Queen Mary University of London, Malta Campus: The Complete Applicant's Guide

A Cambridge Clinical admissions guide

Queen Mary University of London runs a five-year MBBS Medicine programme on its Malta campus, delivered by the Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, as an alternative route to the standard London-based MBBS (A100). This is important to understand from the outset: the Malta programme awards exactly the same MBBS degree as the London course, follows the same curriculum and assessments, and sits on the World Directory of Medical Schools with ECFMG acceptability — but you apply to it separately and directly, entirely outside UCAS.

This guide covers entry requirements, the UCAT-led selection process (including Malta's specific score thresholds), the interview format, and the practical realities of applying to a UK-awarded degree taught on a Mediterranean campus.

Quick facts

Why applicants consider Queen Mary Malta

The core appeal here is straightforward: an identical MBBS degree to the London programme, taught by the same faculty structure, with the same spiral, body-systems-based curriculum built around problem-based learning (PBL), early clinical exposure, and laboratory practicals — but delivered on a smaller, close-knit island campus. Students sit the same assessments at the same time as their London counterparts, and academically eligible students (subject to their right to study in the UK) can undertake an intercalated science degree in London for a year, alongside occasional two-week Student Selected Component (SSC) placement exchanges with the London cohort.

Every graduating cohort so far has found 100% employment within the NHS, and MBBS Malta graduates are also eligible to apply for Foundation School posts in Malta itself, with salaried Foundation training available locally for those who choose that route.

Entry requirements

UCAT: Mandatory for every applicant, with no exceptions — Australian and New Zealand applicants may submit the UCAT ANZ instead. You should ideally sit the test before applying, but if you haven't, you're permitted to sit it in the year of entry up until 31 July.

UCAT score threshold: This is Queen Mary Malta's most distinctive published rule — you must score in the third decile or above on your overall UCAT result, and a Situational Judgement Test result of Band 4 will not be considered. This is a firmer, more explicit cut-off than most UK medical schools publish.

Degree/academic route: Applicants can apply from a range of backgrounds:

• School-leavers with strong science A-levels (or equivalent) in Chemistry and Biology.
• Graduates in their final year or already holding a degree, provided it's predicted or achieved at upper second class honours (2:1) or equivalent. Degrees are grouped into categories: bioscience degrees that already contain sufficient Biology and Chemistry content need no further science qualifications; science degrees lacking Biology or Chemistry require a minimum grade C at A-level or AS-level in whichever subject is missing.
• International Baccalaureate and European Baccalaureate applicants, plus a range of accepted foundation programmes (including the GEMS International Medical Foundation Programme and the NCUK International Foundation Programme, the latter requiring AAA across three specified major modules).
• US and Canadian applicants can join the five-year programme directly from high school, without first completing a four-year undergraduate degree; graduates from US/Canadian universities need a GPA of 3.6 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
• Non-UK university graduates must provide a translated transcript and evidence of their high school qualifications to the Student Recruitment and Admissions Office.

Age requirement: All students must be at least 18 at the start of the course; applicants who will turn 18 within a few weeks of the start date should contact the admissions team directly. There is no upper age limit, and mature-student applications are actively encouraged.

English language: IELTS 7.0 overall, taken within the last two years, or an accepted alternative English language qualification — check Queen Mary's approved list for the full range of accepted tests.

GCSE-equivalent requirements (where applicable): Biology (or Human Biology), Chemistry, English Language, and Mathematics (or Additional Mathematics/Statistics), typically at grades AAABBB or above (or the Science Double Award in place of the individual sciences) — though these aren't required for applicants applying on the strength of a degree or without A-level qualifications.

Transfers: Not accepted. Queen Mary Malta does not consider transfer applications, and does not accept applicants who have already started a medical course elsewhere.

Resits: Applicants who are resitting AS or A-level years (taking three years to achieve the required grades) are not normally considered, except where protected under equality and diversity legislation, which requires supporting evidence submitted via a specific extenuating circumstances form.

How the selection process works

1. UCAT. Take the test before applying, or by 31 July in your entry year at the latest.
2. Application submission. Submit your application form along with academic transcripts or certificates, proof of English language ability, your UCAT scoresheet, and the details of one referee (academic or professional) — Queen Mary contacts your referee directly.
3. Initial assessment. Admissions review your actual/predicted grades, UCAT score (including the third-decile threshold and SJT Band 4 exclusion), reference, and personal statement. You may be contacted if further information is needed.
4. Interview. All shortlisted candidates attend a 20-minute interview conducted via Microsoft Teams, which includes discussion of and questions on a pre-read article. Interviews typically run from December onward.

Application process

You apply directly to Queen Mary rather than through UCAS — this matters strategically, because it means an MBBS Malta application doesn't use up any of your UCAS choices. You can apply to Queen Mary Malta alongside a full set of UCAS medicine choices (including Queen Mary's own London MBBS, A100), but note that applying to MBBS London does not automatically get you considered for MBBS Malta, or vice versa — you must apply separately to each if you want to be considered for both.

Course fees for 2026 entry are €39,500 per year. Students are expected to cover their own travel, accommodation and subsistence costs, including for any optional SSC placements undertaken outside Queen Mary Malta (for example, in an NHS or private clinical setting).

Tips

Because the UCAT third-decile threshold and SJT Band 4 exclusion are both explicit, published cut-offs rather than soft guidance, treat them as hard planning targets in your UCAT preparation rather than aspirational benchmarks.

Since the interview includes discussion of a pre-read article, practise structured critical reading and articulating a clear, well-reasoned response under time pressure — this is a genuinely different skill from a standard MMI circuit and rewards different preparation.

If you're also applying to Queen Mary's London MBBS or other UK medical schools via UCAS, remember that a Malta application runs entirely separately — build a timeline that accounts for both processes independently rather than assuming crossover.

Because the MBBS Malta degree is identical to the London award and shares assessments, don't treat this as a "backup" pathway to a lesser qualification — but do weigh the campus, cohort size, and Mediterranean setting as genuine lifestyle and study-environment factors distinct from London.

How Cambridge Clinical can help

We help Queen Mary Malta applicants build a UCAT preparation plan targeting the third-decile threshold, alongside interview coaching specifically for the pre-read article discussion format used at Malta.

If you'd like a hand with any stage, visit cambridgeclinical.co.uk to find out more about our UCAT tuition and Malta-specific interview coaching.

Entry requirements, UCAT thresholds, fees and application deadlines can and do shift between cycles. Always confirm current requirements against Queen Mary in Malta's official admissions pages before finalising your application.