Admissions FAQs

Are my qualifications suitable?

We recommend you review the entry requirements for the programme you are applying for, found here: Master's programmes 

Your application will be considered on review of your qualifications, plus relevant experience, plus your supporting statement. A decision cannot be determined until your full application is received.

You can also review the accepted qualifications via our central admissions team.

Will you accept a 2:2 award for previous qualification?

Yes. Normally we ask that applicants have a 2:1 or above. However, we will consider applicants with a 2:2 and whose application demonstrates relevant and valuable work experience, and a strong supporting statement.

Applicants with a Third or equivalent will be considered on a case by case basis.

What are the entry requirements?

We recommend you review the entry requirements for the programme you are applying for, found here: School of Public Health Master's programmes

When should I apply for the programme I am interested in?

As soon as possible.

We have limited spaces and we strongly advise you submit your application as early as possible in the admissions cycle, i.e. November - February.

If you are an Overseas applicant, you may have to undertake an English Language Test and this may be a condition of your offer.

You would need to take a required test ASAP and sometimes you have to wait to book a test and for your results.

I am in the final year of my undergraduate degree and have not yet received my final grade – can I still apply?

Yes - the application form allows you to specify if your degree has been awarded or if your grade is predicted.

I do not have a First Class undergraduate degree – am I still eligible?

Candidates are expected to be able to provide evidence of outstanding academic ability. This will usually mean being among the highest achievers in their undergraduate cohort, and in receipt of, or due to receive a first class UK Honours degree or equivalent. An applicant who does not meet this requirement (e.g. holds a second class undergraduate degree, is a health professional who did not undertake a degree course, or is from a non-traditional background) will be considered if they are able to demonstrate that they have outstanding academic potential and substantial experience relevant to their chosen subject area. This should be included in the Personal Statement section of the application form.

What are the English language requirements?

All applicants are expected to hold an IELTS Level 7 or equivalent.

All applicants must obtain this level of qualifications prior to entry as a condition of the offer.

Suitable qualifications are listed via the Imperial College webpages.

You can check if you will need to take an English Language Test via the Imperial College webpages.

When should I take an English Language Test?

If you need to take an English Language Test we strongly recommend you to book this ASAP as this could hold up your offer and place on the programme if delayed, or if you need to take a further test.

Please note, there often waiting lists to take such tests and sometimes delays in receiving your results. Do not leave this until the last minute.

What do I need to submit as part of my application?

The Department will only assess complete applications. This means that we must be in receipt of both references as well as the transcript of results, CV and personal statement. To that end, we recommend applicants keep track of whether their references have been sent and be pro-active in chasing their referees if necessary.

Further information is available via the Imperial College how to apply guidance pages.

I have submitted my application, how long until I hear about the decision?

After you have applied for one of our programmes via the Imperial College Webpages we aim to review each application between 6-8 weeks. Applicants may receive a decision sooner but we aim to review each application in detail.

Please note if all the application information is not included i.e. references or qualifications, we are not able to make a decision or offer.

Is there an application deadline to apply for a School of Public Health masters programme?

Our Masters programmes are very popular and spaces fill up quickly. We encourage applicants to apply as soon as possible, typically spaces fill up by May-July for entry in September.

How much are the programmes?

All the programme fees are listed on the individual programme pages and the fee is dependent on your fee status.

What are the payment options?

When you accept your offer of study, you will need to pay a 10% deposit of the full fees to secure your place. Before you enrol you will be invoiced for the full fees.

You will have the option to request to pay for the fees in two instalments, if agreed you will need to pay for year 1 fees before you start year 1. You will then need to pay for the year 2 fees before you start year 2. These options are laid out and confirmed by the Tuition Fees team prior to enrolment.

There are some scholarships available directly through the School of Public Health and Imperial College. If you wish to be considered for these, you will need to apply separately and apply for these via the web pages: School of Public Health Masters scholarships.

When do I have to pay the deposit by?

Once you accept your offer to study, you will receive an invoice and you will have 30 days from then to pay this. The deposit amount is 10% of the full fees to secure your place.

Are there any scholarships available?

There are some scholarships available directly through the School of Public Health and Imperial College. If you wish to be considered for these, you will need to apply separately and apply for these via the web pages: SPH Masters Scholarships

Please note that there are other scholarships offered by the Institutes and Departments that make up the Faculty of Medicine. These are separate from the Faculty Master's Scholarships and entail a different application process. For other such scholarships, please see Imperial’s scholarships page.

