Undergraduate
The Department currently accepts exchange students from our partner universities in the Erasmus programme (Telecom Paristech, Ecole Polytechnique, RWTH Aachen, Tor Vergata Rome, KTH Stockholm, KU Leuven, TU Delft), the Swiss-European Mobility programme (ETH Zurich) and also from National University of Singapore , MIT and the University of California.
Students usually select their modules from those offered to the 3rd and 4th year students; although students from Singapore may select 2nd year modules. Exchange students can come for one term, or an academic year. If you come for one term, you will need to return in May-June to take exams.
You should discuss your interest in the exchange with your home university co-ordinator. You must have been selected and nominated to Imperial College before you submit an application to us.
Master's
Master's level students can come to spend time with us working on their project.
You are advised to familiarise yourself with the department's areas of research and possibly contact a potential supervisor to informally discuss research topics before submitting your application. Keep in mind that formal admissions decisions can only be made after the application has been processed by the College Registry and the Department.
- Study period of 6 months-1 year: If you are a non-EEA student who needs a student visa to study in the UK you will be required to apply for ATAS clearance before applying for a Tier 4 (General) student visa. You will need to meet the College's higher level English language requirement.
The Department has exchange programmes specifically for master projects with TH Lund, the University of Padova and the University of Cyprus. The focus of all these exchange links is Control Systems.
PhD
PhD level students* can come to study with us for a maximum period of one calendar year.
You will need to discuss your research idea with a potential supervisor before submitting your application. They will probably be able to help with the content of your research statement.
You can view a list of potential supervisors and their research interests on our website.
You can also find out more about research in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
Once you have identified a potential supervisor, the best way to move forward is to contact them by email.
Keep in mind that formal admissions decisions can only be made after the application has been processed by the College Registry and the Department. Please submit your application for Electrical and Electronic Engineering Research (Occasional FT).
The Department has an exchange programme specifically for PhD level students with the University of Cyprus. The focus of this exchange links is Control Systems.
VISA:
If you are coming to the UK to undertake a period of study / research as a visiting student you can do this as a Standard Visitor to the UK as long as the period of study / research is for less than 6 months. Please ensure that you have applied to Imperial through the formal visiting student process and have met all conditions of your offer of admission before applying for a visa / travelling to the UK. The central Admissions Team will provide the relevant supporting document for your entry to the UK.
If your study or research requires you to have clearance under the ATAS scheme this will be a condition of your admission to Imperial and you will need to have this before you can enrol on the period of study / research.
Whether you need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa before you travel depends upon your nationality. Please refer to our detailed guidance on the immigration requirements.
Please note: If you come to the UK as a Standard Visitor you cannot extend your period of study / research beyond 6 months. If you want to extend your period of study / research, you will be required to go back to your home country to apply for a Student Visa. Your will need to ensure you meet all of the requirements for a Student Visa including meeting Imperial’s English Language Requirement.
If you have further questions about the visa, please contact our colleagues at international@imperial.ac.uk and they will assist you.
Further information about visa: Coming to the UK as a visitor | Current students | Imperial College London
ATAS: Most non-EEA nationals will require ATAS clearance for this programme. Please note that ATAS processing times can be long. Students who require ATAS should apply as soon as they receive an offer to avoid delays (during the summer this process may take up to 10-12 weeks).
Information about ATAS requirement and guidance how to complete an ATAS application can be found here.
English
- Visits of 6 months or longer:
You will need to meet the College's higher level English language requirement. More information is available on the English language requirements. If you are exempt, please upload a Word document stating your exemption.
- Visits under 6 months (or 180 days):
You are exempt from the English language requirement.
Tuition fees
Visiting students who are not part of an exchange programme (e.g., Horizon ITN) are expected to pay tuition fees at £4,000 a year pro rata, e.g. visit duration 3 months and 3 days, (4/12)*4,000=£1,333.33. There will be no fee if the visit duration is for less than three months. Tuition fees do not cover consumables incurred during the visit. This should be normally covered by the visiting student's institution.
*Visiting PhD students must be registered on a PhD programme at their university to be eligible.