What the universities say
Most degrees name one or two subjects, or none
Informed Choices has pages for 78 degree subjects. 26 have no essential subjects. 23 ask for a kind of subject, such as "two sciences" or "a humanities subject", and leave the choice to the student.
Science degrees rarely need three sciences
Medicine asks for Chemistry and Biology. Informed Choices says these two keep open the vast majority of medical schools; adding Maths or Physics keeps all of them open. Engineering, Computer Science, Pharmacy and most other science degrees name one or two subjects.
There is no approved list
The Russell Group no longer publishes its list of "facilitating subjects". Its advice for students who are unsure is to start with the subjects they like and are good at. Offers are made on grades.
Check a combination
Choose the three or four A-levels your child is considering. The list shows the subjects we offer in the Sixth Form. The results show what Informed Choices says about 44 popular degrees.
Or start from an example:
Look up a degree
Choose any of the 78 degrees on Informed Choices to see exactly what it says, with the subjects we offer highlighted.
Using Informed Choices yourself
Each degree page on informedchoices.ac.uk/degrees lists subjects under headings. The wording tells you how strict the requirement is.
| If the heading says | It means |
|---|---|
| "usually essential" or "required" | Most universities will expect this subject. Plan for it. |
| "one of these", "at least two science subjects", "a humanities subject" | Any subject from the list will do. Your child can choose which. |
| "sometimes required" or "may also be required" | Some universities ask for it. Check the universities your child is interested in. |
| "could be useful" or "may be helpful" | Not required. Good preparation, but other subjects are accepted. |
Four questions to ask before choosing
- Which two or three degrees is my child considering, and what does each one say is essential?
- Once those subjects are on the form, how many choices are left?
- Which subjects does my child enjoy and do well in? These are the most likely to get the grades an offer asks for.
- Have we checked the course page on two or three universities' own websites? Requirements vary, and some courses use admissions tests such as the UCAT for Medicine or the LNAT for Law.
Where our students went in 2026
Largest single courses: Medicine 25, Economics 10, Law 9, History 9, Mechanical Engineering 9, Dentistry 8.
Essay subjects alongside sciences
Classical Civilisation is named on 17 Informed Choices degree pages, including Law, History, Politics, Philosophy, International Relations and English Literature. It can be taken alongside Biology and Chemistry: on the Informed Choices tool, Biology + Chemistry + Classical Civilisation shows every degree that Biology + Chemistry + Physics does. Try it in the checker above.