Intercalation at UK medical schools: built in, optional or not offered (2027 entry)
7 of the 50 UK medical schools with an intercalation record build an intercalated degree into the course for every student — Cambridge, Edinburgh, Imperial College London, Nottingham, Oxford, St Andrews and UCL — and 6 of those courses run six years. 37 offer it as an optional extra year, and 6 courses do not normally offer one. This applies to 2027 entry as each course is currently structured.
Intercalated degrees at every UK medical school
| School | Intercalation | Course length | What the school says | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AberdeenAberdeen | Optional extra year | 5 years | An optional one-year intercalated BSc (Hons) in Medical Sciences (Honours Year) or Medical Sciences (Medical Humanities), usually taken after year 3 but possible after year 4. Intercalated master's degrees (an MPH and several MScs) are open only to students who have completed four years of the MBChB or already hold a bachelor's degree. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| Anglia Ruskin (ARU)Chelmsford | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional intercalated BSc - limited spaces. | Checked 14 Aug 2026 |
| Aston UniversityBirmingham | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional but strongly encouraged, normally after Year 3 (it can also follow Year 4). Aston's own options include a BSc in Biomedicine or Biological Sciences, an MBiol, and MSc, MRes and MPH programmes including AI for Health and Public Health. For students on Aston programmes, Home-rate postgraduate tuition is paid and there is an annual stipend, paid monthly, of £20,780 in 2026-27. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| Barts and The London (Queen Mary)London | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional. Queen Mary offers eight intercalated BSc (iBSc) degrees, taken after year 2, 3 or 4: Experimental Pathology, Global Medical Humanities, Global Public Health, Medical Education (suspended for 2026/27), Neuroscience, Pharmacology and Innovative Therapeutics, Prehospital Medicine, and Sports and Exercise Medicine. Intercalated MScs are available after year 3 or 4, and a three-year MB PhD can be joined after year 3 or 4. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| BirminghamBirmingham | Optional extra year | 5 years | Available, usually between year 2 and year 3. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| Brighton & Sussex (BSMS)Brighton | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional. Numbers are capped at 40% of the cohort, with priority given to those without a prior degree. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| BristolBristol | Optional extra year | 5 years | Offered between years 3 and 4, at bachelor's or master's level. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| Brunel Medical SchoolUxbridge | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional intercalated BSc - limited spaces. | Checked 14 Aug 2026 |
| BuckinghamBuckingham | Not normally offered | 4.5 years | Not standard (accelerated programme). | Checked 14 Aug 2026 |
| CambridgeCambridge | Built into the course | 6 years | Built in — year 3 is an intercalated year for every student. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| CardiffCardiff | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional extra year after Year 3 or Year 4, for a BSc or MSc. About 100 Cardiff medical students can intercalate each year. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| Chester Medical School (GEM)Chester | Not normally offered | 4 years (graduate entry) | Not standard. | Checked 14 Aug 2026 |
| DundeeDundee | Optional extra year | 5 years | An optional one-year intercalated BMSc (Hons), taken between years 3 and 4, with nine subjects on offer. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| Edge HillOrmskirk | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional: a 12-month master's taken between Years 3 and 4, open to students who pass all Year 3 summative assessments. Options include Edge Hill MRes, MSc and MA programmes, and a limited number of funded places come with a stipend. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| EdinburghEdinburgh | Built into the course | 6 years | Built in — year 3 is the honours BMedSci research year. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| ExeterExeter, Devon, England, UK | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional and competitive, between Years 3 and 4. Roughly the top quartile on Year 3 assessments get an automatic offer, and the second quartile compete for any remaining places. There are ten BSc and ten master's options. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| GlasgowGlasgow | Optional extra year | 5 years | A one-year intercalated BSc with over 20 options, or a two-year BSc (Hons), taken between years 3 and 4. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| HertfordshireHatfield | Optional extra year | 5 years | An optional extra year between years 4 and 5 to take an MSc in any subject area at the University of Hertfordshire, open to students who have passed years 1 to 3. