Applying to us

Your predicted grades should at least meet our minimum entry requirements, and we prefer students to be taking Biology, Physics or Economics alongside Chemistry and Maths, as this combination provides a more comprehensive scientific training overall. Other third subjects are only considered under limited circumstances. You can find further details in the Education and Exams section below.

What should I include in the personal statement?

Your personal statement should be an honest, reflective statement about you and your motivation to study chemistry at university level. Your personal statement should convey a strong enthusiasm and commitment towards studying Chemistry.

How you choose to convey this is entirely your choice, and we accept that your motivations might not solely include your learning in chemistry, but your other subjects too, and any extra-curricular activities, hobbies or interests.  

You can also discuss links between Chemistry and your other subjects and how Chemistry links to and can help tackle wider global issues. You can mention relevant experiences or opportunities you have had, whatever books, journals and websites you have read, podcasts you have listened to, or video channels you follow, talk about what has been important and valuable to you. Importantly, discuss what you have learned from these experiences, and how they have developed your skills.

Your motivation and interests are unique to you, consequently we know that every personal statement will necessarily be different and individual.

Do I need to have done a work experience placement? Is an EPQ or IPQ helpful to my application?

Extended project qualifications (EPQ), international project qualifications (IPQ) and work experience can contribute towards developing your skills. However they do not offer any intrinsic advantage to applicants. We do not use them to shortlist candidates for interview, as we recognise that these opportunities are not available to every student. Additionally, we do not accept them as part of a formal offer, nor can we make adjusted offers based on performance in an EPQ, IPQ, or work experience. Nevertheless they can be a good starting point for you to discuss a Chemistry topic in your personal statement, to allow you to demonstrate knowledge and interest in the subject, which are important factors considered when making application decisions.

What books should I read? What will help my application?

There are a huge number of books around the topic of “chemistry”, however, when choosing a book you should be doing it because you “want to read it”, not because you feel you “have to read it” in order to demonstrate an interest in chemistry. If you have read something that you found interesting, and it is relevant to your application, by all means, please include it. It is far more valuable for you to read something that you enjoy and find interesting, and for which, you can show what you learned from it.

If you are looking for inspiration, you are welcome to check out the STEM book list: a list of recommended books from students and researchers across the college covering across the sciences.

We now receive in excess of 1500 applications each year, from across the world, from students with a wide variety of qualifications, educational backgrounds and interests. Applications have increased from 850 to 1620 over the last 6 years, and are projected to reach 1850 in the 24-25 application cycle. The current applications to places ratio is 6 : 1.

Our intakes for 2022 and 2023 were 195 and 210 respectively. Our planned intakes for 2024 and 2025 are ~210.  We aim to offer places based on academic merit and potential, rather than to maintain a certain ratio of applications to places, or based on student residency or fees status.

Due to the level of competition, we use a two-stage admissions process in Chemistry:

Stage 1

We consider the entire UCAS application form in our shortlisting process for interview. This includes achieved and predicted grades, combination of subjects and level of qualifications, personal statement and reference. All personal statements and references are read in detail, and motivation for studying Chemistry is an important consideration for us. During the 2023-24 application cycle, of approximately 1620 applicants, we shortlisted 903 for interview.

The UCAS application deadline for 2025 entry is 29th January 2025.
Please ensure you apply before this date so that your application may be appropriately considered. We will be unable to accept applications after this date and we do not take part in UCAS Extra nor Clearing.
All applications are treated equally, based on their individual merits, regardless of the date of application.

Stage 2

Interview performance and feedback then assist us in the offer-making decision process, alongside the UCAS application. Applicants must attend an interview before an offer decision can be made. 

We also use information about mitigating circumstances (such as health conditions, caring responsibilities, family difficulties or school disruption) that may have affected a student's education. We take information about school performance, the area in which a student lives and other factors into account also, as part of the college’s Widening Participation access scheme (see Inclusive Admissions Process drop-down below).

For the 2023-24 application cycle, we made offers to 570 applicants following interview.

Is everyone interviewed?

