A Levels

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to present at least three full GCE A Levels for entry to our undergraduate courses.

It is important that the subjects you study at A Level provide you with the preparation required for your chosen degree course. In many cases, our offers require applicants to achieve a certain grade in a relevant subject. We also look for a suitable overall combination of subjects. In particular, we advise applicants to avoid studying combinations of very similar subjects.

If you are at the point of making your A Level subject choices, and are thinking about subsequently applying to the University of Sheffield, these lists indicate which combinations provide the best preparation for a Sheffield degree and may help you to decide which subjects to pick.

Alternatively, if you have already applied to Sheffield, you might have received an offer which specifies that you achieve particular grades in 'acceptable subjects' as defined on this page.

If you have any questions about our A Level subject requirements, please contact our Admissions Service.

Acceptable A Level Subjects

The table below lists A Level subjects which develop the knowledge-based, theoretical and conceptual learning most relevant to courses at Sheffield. Some of our courses will require A Level students to present one or two A levels from this list. In these cases the requirement will be included in the relevant online prospectus entry.

Students studying the Advanced Diploma plus one A Level, the Welsh Baccalaureate plus two A Levels, or Level 3 BTECs with A Levels, are normally required to present A Level subjects from this list only.

A-G	G-T
Accounting	Geology
Biology	Government and Politics
Business Studies	History
Classics	Languages*
Chemistry	Law
Computer Science	Mathematics
Economics	Music
English Language	Philosophy
English Literature	Physics
English Language and Literature (Combined)	Psychology
Environmental Studies	Religious Studies
Further Mathematics	Sociology
Geography	Theatre/Performance Studies (including Drama and Theatre Studies Combined)

*Languages includes modern foreign/community languages taken as individual subjects (for example French, Spanish, Urdu, Gujarati) and classical languages (for example Biblical Hebrew, Latin). For some courses, we may not be able to accept a language qualification designed for non-native speakers when presented by a native speaker. Where this is the case, it will be indicated in the relevant course listing in our online prospectus. Affected students should contact the Admissions Service for advice on the suitability of their qualifications portfolio.

A Level Subjects Acceptable in Combination

The table below lists A Level subjects which primarily develop practical and/or applied learning. Some of our courses only consider these subjects for entry where they are offered with one or two A Levels from the list of acceptable A Level subjects above. In these cases the requirement will be included in the relevant online prospectus entry.

A-E	D-P
Applied Art and Design	Dance
Applied Business	Film Studies
Applied Information and Communication Technology (ICT)	Health and Social Care
Applied Science	Music Technology
Art and Design	Performing Arts/Drama
Criminology	Physical Education

You can find details of the requirements for specific degree courses in our prospectus:

Online prospectus

We also welcome applications from candidates with International A Levels from Cambridge International Exams (CIE), Pearson/Edexcel, Oxford International AQA Exams and Learning Resource Network (LRN). Grade requirements can be considered the same as for UK A Levels.

We have specific policies on resitting and taking A Levels early, which may vary depending on the course you are applying for. We have also issued a statement on the reforms to A Levels introduced from September 2015. All of this information and more can be found on the qualifications policies page

You can find details of the other UK qualifications we accept on our other UK qualifications webpage.