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Learn About Our Programme See How We Can Support Your Application →Northern Ireland's newest medical school, offering innovative medical education in the heart of Derry~Londonderry
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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 If you spot something that looks out of date, tell us and we will check it.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
Considering Ulster Medicine? Here's a complete breakdown of entry requirements, admissions criteria, and the application process for 2026 entry.
Ulster University School of Medicine is one of the UK's newest medical schools, having welcomed its first cohort of students in September 2021. Based in the vibrant city of Derry~Londonderry, the school was established to address the healthcare workforce needs of Northern Ireland and the wider region.
Ulster's medical degree is a 4-year Graduate Entry Medicine programme (A101). Unlike most UK medical schools, Ulster does not offer a standard 5-year undergraduate (A100) route for school leavers and does not use the UCAT — applicants sit the GAMSAT instead. As a new medical school, Ulster offers a modern, innovative curriculum designed with input from healthcare professionals, patients, and students, emphasising community-based learning, digital health, and preparation for the healthcare challenges of the future. Students benefit from smaller cohort sizes, allowing for more personalised support and teaching.
The location in Northern Ireland offers students an excellent quality of life with significantly lower living costs compared to other UK cities, while still providing access to high-quality clinical training across the region's NHS trusts.
Considering Ulster University School of Medicine? Future Doc's Predictable Offer Protocol™ coordinates every element of your application as one interconnected system, from GAMSAT preparation to university selection to interview readiness. 93% of our students receive at least one offer. Find out how it works.
UCAS Code: A101 | 4 years
Ulster's only medicine programme: an accelerated 4-year graduate entry course for those who already hold a degree. Applicants sit the GAMSAT rather than the UCAT. Ulster does not offer a standard 5-year undergraduate (A100) route.
View full entry requirementsThe following requirements apply to Ulster's 4-year Graduate Entry Medicine programme (A101), which is open to graduates from a wide range of science and non-science backgrounds.
| Qualification | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Degree Classification | Minimum 2:1 honours degree in any discipline (science or non-science) |
| Masters Alternative | A Masters qualification at a minimum of 60% overall is also accepted |
| Timing | Qualifications must be completed by the end of June in the year of entry, with results confirmed by mid-July |
| Admissions Test | GAMSAT (the UCAT is not used for this programme) |
| Previous Medical Study | Applicants who have previously studied, or are currently studying, at another UK, Ireland or international medical school will not normally be considered. Ulster checks every applicant against the Medical Schools Council excluded student database. An exception is possible where you withdrew because of an extenuating circumstance, if you set this out in your UCAS personal statement — you will then need a letter from your previous medical school confirming your academic and professional standing at the point of withdrawal. |
| MMI Attempts | There is no limit on applications, but a maximum of two attempts at the MMI. If you have sat the Ulster MBBS MMI twice without an offer, "a further UCAS application is unlikely to be considered." |
All applicants to Ulster's Graduate Entry Medicine programme must sit the GAMSAT (Graduate Medical School Admissions Test) rather than the UCAT. Ulster uses the GAMSAT alongside your degree as part of a holistic selection process.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Test Required | GAMSAT (UCAT is not accepted) |
| How GAMSAT is Used | Combined with your degree to rank applicants for the interview stage |
| Section Minimum | A minimum score of 50 in each section of the GAMSAT |
| Overall Threshold | Set competitively each year based on the applications received, and not published in advance. For reference, Ulster states that on 2020–2025 data the average overall GAMSAT score of candidates invited for interview was 59. |
| Contextual / WP Threshold | Not published — Ulster publishes no reduced GAMSAT threshold for any applicant group |
| Other Pre-offer Conditions | Pass the Multiple Mini Interview assessment; a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure from AccessNI or other relevant authority; a medical declaration; and occupational health clearance |
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Annual places | Not published |
| Places for GB applicants | Not published — "differs year on year depending on the calibre of the applicant field" |
| Applications per place | Not published |
| Interview invitations | Not published |
| Average GAMSAT of those interviewed | 59 overall (2020–2025 data, published by Ulster) |
"As a newer medical school, Ulster offers a real opportunity for graduates who might be overlooked elsewhere. They're building something special in Derry, with a modern curriculum and genuine focus on community medicine. The GAMSAT is important, but they take a genuinely holistic view of applications. If you can demonstrate genuine motivation and understanding of healthcare, particularly in underserved communities, you'll resonate with their mission."
