Academic requirements: Geology and Environmental Earth Sciences (International Year One) - September

This page includes a list of approved qualifications and required grades for students applying for the Geology and Environmental Earth Sciences (International Year One) programme starting in September.

The University makes offers on a holistic basis looking at a complete application. We will consider your academic results along with your personal statement, a reference from your school and your English language evidence. Where your academic grades are slightly below our entry requirements, please address this in your personal statement and reference.

To be eligible, your high school qualifications must have been achieved no more than three years ago.

Students who have already studied at college or university are not typically eligible for foundation at St Andrews.

International School Qualifications

We can consider you for this foundation programme at St Andrews if:

    • you have studied a mixed or dual curriculum, such as a national high school diploma PLUS partial or full completion of A Levels, AP courses or the IB Diploma or Certificate.
    • your highest qualification from school is IGCSEs. We typically require a minimum of six IGCSEs, with AAAABB grades to include As in at least two sciences.
    • your highest qualification from school is AS Levels. We typically require a minimum of two AS Levels with grades AB (A in a science). We only consider applicants with AS Levels where evidence can be provided that continuing to study for full A-levels (which would allow for direct application to BSc Geology or Environmental Earth Sciences) is not possible.

If you have completed, or are in the process of completing, a full A-Level programme, the IB Diploma, certification by an Education Board in India, a US Diploma and APs, or any other qualification which is accepted for application to undergraduate programmes at the University of St Andrews, we cannot consider you for foundation at St Andrews, irrespective of grades achieved.

National School Qualifications

Search the table below by qualification or by country. If your qualification is not listed, please contact us by email at ifp@st-andrews.ac.uk to check your entry requirements.  

Please note that the grades below are a guide only.

Country Academic qualification Typical required grades

Afghanistan

Graduation certificate / Baccalauria

80% overall and 80% in two sciences

Algeria

Baccalauréat de l'Enseignement Secondaire

14 overall and 15 in two sciences

Angola

Habilitação Literárias

16 overall and 17 in two sciences

Argentina

Titulo de Bachiller

8.5/10 overall and 8.5 in two sciences

Azerbaijan

Attestat

5.0 in two sciences and 4.5/5 overall

Bahrain

GED/Thanawiya

90% overall and 90% in two sciences

Bangladesh

High School Certificate or Alim (SSC or Dakhil not accepted)

3.9 overall and A in two sciences

Belarus

Attestat

8.0/10 overall and 8.0 in two sciences

Bolivia

Diploma de Bachiller en Humanidades

90/100 overall and 90 in two sciences

Brazil

Ensino Medio

7.5/10 overall and 7.5 in two sciences

Chile

Enseñanza Media/Licencia de Educación

6.5 overall and 6.5 in two sciences

China

High School

Min 2 years: 80% in 5 subjects, including two sciences

Colombia

Bachillerato

4.2 or 85% overall and in two sciences

Costa Rica

Titulo de Bachiller (Academic Stream)

90% overall and 90% in two sciences

Cyprus

Apolytírio Lykeíou

17 overall and 17 in two sciences

Ecuador

Titulo de Bachiller Académico

8.5/10 or 17/20 overall and in two sciences

Egypt

GED/ Thanawiya

85% overall and 85% in two sciences

EU

With the exception of the Greek Apolytírio (see Greece, below), 

EU qualifications are not eligible for foundation, irrespective of grades achieved. 

 

Apply directly to our undergraduate programmes

Georgia

Atestati

6.0/7 or 3.2/4 or 8/10 overall in two sciences

Ghana

WASSCE

B2 overall and B2 in two sciences

Greece

Apolytírio Genikoú Lykeíou

17 overall and 17 in two sciences

Hong Kong

High school

Form 5 ONLY: 70% overall, 75% in two sciences

India

Qualifications certified by the Education Boards in India are recognised for our undergraduate programmes and are therefore not eligible for foundation, irrespective of grades achieved. 

Apply directly to our undergraduate programmes. 