We interview all applicants who demonstrate a sufficient level of academic merit and potential to meet our entry requirements, based on their application. We require all students who are shortlisted in this first step of the Admissions process to attend an interview as part of an interview day.

All interviews will be conducted online. Last year, we shortlisted 53% of applicants for interview, though this varies each year.

Note for reapplicants: for those reapplying to us who were made an offer in the previous application cycle, you will not be required to attend an interview again. We will use your previous interview feedback in combination with your new application to inform our offer-decision process. If re-applying and you were not previously made an offer (or were made an offer at least 2 years ago), you will need to attend an interview.

When do interviews run?

We interview from early November through to the middle of February.  

What happens when I attend for interview?

In addition to a 20 minute online interview, there will be informative pre-recorded talks on studying at Imperial College, student finance, accommodation, student life and our White City campus, available on a special webpage hub for Chemistry UCAS applicants. There will be the opportunity to meet and talk to current undergraduate students and to the admissions tutor at online Q&A sessions, specifically for those invited to attend an interview.

What will I be asked in the interview?

All interviews will be conducted online with two experienced Chemistry academics, which will last approx. 20 minutes. We are looking to see your motivation and enthusiasm for Chemistry.  The interview will include questions about familiar and unfamiliar Chemistry-related topics, to assess your overall background knowledge and understanding, and your problem-solving skills. The interview will also assess your engagement and your communication skills. You will also be asked about your personal statement or a topic of particular interest. We aim to see your thought-process and to teach you something new - (and hopefully useful!) - through structured questioning. This gives you an impression of how we teach, and it will give us an indication of your learning and ability to adapt to unfamiliar problems, and how you communicate Chemistry ideas. Our aim is not to give you a hard time, rather to use the interview time constructively, to guide you if you are unsure, and hopefully to give you a new insight on an area of chemistry you already have some knowledge of.  It also gives you the chance to ask our academics any questions regarding the course and College, to help you in making your decision of where to study.

What will happen after the interview?

Offer decisions will only be made after all interviews are complete. We aim to contact all applicants directly by email, by mid-March with a decision. 

We do appreciate that waiting a long time for a decision after interview may be difficult, but we are always available to help answer questions and support our applicants throughout the admissions process. Making all offer decisions in this way, allows us to comprehensively assess all applications at the same time, to further increase the fairness and equality of our offer-making decision process. This helps ensure that through our competitive admissions process, we give all applicants due consideration, taking into account their individual circumstances as best as we are able.

The Department is committed to a fair and inclusive admissions process, and to widening participation of under-represented groups and supporting them in accessing higher education. All applications are reviewed in their entirety, on a case-by-case basis, and we use academic interviews to assist in the offer decision-making process. Predicted grades are not the sole factor we look at in assessing future potential, and we also take into account mitigating circumstances or contextual information, which may have had an impact on an applicant’s education.

The Faculty of Natural Sciences have approved Widening Participation (WP) guidelines. Chemistry is part of Imperial's “Guaranteed Interviews” scheme, one of two such schemes offered. To find out more information, please visit the Admissions Schemes webpage.

All applicants who meet our Widening Participation criteria, who we wish to make an offer too, will receive a contextual offer (e.g. A-Level: AAA, IB: 38 points, HL666).

We also make a limited number of contextual offers to some other students with significant mitigation or disadvantage in their studies, depending on their individual circumstances.

Our interview days and interviews will all be online, run through Microsoft Teams. No travel will therefore be required for attending interviews.

We also run optional visit days for offer-holders in April each year.

Minimum entry standard for 2025 entry: AAA overall.

Typical three A-level offer: A*AA – A*A*A.

A* / A in Chemistry (A* is usually required)
A / A* in Mathematics
A in a third subject: preferably Biology, Physics or Economics**

We do not make offers based on four subjects. We appreciate that not all students wish to, or are able to take four or more A-Levels.

If made an offer, applicants studying in England will be required to achieve a pass in the practical endorsement in all science subjects that form part of the offer. PLEASE NOTE: The practical endorsement is part of the reformed linear A-levels in England only. There is no practical endorsement for A-levels taken in Wales, nor international versions taken in other countries (e.g. CAIE, Pearson).