— Dr. Ash, Future Doc
Ulster University uses a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format to assess candidates. This approach allows them to evaluate a range of skills and attributes across several stations.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) |
| Structure | Multiple stations, each assessing different competencies |
| Number of Stations | Not published |
| Attempts Allowed | A maximum of two. After two unsuccessful Ulster MBBS MMIs, "a further UCAS application is unlikely to be considered." |
| What's Assessed | Communication, ethical reasoning, problem-solving, teamwork, motivation |
Preparing for your Ulster University School of interview? Future Doc's Think Like a Doctor™ module includes university-specific practice, high-pressure simulations, and an intensive In-Person Interview Day. Our near-100% interview-to-offer conversion rate reflects months of preparation across the full application, not just last-minute coaching. Learn more.
Ulster University values evidence of genuine interest in healthcare and understanding of what a career in medicine involves. They are looking for:
The school recognises that access to clinical experience varies, and will consider a range of evidence demonstrating your commitment to and understanding of healthcare.
Considered on a case-by-case basis
Ulster University may consider applicants who have resit their A-Levels depending on circumstances. Contact the admissions team directly for specific guidance on your situation.
Yes
Re-applicants are welcome to apply again. You should be able to demonstrate how your application has strengthened since your previous attempt.
Welcomed, but priority goes to NI and ROI residents
| Applicant Group | Position |
|---|---|
| Ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland | Priority — Ulster states that "priority is given to students who are ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland" |
| Great Britain | A smaller number of places. "The number of places available for GB applicants differs year on year depending on the calibre of the applicant field." |
| International | Welcomed — "We also encourage applications from international applicants who are keen to join the medical workforce in Northern Ireland." Apply through Ulster's International Portal rather than UCAS. Number of places not published. |
English language requirement for international applicants: Academic IELTS with an overall score of 7.5 and no less than 7.0 in each band, or a degree taught in a majority English-speaking country as defined by UKVI. Trinity ISE Pass at level III also meets the requirement for student visa purposes. International entry queries: internationaladmissions@ulster.ac.uk.
Applicants are not required to demonstrate knowledge of the Northern Ireland health system during selection, but are expected to show insight into the work of a doctor and commitment to working as a doctor after graduation.
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.
This is worth saying plainly, because the absence is easy to misread as something you have not found yet. Ulster University publishes no contextual admissions offer, no grade or degree-classification reduction, no reduced GAMSAT threshold, no separate widening participation pool and no guaranteed interview for its MBBS Medicine programme.
We read the live course pages for both 2026/27 and 2027/28 entry and swept Ulster's full sitemap. Neither course page contains the words "contextual", "widening", "deprivation", "disadvantage", or any reference to the Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure. Ulster's "Widening Access and Participation" unit sits within its Centre for Flexible Education and Widening Participation and runs outreach and personal development courses; it does not publish an admissions concession that applies to the MBBS.
Part of the reason is that Northern Ireland genuinely runs a different framework. There is no POLAR4 and no English Index of Multiple Deprivation here, and the contextual data infrastructure that English schools draw on does not map across.
Ulster's published answer to under-representation is geographic, not socio-economic:
| How it helps | What that means for you |
|---|---|
| Residency priority for NI and ROI applicants | "Northern Ireland continues to face an unprecedented medical workforce shortage… Our School of Medicine is part of the Northern Ireland Executive's approach to addressing this shortage of doctors and therefore priority is given to students who are ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland, with a smaller number of places for GB applicants." If you are an NI or ROI resident, this is a real structural advantage — but it is a workforce measure, not a contextual admissions scheme, and it carries no grade reduction, no GAMSAT concession and no interview guarantee. |
| Graduate entry with no subject requirements | The programme design itself is the widening-access mechanism. A 2:1 in any discipline, science or non-science, qualifies you. Ulster addresses this directly: "Perhaps you did not achieve the GCSE grades you had hoped for; or perhaps you were not sure whether to study arts or sciences at A level and opted for arts-based subjects… In our School of Medicine, you now have a chance to fulfil your ambition to become a doctor." If your school record closed the door on medicine, this route reopens it. |
| A route in for arts and humanities graduates | "Applicants with non-science backgrounds bring unique and important skills and experience to both their studies and their eventual care of patients. This is why we welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds." |
| Health conditions and disability considered individually | "A long term health condition of your own is not in itself a reason not to apply to study medicine", with an individual approach taken using Occupational Health professionals to put support in place. |
Every school does this differently, and the differences are worth knowing before you build your shortlist — see every UK medical and dental school's widening participation scheme.
