Matching Subjects to University Courses

If you already have a university course in mind — even a rough idea — your A-Level choices should start there. Working backwards from your target degree to the A-Levels you need is far more effective than choosing A-Levels first and hoping they align with your future plans.

This lesson provides a comprehensive guide to matching A-Level subjects to university courses, covering every major degree area and the specific requirements you need to be aware of.

---

The Matching Process

flowchart TD
    A["Step 1: What might I study at university?"] --> B["Step 2: What A-Levels do those courses require?"]
    B --> C["Step 3: What A-Levels do they prefer?"]
    C --> D["Step 4: What grades do they need?"]
    D --> E["Step 5: Choose subjects that satisfy requirements AND interest me"]

---

Comprehensive Subject-to-Course Matching Table

This table covers the most popular university courses and their typical A-Level requirements at Russell Group universities:

University Course	Required A-Levels	Strongly Preferred	Useful But Not Required
Medicine	Biology + Chemistry	—	Maths, Physics, Psychology
Dentistry	Chemistry + Biology (or Chemistry + another science)	Biology if not required	Maths
Veterinary Science	Biology + Chemistry	—	Maths, Physics
Engineering (Mechanical, Civil, Aerospace)	Maths + Physics	Further Maths	Design Technology
Engineering (Chemical)	Maths + Chemistry	Physics	Further Maths
Engineering (Electrical/Electronic)	Maths + Physics	Further Maths	Computer Science
Computer Science (Oxbridge/Imperial)	Maths	Further Maths	Computer Science, Physics
Computer Science (most universities)	Maths (often)	Computer Science	Physics
Mathematics	Maths + Further Maths (at top universities)	—	Physics
Physics	Maths + Physics	Further Maths	—
Chemistry	Chemistry + Maths	—	Physics, Biology
Biology/Biomedical Sciences	Biology + Chemistry (often)	—	Maths
Economics (top universities)	Maths	Further Maths (for Oxbridge)	Economics
Economics (other universities)	Varies — some require Maths, some do not	—	Economics, Business
Law	None specified	Essay-based subjects (History, English, Politics)	—
English Literature	English Literature	—	History, a language
History	History	—	English Literature, Politics, a language
Psychology	Varies widely	Maths, Biology, Psychology	—
Architecture	Art/Design portfolio required	Maths or Physics (for some)	—
Modern Languages	At least one target language	—	Another language, History
Politics/International Relations	None usually specified	History, Politics, English, Economics	—
Geography	Geography	—	Maths, Biology, Environmental Science
Pharmacy	Chemistry + one from Biology/Maths/Physics	—	Biology preferred
Nursing	Varies — often Biology or another science	—	Health and Social Care
Education/Teaching	Related to the subject you want to teach	—	Varies by primary/secondary

---

Working Backwards: Subject Pathways

If You Are Considering STEM

flowchart TD
    A[Interested in STEM?] --> B{Which area?}
    B --> C[Physical Sciences/Engineering]
    B --> D[Life Sciences/Medicine]
    B --> E[Computer Science/Technology]
    B --> F[Mathematics]
    C --> G["MUST: Maths + Physics"]
    D --> H["MUST: Biology + Chemistry"]
    E --> I["MUST: Maths. USEFUL: Further Maths, CS, Physics"]
    F --> J["MUST: Maths + Further Maths"]
    G --> K["Third subject: Further Maths, Chemistry, CS, or anything you enjoy"]
    H --> L["Third subject: Maths, Physics, Psychology, or anything you enjoy"]
    I --> M["Third subject: Physics, Further Maths, or anything you enjoy"]
    J --> N["Third subject: Physics, CS, or anything you enjoy"]

If You Are Considering Humanities

Most humanities degrees do not have rigid A-Level requirements. However, there are clear preferences: