This department does not use a test as part of its selection process. Predicted grades and scores in your application are important, but it’s not the only thing that drives the decision. Our selectors will also consider things like your personal statement and your references to understand whether there is a good match between you and your chosen subject and department at Imperial.  You can read more about our selection process, including tips on writing a personal statement, in our How to apply section.

Admissions Tutors consider all the evidence available during our rigorous selection process and the College flags key information providing assessors with a more complete picture of the educational and social circumstances relevant to the applicant. Some applicants may be set lower offers and some more challenging ones.

If assessment of your UCAS application indicates that you are likely to satisfy our requirements, you will be shortlisted for an academic interview as part of our interview programme.

There will be a pre-recorded talk by the admissions tutor made available online, about the department, the structure of the course and other opportunities available to enrich your experience with us. There will also be talks and presentations available by the accommodation and finance teams, and from Horizons about the great range of modules they offer. We are organising online Q&A sessions, where you will have the chance to talk to the admissions tutor and to current undergraduates, and you can see more about the department on the Chemistry and Virtual Tour websites.

We will run interviews in the morning and afternoon (UK time) to accommodate students in different time-zones, and each applicant will be interviewed individually. The interview will comprise a discussion with an experienced academic who will be looking to assess an applicant’s motivation for studying chemistry and their potential for the future.

Although the discussion may begin with topics mentioned in the UCAS personal statement, the conversations will likely expand to cover topics that the applicant may not be so familiar with. This enables the interviewer to observe how an applicant thinks and how they reason their way through a problem.

The interviewers are highly experienced and are able to see through nerves, stress and silly mistakes so you should not worry about answering the questions. There are no trick questions, if an answer seems obvious, it might be just that.

We then use the interview feedback in combination with the UCAS application, to decide whether we are able to make an offer, and what the conditions of the offer will be. We will be making offer decisions only after all interviews are complete. We will aim to contact all applicants directly by e-mail, by early March with a decision. You should be able to see this updated on UCAS Hub by the end of March. 

The Department of Chemistry have put together a list of frequently asked questions that often arise during the admissions process.

An ATAS certificate is not required for students applying for this course.

We offer both Master in Science (MSci) degrees and Bachelor of Science (BSc) degrees.

Our MSci degrees cover more in-depth chemistry study than our BSc degrees, making them more suited to students who are considering a career in research or who may wish to progress to further study such as a PhD.

Our MSci degrees also include a substantial individual project in the final year, which gives you the chance to work in a research environment; you also engage with more advanced research-led lecture modules.

Years one and two of our Chemistry degrees follow the same core course content, supplemented by optional modules designed to match your chosen course of study.

This structure offers you the opportunity to transfer between Chemistry degrees at a later stage providing you have studied the appropriate optional subjects, and as such you should apply to only one degree within the Department of Chemistry.

You may need to meet a certain academic standard to be eligible for placements in industry or abroad.

If you are an international student, transferring to a different course could have an impact on your student visa. Please visit our International Student Support webpage for further information.

Teaching is in the language of your host country in France and Germany, so you will need to reach an acceptable proficiency in the relevant language before you go. Free language classes are available at the College to help you prepare.

There are limited places available on the Year Abroad programme, which means that competition for selection is strong and a placement cannot be guaranteed.

Normally, only students with marks of 60% or above will be eligible for placements in France and Germany. Only students with marks of 70% or above will be eligible for placements in Singapore and the USA.

Please note the list of universities located abroad that the Department currently has partnerships with is illustrative. 

Partnerships with universities are subject to continuous review and individual partnerships may or may not be renewed.

A Year in Industry allows you to gain paid experience of using chemistry in an industrial context.

You will be expected to help the Department organise your placement, however help is available:

Securing a placement is competitive, so you may need to apply to multiple employers and take part in recruitment activities. Application procedures vary from company to company. They can include CV and cover letter submissions, online tests, Skype interviews, technical interviews and assessment centres.

Students from the Department have previously completed placements with:

The employer can often be in a location of your choice – including outside the UK – as long as you are successful in obtaining a position there and the placement is approved by the Department.