Teaching and assessment

Balance of teaching and learningKey

Classroom teaching and laboratory work
Independent study

Years 1 and 2

30%Classroom teaching and laboratory work
70%Independent study

Year 3

20%Classroom teaching and laboratory work
80%Independent study

Year 4

10%Classroom teaching and laboratory work
90%Independent study

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures

Tutorials

Practical workshops

Guided laboratory work

Group work

Literature reports

Research projects

Balance of assessmentKey

Examination
Coursework and practical work

Year 1

75%Examination
25%Coursework and practical work

Year 2

65%Examination
35%Coursework and practical work

Year 3

40%Examination
60%Coursework and practical work

Year 4

25%Examination
75%Coursework and practical work

Assessment methods

Written examinations

Oral presentation

Written reports

Coursework

Academic posters

Entry requirements

We consider all applicants on an individual basis, welcoming students from all over the world.

Minimum entry standard

AAA

To include:

A in Chemistry
A in Mathematics
A in a third subject (Biology, Economics, and Physics are preferred)

Not accepted: General Studies and Critical Thinking
Science Practical Endorsement: If you are made an offer you will be required to achieve a pass in the practical endorsement in all science subjects that form part of the offer.
Language requirement: Study of the appropriate language to at least GCSE grade B/6 in an appropriate modern foreign language.

Typical offer

A*AA–A*A*A (applicants studying three A-levels)

Made to at least 80% of 2023 A-level applicants.

 

Support for widening participation applicants

Our contextual admissions route for UK applicants may entitle you to additional considerations within the application process to help us form a more complete picture of your potential to succeed at Imperial. 

Find out more about who is eligible and what support you may receive.https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/apply/undergraduate/process/admissions-schemes/

Minimum entry standard

IB

38 points

To include:

6 in Chemistry at higher level
6 in Mathematics at higher level

Preferred Mathematics syllabus: The Mathematics Analysis and Approaches or the Applications and Interpretation syllabi will be accepted at higher level with no preference.
Language requirement: Study of an appropriate modern foreign language to grade 2 higher level, or grade 3 standard level.

Typical offer

39-40 points

Made to at least 80% of IB applicants in 2023.

 

 

Support for widening participation applicants

Our contextual admissions route for UK applicants may entitle you to additional considerations within the application process to help us form a more complete picture of your potential to succeed at Imperial. 

Find out more about who is eligible and what support you may receive

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.

InterviewPost-application open day and interview

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. 

Study option:

Chemistry with Research Abroad

All candidates must demonstrate a minimum level of English language proficiency for admission to Imperial.

For admission to this course, you must achieve the higher university requirement in the appropriate English language qualification. For details of the minimum grades required to achieve this requirement, please see the English language requirements.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/apply/english-language/

How to apply

Apply via UCAS

You can now submit your application via UCAS Hub. There you can add this course as one of your choices and track your application.

Submit your application via UCAS | F104

UCAS institution code: I50

Application deadlines – 29 January 2025 at 18.00 (UK time)

Admissions test – not required for 2025 entry

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.

Selection

Assessing your application

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.

Interview

Post-application open day and interview

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. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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