There are two kinds of university subject requirement, and students routinely confuse them.
The first is a hard requirement. Maths for economics at LSE. Physics for engineering at Imperial. Without the subject, the application is rejected on eligibility, and no set of grades in anything else changes that.
The second is a preference, sometimes strongly worded, usually negotiable. Most degrees in the UK sit here or have no subject requirement at all.
Knowing which list a course sits on is the single most useful thing a Year 12 student can do in September, because subject changes are still possible in the first few weeks of term and are close to impossible after October.
The Courses With Genuinely Hard Requirements
These are the ones where the subject is not advice. Every entry below is taken from a university's own published requirements for entry in 2026 or 2027.
| Degree | Required A-level | Verified example |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | Mathematics | LSE requires Mathematics; UCL states Mathematics is an entrance requirement and advises against applying without a likely A* |
| Engineering | Mathematics, and usually Physics | Manchester asks for A*A*A in Mathematics, Physics and one other; Imperial requires an A or A* in Physics |
| Medicine | Chemistry or Biology, varying by school | UCL asks for A*AA including A*A in Chemistry and Biology; Bristol asks for AAA including Chemistry plus one of Biology, Physics or Maths |
| Physics | Mathematics and Physics | Effectively universal across the Russell Group |
| Chemistry | Chemistry, and usually Mathematics | Effectively universal across the Russell Group |
| Mathematics | Mathematics, and often Further Mathematics | Further Mathematics is required or strongly expected at the most competitive departments |
Two of those rows deserve a closer look, because both are widely misunderstood.
Economics is a maths course wearing a social science label
Students who take Economics A-level and not Mathematics regularly discover in Year 13 that they have done the opposite of what was needed. LSE, UCL and Warwick all require Mathematics for their economics degrees. None of them require A-level Economics.
If you can only take one of the two, take Mathematics. This is the most common single mistake in the whole subject choice conversation.
Medicine has more flexibility than its reputation suggests
The received wisdom is Chemistry plus Biology or nothing. That is the safest combination and it is not the only one.
The Medical Schools Council publishes the comparison, and it records at least 34 UK medicine courses where A-level Chemistry is not required, and at least 46 where Biology is not required. The requirement is usually framed as two sciences including at least one of Chemistry or Biology, rather than both.
That does not make Chemistry optional in practice. Taking both keeps every medical school open, and dropping one narrows the list rather than closing the door. But a student holding Chemistry, Maths and Physics is not locked out of medicine, and a lot of them believe they are. The current position for every school is on the Medical Schools Council entry requirements comparison.
The Courses With No Required Subject At All
This is the larger group and it gets far less attention.
| Degree | Required A-level | What actually matters |
|---|---|---|
| Law | None | Essay writing subjects and, for some universities, the LNAT |
| History | Usually History | One of the few humanities with a genuine subject requirement |
| English | English Literature, usually | English Language alone is often not accepted; check the wording |
| Psychology (BSc) | Usually none, sometimes a science | Some departments prefer a science or Maths; a BA is more relaxed than a BSc |
| Philosophy, Politics, Sociology | None | Any three academic subjects |
| Business and Management | None | Maths helps for the quantitative modules and is rarely required |
| Architecture | Usually none | A portfolio, and Maths or Physics for some technical routes |
| Computer Science | Mathematics at the competitive end | Not universal, but assume it is required at any department you would want to attend |
The pattern is that science and quantitative degrees have hard requirements and humanities and social sciences mostly do not. The exceptions, History and English, are exceptions because the degree is a continuation of the A-level rather than a new subject built on it.
What "Keeps Options Open" Actually Means
The Russell Group's Informed Choices resource exists for exactly this problem, and its core advice is worth restating plainly: if you do not know what you want to study, choose subjects that keep the most doors open.
In practice that means the following.
- Mathematics is the single highest leverage subject. It is a hard requirement for economics, engineering, physics, most computer science and most maths related degrees, and it is useful almost everywhere else. No other A-level opens as many doors.