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| Hull York (HYMS)Hull/York | Optional extra year | 5 years | An optional additional year, with options including clinical anatomy, immunology and infection, neuroscience, pharmacology and drug development, public health, and health professions education. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| Imperial College LondonLondon | Built into the course | 6 years (BSc built in) | Not a separate option — the BSc is integral to the six-year course. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| KeeleStaffordshire | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional 12-month intercalation: a bachelor's degree after Year 2, or a bachelor's or master's degree after Year 4, at Keele or another university. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| Kent and Medway (KMMS)Canterbury/Medway | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional extra year, usually taken after year 3 or year 4, open to students who have passed every stage at the first attempt. KMMS offers its own intercalated MSc in Clinical Education, and NIHR funding covers full fees and a stipend for eight intercalated master's places in 2026-27. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| King's College London (KCL)London | Optional extra year | 5 years (6 with intercalation) | Optional one-year BSc between Stages 2 and 3, spanning clinical and biomedical sciences and the humanities. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| LancasterLancaster | Optional extra year | 5 years | Offered between years 4 and 5, at bachelor's or master's level. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| LeedsLeeds | Optional extra year | 5 years | Available after year 2, 3 or 4. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| LeicesterLeicester | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional, and the school encourages it. An iBSc can be taken after year 2 or 3, or an iMSc after year 3, making the course six years. Leicester's own programmes are the iMSc in Clinical Education, iLLM in Health Law, and iMScs in Healthcare Management, Medical Research and Psychology. Students can also intercalate at other universities. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| Lincoln Medical SchoolLincoln | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional intercalated BMedSci. | Checked 14 Aug 2026 |
| LiverpoolLiverpool | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional, usually between years 3 and 4: a BSc, a taught master's or a research master's, at Liverpool or elsewhere. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| ManchesterManchester | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional: a one-year BSc after Year 2, 3 or 4, a master's after Year 3 or 4, or a three-year MB-PhD in Cancer Sciences starting between Years 3 and 4. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| NewcastleNewcastle | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional: after Year 2, the final year of a School of Biomedical Sciences honours BSc; after Year 4, a postgraduate taught or research degree. Either route needs the year before it passed at the first attempt, and equivalent programmes elsewhere need the Degree Programme Director's approval. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| North Wales (Bangor)Bangor | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional via Cardiff partnership. | Checked 14 Aug 2026 |
| Norwich (UEA)Norwich | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional intercalated Master's year in Clinical Science (MRes), Clinical Education (MClinEd), Cognitive Neuroscience (MSc) or Molecular Medicine (MSc), usually taken between Years 3 and 4 or Years 4 and 5. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| NottinghamNottingham | Built into the course | 5 years | BMedSci built into the standard 5-year course (no extra year needed for many students). | Checked 14 Aug 2026 |
| OxfordOxford | Built into the course | 6 years (3 pre-clinical + 3 clinical) | Built in — every A100 student takes the four-term Final Honour School (terms 6–9, from the last term of year 2 through year 3), leading to a BA in Medical Sciences. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| Pears Cumbria (GEM)Carlisle | Not normally offered | 4 years (graduate entry) | Not standard (4-year accelerated graduate-entry). | Checked (date not recorded) |
