entry year covered: 2027
Interested in Southampton BM6 Medicine? This programme provides an alternative pathway with an additional preparatory year. Here you'll find the entry requirements, eligibility criteria, and application process for 2027 entry.
The Southampton BM6 programme is a 6-year widening access route into medicine. It includes a foundation year (Year 0) that prepares students for the rigours of medical school before they join the standard BM5 curriculum in Year 1.
This programme recognises that grades don't always reflect potential when students have faced educational or socioeconomic barriers. Southampton has been running widening participation programmes for over 20 years and has strong support systems in place for BM6 students.
Southampton publishes six criteria and you must meet three of them. In its own words: "Applicants who do not meet three of the below will not be considered."
Two definitional traps. The bursary criterion does not include the UCAT bursary or a bursary paying private school fees. And young carer does not include looking after siblings because your parents are at work.
Important: you must be 18 or over at the start of the course. Applicants under 18 who are given an offer after interview will potentially be offered a deferred place. An eligibility form is emailed to all applicants in November, and all supporting documentary evidence must be supplied by the November deadline on that form — Southampton states it does not accept supporting information after that date. You should normally submit evidence relating to one postcode or address, and it is expected to be the address on your UCAS form. The IMD score is checked and verified.
Only Home students are eligible. International applicants and graduate applicants are not eligible to apply for BM6.
| Route | UCAS Code | Length | Entry requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine BM6 Widening Participation (the course this page covers) | A102 | 6 years | BBB or above including Biology and one additional science; 5 GCSEs at grade C/4; three of six BM6 eligibility criteria. Home students only. |
| Medicine BM5 (standard, school leavers) | A100 | 5 years | AAA including Biology and one additional science. AAB contextual offer for school leavers who meet two of the university's contextual criteria. |
| Medicine BM4 (graduate entry) and BM5 graduate / mature non-graduate entry | Codes not verified | Not verified | Southampton states these courses "do not currently consider contextual admissions data". We did not verify their UCAS codes in Southampton's own source, so we have not printed any. |
A102 verified on Southampton's own BM6 course page ("UCAS Course code A102"). The BM6 course page is the 2027–28 entry page.
| Qualification | Requirement |
|---|---|
| A-Level Grades | BBB or above including Biology and one additional science |
| Required Subjects | Biology plus one additional science (Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Sociology, Environmental Studies or Geography), with a pass in the practical element where it is separately endorsed |
| Equivalents | Not accepted. Southampton states: "applicants must offer BBB or above, we do not accept grade or tariff equivalents to BBB." |
| Overlapping subjects | Subjects with considerable material overlap are not accepted in combination — Southampton gives Zoology with Biology, and Biology with Sports Studies or PE, as examples. Contact Southampton before applying if you are unsure. |
| Excluded subjects | Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. T-Levels are not accepted for this course. |
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| UCAT Required | Yes |
| Cut-off Score | Not published. Southampton publishes no BM6 UCAT threshold and no separate contextual threshold. |
| How it's used — before interview | All applicants who meet the entry requirements on achieved or predicted grades and meet three of the six BM6 criteria are ranked by UCAT score, and the top number of applicants are invited to interview. This is the whole shortlisting mechanism: your UCAT decides whether you get in the room. |
| How it's used — after interview | Offers are made on interview performance. UCAT is used again only as a tie-break where selection day scores are level. |
| Deadline | You must sit the UCAT before the 15 October UCAS medicine deadline, in the year you apply. |
The thing most BM6 applicants get wrong: because BM6 is a widening participation course with a BBB offer, applicants assume the UCAT matters less here. It does not. Your UCAT is the only thing ranking you for interview once you have cleared eligibility and grades — and you are ranked against other BM6 applicants, not the whole field, which is the real advantage.
"Southampton's BM6 programme is one of the most established widening participation routes in the UK. They genuinely understand that a BBB offer for someone who's faced real barriers can represent more achievement than AAA for someone with every advantage. If you meet the criteria, don't hesitate to apply."
— Dr. Ash, Future Doc
Note: The UCAT format changed in July 2025 with the removal of Abstract Reasoning, reducing the maximum score from 3,600 to 2,700. Cut-off scores and statistics from previous years may not directly apply to the current format.
Southampton runs BM6 selection days, separate from the BM5 field. Offers are made on your performance there.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it is called | A selection day, held in person — Southampton states it does not offer online alternatives because of the format of its selection process |
| When | Selection days run from January through to the end of February. Invitations go out 2 to 3 weeks beforehand, occasionally at shorter notice if another applicant cancels. Southampton cannot offer alternative dates. |
| Number of stations | Not published by Southampton for BM6 |
| Duration | Not published |
| Decision timing | Southampton aims to respond by the end of March |
| What's assessed | Southampton publishes its non-academic criteria. At interview you must show you are self-motivated and resilient; have reflected on and learnt from life experiences (work experience, paid employment and personal experiences, in and outside health and social care); can communicate effectively; are able to interact successfully with others; and can demonstrate an understanding of the values of the NHS Constitution. |
| Tie-breaks | Where selection day scores are tied, UCAT is used to separate applicants |
Read that NHS Constitution line again — it is a named document, and Southampton has told you it will be assessed. It takes an hour to read and almost nobody does.
The foundation year covers biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, plus academic skills development. You'll also have early exposure to clinical environments and start developing your professional identity.
After the foundation year, you join the standard BM5 programme alongside direct-entry students. The teaching, assessments, and clinical placements are identical from this point onwards.
Not Eligible
BM6 is only available to UK residents who meet the widening participation criteria.