Our minimum AAA entry requirement is our "contextual offer". We reserve this specifically for students who we wish to offer, who meet our Widening Participation criteria. We also make limited minimum/contextual offers to some other students with significant mitigation or disadvantage in their studies, depending on their individual circumstances. Most offers are higher than this, and all offers are made based on a combination of the UCAS application, academic potential, motivation for Chemistry and interview performance, plus widening participation factors or mitigating circumstances.

**Please see note under Preferred Subject Combination tab below.

We require an overall typical score of 39-40 points (minimum 38), including:

7 / 6 in Higher Level Chemistry (7 is usually required)
6 / 7 in Higher Level Mathematics
6 in a third subject at Higher Level: preferably Biology, Physics or Economics**
**Please see note under Combination of Subjects tab. 

Note regarding HL Mathematics qualification: The Mathematics Analysis and Approaches, and the Applications and Interpretation syllabi will both be accepted at Higher Level with no preference.

We require the following AP subjects (where taken alongside SATs or ACTs):

5 in AP Chemistry and 5 in AP Calculus BC
5 in one or two further AP subjects: we prefer at least one of these to be Biology, Physics C (either stream), Microeconomics or Macroeconomics**

We are unable to accept SATs, ACTs or High School Diploma on their own in the place of Advanced Placements. We usually expect AP Calculus BC to have been taken after Calculus AB. We also usually require 5-6 subjects at grade 5 when presented without SATs, ACTs or High School Diploma.

**Please see note under Combination of Subjects tab. 

Our typical three-subject offer (minimum D3 D3 D3):

D2/D3 in Chemistry (D2 is usually required)
D3/D2 in Mathematics
D3 in a third subject: preferably Biology, Physics or Economics**
**Please see note under Combination of Subjects tab. 

A in Chemistry

A in Mathematics

A in a third subject: preferably Biology, Economics, Physics**

We are unable to accept Scottish Highers, only Advanced Higher qualifications.

**Please see note under Combination of Subjects tab.

H1 in Chemistry and H1 in Mathematics

H2 in four other subjects: preferably including at least one from Biology, Economics or Physics**

**Please see note under Combination of Subjects tab. 

Typically, we require 82.5% overall, including:

9 in Chemistry and 8.5 in Mathematics.**

**Please see note under Combination of Subjects tab.

A in Chemistry at H2 level and A in Mathematics at H2 level

A in a third subject at H2 level: preferably Biology, Economics, Physics**

PLEASE NOTE: A Merit in a subject at H3 level would be accepted in lieu of A at H2.

**Please see note under Combination of Subjects tab. 

We require a minimum of 70% overall, including:

80% in Chemistry and 80% in Mathematics**
This is the only foundation year programme we are able to accept.

**Please see note under Combination of Subjects tab

We  accept a wide range of qualifications, please see the Accepted qualifications page for a comprehensive list.

Please note: the Accepted Qualifications page provides a list of qualification we accept, please see our course pages for minimum entry requirements. These can be found using the Course search.

Currently, the department does not use a test as part of its selection process.

Combination of subjects is one of several important factors we consider when short-listing applicants for interview for their chosen degree programme. General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted.

In addition to pre-requisite subjects Chemistry and Mathematics, we prefer the third subject studied to be: Biology, Physics or Economics. 

For qualifications such as Advanced Placements, Irish Leaving Certificate and Canadian High/Secondary School Diploma, we often or usually require more than 3 subjects. Some qualifications, such as the European Baccalaureate, Romanian Baccalaureat and Polish Matura, usually only allow Chemistry and Maths to be taken (often alongside a compulsory language). In these cases, the third subject discussion does not apply, except if applying for MSci Chemistry with Molecular Physics, where Physics is required.”

We are unable to accept applications without A-Level Mathematics or equivalent. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Please note: For the 2024-25 application cycle onwards, Further Mathematics will no longer be one of our preferred third subjects. Applicants with Chemistry, Maths and Further Maths will be slightly less likely to be shortlisted for interview than those with a preferred "third subject". Applicants with Chemistry, Maths and an alternative "third subject", will be much less likely to be shortlisted for interview.