| Peninsula (Plymouth)Plymouth | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional and selective. Some students are offered the chance to intercalate at the end of Year 4, taking a BSc, BA or Master's-level degree, and rejoin the course at the start of Year 5. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| Queen's University Belfast (QUB)Belfast | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional extra year. An intercalated BSc in Medical Sciences is usually taken after Year 2 or 3 (it is also possible after Year 4), and an intercalated Master's after Year 3 or 4. Students who do not pass the AKT at the first attempt cannot intercalate after Year 4. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| SheffieldSheffield | Optional extra year | 5 years | An intercalated year is available. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| SouthamptonSouthampton | Optional extra year | 5 years | Between year 3 and year 4 you can apply for a Master of Medical Science or MSc at Southampton, or an iBSc or MSc at another university. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| St AndrewsSt Andrews | Built into the course | 6 years (3 at St Andrews + 3 clinical) | Built in — the honours programme runs through years 2 and 3, and the BSc (Hons) Medicine is awarded at the end of year 3, before transfer to the partner school. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| St George'sLondon | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional and not required for the MBBS. After passing years 1 and 2 you can take an intercalated BSc (iBSc) at City St George's or another university, or you can apply competitively after year 3 for an intercalated master's; City St George's options include an MSc, MRes and MA. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| St Mary's TwickenhamTwickenham, London | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional. Students who have successfully completed year 3 can apply for a one-year BSc, MSc or MRes at St Mary’s or another approved institution, then return to the MBBS in year 4. Additional tuition fees apply for the extra year. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| SunderlandSunderland | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional. Most often taken after Year 4, as a master's such as an MRes, MA or MMEd, and after Year 3 may be possible case by case. The course page also lists a BSc after Year 2. You apply by expression of interest, and the intercalated year starts in August and lasts 12 months. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| Surrey (GEM)Guildford | Not normally offered | 4 years (graduate entry) | Not standard (4-year accelerated graduate-entry). | Checked 14 Aug 2026 |
| Swansea (GEM)Swansea | Optional extra year | 4 years (graduate entry) | Optional, and all students are encouraged to consider it. For graduate-entry students the recommended point to take an intercalated master's is between the end of Year 2 and the return to Year 3. Nine master's courses are offered. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| UCLLondon | Built into the course | 6 years (integrated BSc built in) | Built in — the six-year programme is inclusive of the integrated BSc. Graduate entrants with UK degrees are exempt. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| Ulster University Medical SchoolLondonderry | Not normally offered | 4 years (graduate entry) | Not standard (4-year accelerated graduate-entry). | Checked 14 Aug 2026 |
| University of Central Lancashire (UCLan)Preston | Optional extra year | 5 years | Optional and selective: after year 4, high-performing students may be offered an additional year to gain a master’s degree. | Course page read 11 Sept 2026 |
| Warwick (GEM)Coventry | Not normally offered | 4 years (graduate entry) | Not standard (4-year accelerated graduate-entry programme). | Checked 14 Aug 2026 |
| Worcester Medical SchoolWorcester | Optional extra year | 4 years (graduate entry) | Optional - limited spaces. | Checked 14 Aug 2026 |
How to read this table
- Basis. Where we hold a course profile for the school, the description is read from its course page on the date shown in the last column. Otherwise it is the intercalation summary in the school record, with the record’s own check date.
- Intercalation is our reading of that description: built in (every student takes it), optional (an extra year you can apply for, often competitive), or not normally offered (mostly four-year graduate-entry courses).
- Places on optional intercalated years can be capped; check the school’s page for numbers.
- Not published means the school’s record in our catalogue holds no figure or statement for that cell. We leave the gap visible rather than estimate it; check the school’s own admissions page.
- Last checked reports what our verification ledger records for that school: the date its record was checked against the school’s own page, a partial check, or that no check has been completed. Policies change between cycles, so the school’s own page is always the final word.
Frequently asked questions
- Which UK medical schools have compulsory intercalation?
- Cambridge, Edinburgh, Imperial College London, Nottingham, Oxford, St Andrews and UCL build an intercalated degree into the course, according to each school's course information.
- Can you intercalate at every UK medical school?
- No. 37 schools offer an optional intercalated year, but 6 courses do not normally offer one: Buckingham, Chester Medical School (GEM), Pears Cumbria (GEM), Surrey (GEM), Ulster University Medical School and Warwick (GEM). Our records hold no intercalation information for University of Greater Manchester.