May Be Considered
A-Level resits may be accepted with evidence of mitigating circumstances that affected original performance.
A contextual offer is an adjustment a university makes for applicants whose circumstances have made their education harder than the grades alone suggest. Universities use them because they recognise that two students with the same predicted grades have not always had the same run at them. They are a formal, published part of the admissions process — not a favour, and not something you have to argue for.
What the adjustment actually is varies by school, and it matters more than most applicants realise. Depending on where you apply, qualifying can mean: a lower grade offer; being ranked against other widening participation applicants rather than the whole field; a guaranteed or prioritised interview; a lower admissions test threshold or extra shortlisting points; relaxed GCSE or subject requirements; or access to a separate gateway or foundation year route.
Southampton runs two separate systems, with different and non-overlapping criteria, and an applicant can easily qualify for one and not the other. BM6 (this course) is its own degree with its own eligibility test. The university's contextual admissions scheme is a grade reduction applied to the standard BM5. You should check both.
For BM6 (A102) you must meet three of six criteria — the full list is in the Eligibility Criteria box above: first-generation applicant to HE; means-tested benefit; looked after by a Local Authority for over 3 months; postcode in the lowest 20% of the IMD or a travelling family; free school meals in GCSE Years 10–11 and/or the 16–19 Bursary or EMA; or a current young carer.
For the BM5 contextual offer (A100), medicine school leavers must meet two of the university's criteria — note that one is enough for every other Southampton course:
If you meet the BM6 criteria, the University of Southampton will consider you for a six-year degree with a BBB offer and a lower GCSE bar, and will rank you for interview against other BM6 applicants only. If you meet two of the university criteria instead, Southampton may lower its BM5 offer from AAA to AAB.
| How it helps | What that means for you |
|---|---|
| A three-grade lower offer (BM6) | BBB or above including Biology and one additional science, against AAA for BM5. The accepted second science list is also unusually wide: Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Sociology, Environmental Studies or Geography. |
| A separate ranking pool (BM6) | This is the mechanism applicants most often miss. BM6 applicants are ranked by UCAT against other BM6 applicants for BM6's own selection days — not against the BM5 field. You are competing with people in similar circumstances, not with the whole national applicant pool. |
| A lower GCSE bar (BM6) | 5 GCSEs at grade C/4 including English Language, Maths and either Biology and Chemistry, Combined Science, or Science and Additional Science — against 7 at grade B/6 for BM5. |
| A full introductory year (BM6) | Year 0 is taught in small, interactive groups covering physiology, anatomy and biochemistry, with practical sessions at the Centre for Learning Anatomical Sciences and clinical placements, before you join the BM5 cohort in year 1. |
| Healthcare support worker shifts and strong pastoral support | Southampton publishes that you will attend shifts as a healthcare support worker to experience multi-professional teamwork, and get support from personal academic tutors, the faculty senior tutor team, peer support and mentoring. |
| A one-grade reduction on BM5 instead (A100) | "Any BM5 Home (UK) School Leaver applicant who meets two of the University contextual admissions criteria will be considered for the contextual A Level entry requirement" — AAB including Biology and one additional science, instead of AAA. |
| Bursaries | Household income under £36,200 may qualify you for a University of Southampton bursary towards living costs. There are specific bursaries for care leavers and for students estranged from their parents. |
One practical note: Southampton's own contextual admissions page sits at a URL with a typo in the university's own spelling — southampton.ac.uk/study/contexual-admissions, missing a "t" from "contextual". If a search engine cannot find it, that is why.
For how every other school handles this, see see every UK medical and dental school's widening participation scheme.
| Fee Status | Annual Tuition |
|---|---|
| Home (UK) — Year 0 and Years 1–5 | £10,050 per year |
| EU and International | Not applicable. Southampton states: "This course is not available to EU and international students." |
Source: Southampton's own BM6 course page for academic year 2027–28, which reads "Fees for a year's study: UK students pay £10,050." Your tuition fee covers the full cost of tuition and all examinations, but not vaccinations, travel to placements, living costs, or retake and professional exam fees — budget for those separately. If your household income is under £36,200 a year you may be eligible for a University of Southampton bursary towards living costs, and there are specific bursaries for care leavers and students estranged from their parents.
Applying to medical school requires more than meeting the minimum entry requirements. Here are practical steps to strengthen your application:
For an overview of all UK medical schools and how they compare, see the UK Medical Schools hub page.
No. You graduate with exactly the same BMBS degree as BM5 students. The foundation year is not specified on your final qualification.
No. You can only apply to one Southampton medicine programme per cycle. If you meet BM6 eligibility criteria and the lower entry requirements suit your predicted grades, BM6 may be the better choice.
Southampton will ask for evidence such as proof of household income, school performance data, or documentation of care status. Be prepared to provide supporting documents after submitting your UCAS application.
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Enquiries email | enquiries@southampton.ac.uk — the address Southampton publishes on the BM6 course page for applicants unsure whether they have the right experience or qualifications |
| Phone | +44 (0)23 8059 5000 |
| Course page | southampton.ac.uk — Medicine BM6 Widening Participation |
| Address | University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton SO17 1BJ |
| Campuses used by this course | Highfield, University Hospital Southampton and Southampton City Centre |
Most applicants treat the medical school application as a series of separate hurdles: the UCAT, personal statement, work experience, university selection, and interviews. They try to solve each one independently. This creates a fragmented approach where the pieces never add up.
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The result: 93% of our students receive at least one offer. If they don't, they come back next year for free.
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Last updated: February 2026
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