Contextual considerations: We usually only consider applications from students with alternative third subjects, under limited circumstances. This includes all applicants who meet our Widening Participation criteria, and some applicants who have experienced significant disadvantage in their education or mitigating circumstances, depending on their individual situation.

Note on subject requirements

Physics is required for the MSci Chemistry with Molecular Physics degree programmes (F1F3/F1FH).

Biology is strongly preferred (but not required) for the MSci Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry degree programmes (F124/F125).

All candidates must meet the Higher English language requirements as set by Imperial. We accept a wide range of English language qualifications.

For example, we accept:

• GCSE English Language: grade 6 for Overseas and grade 5 for Home students
• IELTS: 7.0 overall (minimum 6.5 in all elements)
• or any other equivalent qualification or proficiency test as listed by college. 
  For details of acceptable English language qualifications, and the minimum grades required by the College, please see the English language requirements webpage.

Language requirements for Chemistry with Research Abroad degrees

For students applying for Chemistry with Research Abroad degrees (F104, F101) there is no language requirement for admission onto this course, although having a strong background in a foreign language would most certainly be useful to the student.

Where the placement takes place in a non-English speaking country we require students to reach CEFR B2 (equivalent to A-level grade C) in the relevant language by the end of Year 3. There are no language requirements for placements in countries where English is widely used. 

We aim to support all applicants as inclusively in the admissions process as possible, giving due consideration to their individual circumstances. We openly welcome and actively encourage students making declarations in their UCAS application about physical and mental health conditions, specific disabilities and learning support needs. We encourage students to declare if they are or have been in care, if they have caring responsibilities, are estranged from their parents or have refugee status or are seeking asylum. Some applicants may be experiencing financial difficulties, family issues or bereavement, or school disruption. Some applicants may meet our Widening Participation criteria (see the Admissions Schemes webpage for more information). We will take all of this into account, to ensure no applicant is disadvantaged during the admissions process.

You can inform us through a formal declaration in your UCAS application, in your personal statement or reference, or share information/documents confidentially with our Admissions team directly (e-mail: ch.admissions@imperial.ac.uk).

The UCAS website has useful information for prospective applicants on accessibility and support for individual needs.

We strongly recommend all applicants ONLY apply for ONE course. Our courses have broad appeal, and it is not surprising that you might want to apply for more than one.  We consider all applications for our courses in the same way and so we strongly recommend that you only apply for one course - the one that interests you the most. It is possible to transfer during your first two years provided you meet the pre-requisites for that course.

Can I submit an alternative personal statement?

We understand and appreciate that some applicants may have several UCAS choices for different subject areas, such as Medicine, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry or other subjects, in addition to Chemistry.

You can only submit one personal statement on UCAS, which should highlight your main subject focus, but of course, you should draw from your other subjects and interests in this too. However, we are unable to accept alternative personal statements nor additional references, and we would use the statement submitted with your UCAS application as part of our interview shortlisting process.

Will applying for other courses affect my application for Chemistry?

Motivation and enthusiasm for Chemistry are particularly important to us, and are one significant factor we look for when shortlisting applicants for interview. Due to the high level of competition, with over 1500 applications per year, we will usually not be able to consider applications where the personal statement shows a strong focus for another subject.

Chemistry applicants who have also applied for other departments at Imperial College, such as Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science or Biomedical Engineering, are less likely to be shortlisted for interview. This may also apply where the personal statement shows a strong focus for a subject other than Chemistry. Where the personal statement indicates the applicant may have applied to Natural Sciences elsewhere or have very interdisciplinary interests, we will be looking specifically for students who show strong motivation towards chemistry.

We aim to be as flexible as possible for our students, to enable you to follow the path best tailored to your developing interests, and we provide detailed information on your options at each stage. The shared core structure of our degree programmes allows most of our students the opportunity to transfer to a different degree programme up until the end of Year 2.

Please note, transfers onto our 'Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry' or 'Chemistry with Molecular Physics' degrees, require you to have studied the relevant ancillary module in both year 1 and 2.