- A second science or a second essay subject beats a third of the same. Three sciences is a strong medicine or engineering profile and a weak humanities one. Three essay subjects is the reverse. If you genuinely do not know, one of each plus Maths is the most open combination available.
- The third subject matters less than students think. With Maths and one strong academic subject in place, the third has a lot of freedom. Use it on something you will enjoy and do well in, because the grade is worth more than the label.
Combinations That Quietly Close Doors
None of these are bad A-levels. Each closes more than students expect.
- Economics without Maths. Closes economics at almost every competitive university. The most damaging combination on this list, precisely because it looks like the right one.
- Biology and Chemistry without a third science or Maths. Fine for most medicine and biosciences, but narrows options if the plan changes towards anything quantitative.
- Three creative or applied subjects. Perfectly good for a specific vocational route and limiting if the plan changes. Universities differ substantially on which subjects they count as academic, so check the preferred subject lists rather than assuming.
- English Language instead of English Literature. A surprising number of English departments accept only Literature, or want Literature specifically. Read the wording rather than the subject name.
Our guide to worst A-level combinations goes through the ones that cause the most trouble in more depth.
The September Window Nobody Mentions
If you are in the first weeks of Year 12 and reading this with a sinking feeling, there is usually still time.
Most schools and colleges allow subject changes in the first two to four weeks of term, and some allow longer. The constraints are timetabling and the amount of content already covered, not policy. After October half term, switching becomes genuinely difficult in most subjects and effectively impossible in Maths and the sciences, where the content builds fast from day one.
So the sequence is simple and it is time limited.
- Write down the courses you might apply to, even loosely.
- Look up the actual entry requirements for three universities offering each, on their own websites rather than on a summary site.
- Check your current subjects against the hard requirements only.
- If there is a gap, speak to your head of sixth form this week rather than next term.
Small colleges are usually more able to accommodate a change than large ones, because the timetable is built around smaller groups. Our guide to choosing a private sixth form college covers how that flexibility works in practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which A-level combination opens the most university courses?
Mathematics with one science and one essay subject. Mathematics is the only A-level that is a hard requirement across economics, engineering, physics, most computer science and most mathematical sciences, and it is useful nearly everywhere else. Pairing it with one subject from each side keeps both quantitative and humanities routes available.
Do I need A-level Economics to study economics at university?
No. LSE, UCL and Warwick all require Mathematics for their economics degrees and none of them require A-level Economics. Students who take Economics instead of Mathematics are the most common casualty of this misunderstanding, so if you can only take one, take Mathematics.
Do all medical schools require Chemistry and Biology?
No. The Medical Schools Council records at least 34 UK medicine courses that do not require A-level Chemistry and at least 46 that do not require Biology. Most schools ask for two sciences including at least one of Chemistry or Biology. Taking both keeps every school open, but taking one does not rule medicine out.
Can I still change my A-level subjects in September?
Usually yes, in the first two to four weeks of Year 12. Timetabling and content already covered are the real constraints rather than policy. After October half term it becomes difficult in most subjects and effectively impossible in Mathematics and the sciences, where content builds quickly from the start.
Does the third A-level subject matter?
Less than students assume, provided the first two cover the hard requirements. With Mathematics and one strong academic subject in place, the third has real freedom. Choose something you will enjoy and achieve a high grade in, because the grade carries more weight in an offer than the subject label does.
Where should I check entry requirements?
On each university's own course page, for the year you will actually be applying for. Summary sites go out of date and generalise across departments that differ. Check three universities per course you are considering, and read the subject requirement wording rather than only the grade profile.
The Short Version
Most degrees have no required subject. A small number have requirements that nothing else compensates for, and they cluster in economics, engineering, medicine and the physical sciences.
Spend an hour this week checking your subjects against the hard requirements for the courses you might want. If there is a gap, the window to fix it is measured in weeks, and it is open now.
If your child is in the wrong subjects and the school cannot accommodate a change, an independent sixth form college can often build a timetable around the combination they actually need. Our parent guide to choosing a sixth form college explains how.