Northern Ireland is a separate fee system. The England fee cap does not apply here, and Ulster charges three different rates depending on where you are ordinarily resident. Do not read an English "Home (UK)" figure across to this course.
| Fee Status | Annual Tuition 2027/28 | Annual Tuition 2026/27 (latest published) |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, and EU Settlement Status | TBC | £4,985.00 |
| England, Scotland, Wales and the Islands | TBC | £9,790.00 |
| International | TBC | £39,630.00 |
| International clinical placement levy (payable on top of tuition, in each of the 4 years) | TBC | £12,133 |
Ulster's 2027/28 course page states: "Undergraduate fees are subject to annual review, 2027/28 fees will be announced in due course." The 2026/27 figures above are taken from Ulster's own 2026/27 MBBS course page and are shown so you can see the shape of the fee structure — they are not the 2027/28 rates. Expect an increase: Ulster warns that "fees illustrated are based on academic year 26/27 entry and are subject to an annual increase."
THE CLINICAL PLACEMENT LEVY (INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS)
The Northern Ireland Department of Health introduced a mandatory clinical placement levy for all new international medical students from 2019/20 onwards, to cover access to clinical placements in the Northern Ireland Health and Social Care system. Ulster is explicit that it "is NOT included in the tuition fee quoted above and is payable in addition to the fee quoted in each of the 4 years of study." At the 2026/27 rate of £12,133 a year, that is roughly £48,500 on top of tuition across the course. The levy is reviewed regularly and is subject to change.
Tuition fee loans are available to eligible medical students from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Ulster also notes that the MBBS programme runs longer than the usual 33 weeks for student accommodation, which will mean higher living costs than a standard degree, and that you will need a smartphone or other handheld device for assessments and accessing materials on clinical placement.
The 4-year MBBS Graduate Entry programme is designed around an innovative, integrated curriculum that builds on the academic skills graduates already bring:
Accelerated foundational biomedical sciences integrated with early clinical exposure. Students begin developing clinical skills and patient contact from the first year, with a strong emphasis on community-based learning.
Systems-based learning with increasing clinical exposure across a range of settings. Students rotate through clinical specialties and prepare for the Foundation Programme, including elective opportunities and preparation for life as a junior doctor.
Students train across Northern Ireland's NHS trusts and healthcare settings:
"What I love about Ulster is their genuine focus on community medicine and primary care. They're training doctors for the real challenges of modern healthcare, not just hospital-based acute medicine. The smaller cohort sizes mean you get more individual attention, and the cost of living in Derry is a fraction of what you'd pay in London or other major cities. For the right student, it's an excellent choice."
— Dr. Ash, Future Doc
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.
Ulster's Graduate Entry Medicine programme uses the GAMSAT, not the UCAT. Ulster does not publish a fixed GAMSAT cut-off; it takes a holistic approach, considering your GAMSAT score alongside your degree and other factors. Places are limited, so a competitive GAMSAT score is important.
Yes, Ulster University School of Medicine offers a modern, innovative curriculum designed for contemporary healthcare challenges. While it's one of the UK's newest medical schools, this means a fresh approach to medical education with smaller cohorts and personalised support. The programme has been developed with input from healthcare professionals, patients, and students.
No. Ulster offers only the 4-year Graduate Entry Medicine programme (A101), which requires a degree and the GAMSAT. There is no standard 5-year undergraduate (A100) route for school leavers, so school leavers without a degree should apply to other UK medical schools.
Not necessarily easier, but different. Newer medical schools may receive fewer applications initially, but they still have rigorous selection processes. They may look for different qualities and appreciate genuine interest in their specific mission and approach.
Derry~Londonderry offers an excellent quality of life with significantly lower living costs than most UK cities. It's a vibrant, historic city with a friendly community, excellent cultural scene, and beautiful natural surroundings. Students typically find it very welcoming.
Focus on a strong 2:1 degree, prepare thoroughly for the GAMSAT, and demonstrate genuine understanding of community healthcare and the challenges facing the NHS. Most applicants treat these as separate tasks, which is why the national success rate is just 16%. Future Doc's Predictable Offer Protocol coordinates every element as one interconnected system, which is why 93% of their students receive at least one offer.
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.
Future Doc works differently. Through the Predictable Offer Protocol, a dedicated coach who knows your complete profile coordinates every element of your application as one interconnected system. Every decision is made with the full picture in mind.
The result: 93% of our students receive at least one offer. If they don't, they come back next year for free.
Find Out How It Works
Last updated: February 2026. Information verified against Ulster University admissions pages and Medical Schools Council guidance.
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