There may also be visa considerations with certain course changes (i.e. changing course length). 

An MSci is made up of 4 years of study, while BSc is made up of 3 years.

A BSc gives you a bachelor's degree, while an MSci is an integrated masters degree, where the bachelors and masters are combined in one degree. This can then allow direct entry to Masters-level jobs and PhD programmes. However, if you want to study a specific Masters degree, or are interested in undergraduate degree level jobs, a BSc degree will be sufficient and so we would recommend you to take this option. 

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirements for all of our BSc and MSci courses are the same and are currently set at AAA at A-Level including Chemistry and Maths (contextual offer). The third A-Level specified by us in your offer is dependent upon the A-Level subjects you are studying and the course applied for (see the Combination of Subjects tab above). 

Our typical offer for both BSc and MSci courses though varies from A*AA to A*A*A, and the conditions of the offer depend on a variety of different factors (entire UCAS application, interview feedback, contextual information and mitigating circumstances).

Please see the Qualifications and Requirements section above for information on other qualifications.

Can I change during my course?

Transfers can be processed until the end of year 2.  Many students are undecided between an MSci and a BSc, so we would recommend candidates apply for the MSci course and then transfer to the BSc as this tends to make things easier from a funding perspective. There are also visa considerations for overseas students when transferring between degrees of different lengths.

You can apply for deferred entry via UCAS from the outset, something we are happy to accommodate. Applicants who defer are required to fulfil all conditions of their offer and meet all relevant deadlines within the same year / UCAS cycle in which they apply.

Applicants may decide to defer their entry at other stages. This is not usually a problem, but each request would need to be considered and approved by the department and by Registry. For the 24-25 application cycle, applicants would need to request this by 18 July 2025. 

If you submit an application for the upcoming academic year and wish to defer your entry prior to receiving Imperial’s decision on your application, you should email ns.admissions@imperial.ac.uk and request that your year of entry is amended to the subsequent academic year.

If you decide to defer your entry after receiving an offer from Imperial, you should email ns.admissions@imperial.ac.uk to request a deferment and outline the reason for your request. Applicants are usually only permitted one deferment for one academic year. The College will consider requests for a 2 year deferment due to enrolment in military service (formal evidence required). Applicants who defer their entry may be subject to repeating certain admission requirements where appropriate (e.g. re-taking time-dependent English proficiency tests or reapplying for ATAS). Where these requirements are not met, the College reserves the right not to confirm your admission.

We recommend that students taking a “gap year” spend some time revising their chemistry and maths knowledge in the run-up to starting with us. The college supports a range of online courses, including an EdX Maths course. These are completely optional, but you may find these useful or of interest.

We will consider the final grades you achieve without discrimination over those applying who are sitting exams for the first time. Each year we welcome students resitting exams, including students reapplying to us after taking a gap year. You should make it clear on your UCAS application what you are re-sitting. You should do this by detailing your qualifications in the ‘Completed qualification’ section (with your current grade) and the ‘Not yet completed’ qualification section.

We accept students with a wide range of qualifications; we are proud to be an international department and so we consider a huge number of qualifications. Some students may have studied school diplomas or SATs/ACTs elsewhere before studying A-levels, for example, so educational backgrounds can be very diverse. We will therefore consider applications from a wide variety of educational backgrounds.

When can I visit the department?

The College hosts undergraduate Open Days three times a year: two in June and one in September. These are in-person on the South Kensington campus, and are supported by a virtual Open Day session in July and throughout the year through our Virtual Tour tool. You can view open day details, College events and talks, or take a virtual tour, navigating from our Visit Imperial page.

We have accommodated occasional individual requests to visit the Department of Chemistry where we have staff available. We are usually unable to do so during term time, however, due to teaching commitments and the large number of undergraduate students studying on campus.

We now run post-Easter visit days for offer-holders in April. 

Can I look around accommodation when I visit the department?

As the accommodation is in use during term time by our current students, we prefer not to disturb them during this part of the year. Tours of accommodation are organised centrally and are available to view during the College Open Days. You can also book a campus tour online, which typically run on Wednesday during the summer period.