- When do medical students intercalate?
- It varies by school, and the detail column quotes each school's timing — for example Aberdeen ("An optional one-year intercalated BSc (Hons) in Medical Sciences (Honours Year) or Medical Sciences (Medical Humanities), usually taken after year 3 but possible after year 4. Intercalated master's degrees (an MPH and several MScs) are open only to students who have completed four years of the MBChB or already hold a bachelor's degree."), Aston University ("Optional but strongly encouraged, normally after Year 3 (it can also follow Year 4). Aston's own options include a BSc in Biomedicine or Biological Sciences, an MBiol, and MSc, MRes and MPH programmes including AI for Health and Public Health. For students on Aston programmes, Home-rate postgraduate tuition is paid and there is an annual stipend, paid monthly, of £20,780 in 2026-27.") and Barts and The London (Queen Mary) ("Optional. Queen Mary offers eight intercalated BSc (iBSc) degrees, taken after year 2, 3 or 4: Experimental Pathology, Global Medical Humanities, Global Public Health, Medical Education (suspended for 2026/27), Neuroscience, Pharmacology and Innovative Therapeutics, Prehospital Medicine, and Sports and Exercise Medicine. Intercalated MScs are available after year 3 or 4, and a three-year MB PhD can be joined after year 3 or 4.").
- Does intercalation make medicine six years?
- Where intercalation is optional, taking it adds a year to the course. Where it is built in, the listed course length already includes it: 6 of the 7 built-in courses run six years, while Nottingham (5 years) fits it within a shorter course.
Sources
Each row is drawn from that school’s record in our catalogue, which is checked against the school’s own admissions or course page listed here.
- Aberdeen
- Anglia Ruskin (ARU)
- Aston University
- Barts and The London (Queen Mary)
- Birmingham
- Brighton & Sussex (BSMS)
- Bristol
- Brunel Medical School
- Buckingham
- Cambridge
- Cardiff
- Chester Medical School (GEM)
- Dundee
- Edge Hill
- Edinburgh
- Exeter
- Glasgow
- Hertfordshire
- Hull York (HYMS)
- Imperial College London
- Keele
- Kent and Medway (KMMS)
- King's College London (KCL)
- Lancaster
- Leeds
- Leicester
- Lincoln Medical School
- Liverpool
- Manchester
- Newcastle
- North Wales (Bangor)
- Norwich (UEA)
- Nottingham
- Oxford
- Pears Cumbria (GEM)
- Peninsula (Plymouth)
- Queen's University Belfast (QUB)
- Sheffield
- Southampton
- St Andrews
- St George's
- St Mary's Twickenham
- Sunderland
- Surrey (GEM)
- Swansea (GEM)
- UCL
- Ulster University Medical School
- University of Central Lancashire (UCLan)
- Warwick (GEM)
- Worcester Medical School
More school-by-school tables
Each table lists every school we hold a record for, links to that school’s guide and says when its row was last checked.
- Medicine entry requirementsA-level, GCSE, IB and Scottish Highers requirements with the predicted UCAT for every UK medical school.
- Medicine interview datesWhen each UK medical school interviews and when it sends decisions.
- Offer rates after interviewThe share of interviewees who receive an offer at each school, and applications per place where published.
- Contextual offers by schoolReduced A-level offers, contextual UCAT treatment and foundation-year routes, school by school.
- UCAT SJT band requirementsWhich medical and dental schools reject SJT Band 4, which ignore the SJT, and which score it.
- A-level resit policy by schoolWhich UK medical schools accept A-level resits, and the grade conditions they set.
- International students: places and eligibilityWhich UK medical schools take international applicants, their places, UCAT and offer rates.
- New UK medical schoolsThe medical schools that took their first students from 2018 onwards, with who can apply.
- Graduate entry medicine coursesEvery UK graduate-entry medicine course with its graduate UCAT line, GAMSAT rule and degree requirement.