Indonesia

STTB SMA

7 or 70 points overall and in two sciences

Iran

High School Diploma - Theoretical Stream 3 years

16/20 (with at least 16/20 in two sciences)

Iraq

Secondary School Certificate

90% overall and 90% in two sciences

Ivory Coast

WASSCE

Diplome de Bachelier de l'enseignement du Second Degre

B2 overall and in sciences

16/20 overall with 17/20 in sciences

Japan

Year 2 or Year 3 of Senior High School

4.0/5 or B+ or 7/10 overall and in two sciences (Year 2 considered case by-case)

Jordan

GED/GSE Tawjihi

4.0/5 or 80% overall and in two sciences

Kazakhstan

Attestat

5.0 overall and 5.0 in two sciences

Korea

Year 2 or Year 3 of Senior High School

70% overall and 70% in two sciences (Year 2 considered case by-case)

Kuwait

GED/Thanawiya

90% overall and 90% in two sciences

Lebanon

Baccalaureate

15 overall and 15 in two sciences

Malaysia

SPM

SPM A+ in two sciences or UEC A2 overall

Mexico

Bachillerato

4.5/5 or 8 or 80% in two sciences

Morocco

Baccalauréat

14.5/20 overall and 14.5 in two sciences

Myanmar

HS Education Certificate

90% overall and 90& in two sciences

Nigeria

WASSCE

B2 overall and in two sciences

Oman

GED/Thanawiya

90% overall and 90% in two sciences

Pakistan

High School Certificate

75% overall and 80% in two sciences

Papua New Guinea

Upper Secondary School Certificate

A overall and A in two sciences

Peru

Certificate of Secondary Education

18 overall and 18 in two sciences

Philippines

High School Diploma

From Form 5 or 6 (Grade 11 or 12), 3.2/4 or 80% overall and in two sciences

Qatar

GED/Thanawiya

90% overall and 90% in two sciences

Russia

Attestat

5.0 overall and 5.0 in two sciences

Saudi Arabia

GED/Thanawiya

90% overall and 90% in two sciences

Senegal

WASSCE

Diplome de Bachelier de l'enseignement du Second Degre

B2 overall and in sciences

16/20 overall with 17/20 in sciences 

Taiwan

Senior High School Certificate (SHS3) SH2

70% overall and in two sciences

75% overall and in two sciences

Tajikistan

Certificate of Completed Education

5 overall and 5 in two sciences

Thailand

Matthayom 6

Matthayom 5

GPA 3.0 overall with 3.0 in two sciences

GPA 3.2 overall with 3.2 in two sciences (considered case-by-case)

Tunisia

Examen National du Baccalauréat

14 overall and 15 in two sciences (bien)

Turkey

Diplomasi

70% overall and 75% in two sciences

United Arab Emirates

GED/Thanawiya

90% overall and 90% in two sciences

Ukraine

Certificate of Completed Education

10 overall and in two sciences

UK 

Students educated in the UK OR those with 3 full A Levels are not typically eligible for foundation, irrespective of grades achieved. 

 

We can consider international students with IGCSEs and AS Levels. 

 

Apply directly to our undergraduate programmes. 

 

 

AAAABB at IGCSE, OR 

AB at AS Level. To include an A in science 

Uruguay

Titulo de Bachillerato

8 overall and 8 in two sciences

USA

Students educated in the USA OR those with a full US-accredited High School Diploma with APs are not typically eligible for foundation, irrespective of grades achieved. 

 

We can consider international students with a US diploma or dual qualification such as a national diploma and AP courses or SAT. 

Apply directly to our undergraduate programmes. 

 

 

 

Email us to confirm our entry requirement. 

Uzbekistan

O'rta Ma'lumot To'g'risida Shahodatnoma

5.0 or A’lo overall and in two sciences

Venezuela

Titulo de Bachiller

18 overall and in two sciences

Vietnam

Graduation Diploma

8 overall and in two sciences

Zambia

Zambia GCE

3 overall and 2 in two sciences