Are there any open events to talk to the programme team?

Yes, we hold events through the year to allow potential applicants to ask the programme team questions and hear more about the programme.
For our on-campus programmes, these events are normally held at our main teaching campus at St Mary’s, Paddington. London.

We will also be holding online webinar events where interested applicants can sign up and attend a virtual event, involving no travel.

We will publish information via the webpages about future events so please do check and if you wish to sign up to receive information about a programme please sign up via the ‘register your interest’ button the programme webpage.

Are there any places left on the programmes?

We update our webpages regarding the admissions places for the programmes and we advise you to check these. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible to ensure your application is considered and an offer made, if applicable.

Can I take the programme as a 4th year of my MBBS?

No. The entry requirements require all applicants to have achieved an undergraduate degree or equivalent in full and have been successfully awarded by the time the programme starts (with a 2:1 or above).

Do I need a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) (to apply for a Tier 4 visa) for a Masters level programme in the School of Public Health?

Yes, for on-campus programmes and if you are an International/Overseas applicant. For more information regarding visas and applying as an International/Overseas student please refer to the information on Imperial College webpages.

Global Master of Public Health:
If you are applying for the online Global Master of Public Health, as this is a fully online degree no CAS or VISA requirements are needed to complete the degree. There are no on-campus attendance requirements to study on the programme.

Do I need an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) for a Masters level programme in the School of Public Health?

An ATAS certificate is not required for overseas students applying for our programmes.

What should I write in my personal statement?

We recommend your statement is no more than 1500 words, including detail regarding your proposed research area.

This is your opportunity to tell us about yourself and explain why you are an outstanding candidate for a place on one of the School of Public Health’s programmes. Tell us why you are interested in the subject for which you have applied. Describe your academic, professional/work, research experience and interests and reasons for applying to the School of Public Health, Imperial College London.

Outline the academic/professional trajectory you hope for in the future and explain why the programme and the scholarship are important for this. Write an honest statement that gets across your true character and motivations, rather than writing what you think the panel will want to hear.

Within your personal statement, we’d like you to include a short proposal (no more than a 150 words) for a public health research project that could realistically be carried out by you over a three month period. You should include a novel research question, and some outline of what you would do. You will not be tied to the proposal if you are accepted on to the course, as we have a well-structured program for developing student projects. We are interested in your initial ideas as a way for you to demonstrate to us your current understanding of the research process.

We recommend you write your statement up to no more than 1500 words, including detail regarding your proposed research area.

Can I defer my offer?

It is not possible to automatically defer an offer of study as our programmes are highly competitive and spaces fill up very quickly each year.

Please contact the relevant programme support alias, listed below to request a deferral.

Are the degree programmes accredited?

Our online Global Master of Public Health and on-campus Master of Public Health is a UK based postgraduate programme offered to learners from across the globe. As a result we want to ensure our curriculum is not restricted by specific criteria and through accreditation we are not misaligned with our aim to design, develop and deliver an innovative and comprehensive public health curriculum that responds to emerging public health as they happen. This is particularly true when comparing a UK based Master of Public Health to those from the US and Canada, where the criteria and procedures linked to accreditation are not suitable for a UK based programme and differ in aim and structure.

However, the core aims and outcomes of our online Global Master of Public Health and on-campus Master of Public Health map on to and adhere to the European standards laid out by the Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation.

Any further questions

Please contact a member of the School’s programme team by email if you have any further queries related to a specific programme, via one of the following:

Scholarships FAQs

How many scholarships are there?

There are a total of five scholarships for 2024/25 entry. Two for the Master of Public Health and one each for the MSc in Epidemiology, MSc in Health Data Analytics and Machine Learning and the Global Master of Public Health (online).

What does the application process involve?

You will need to apply for a Master’s programme in the School of Public Health at Imperial College London and then complete the online scholarship application form.

All applications will be read and assessed by a selection panel of experienced academics.

Scholarships will then be allocated and offers made will be dependent on candidates receiving an offer of a place on a Master’s course in the School of Public Health at Imperial College London to start in 2024.

I am in the final year of my undergraduate degree and have not yet received my final grade – can I still apply?

Yes - the application form allows you to specify if your degree has been awarded or if your grade is predicted. There is also space for you to outline all of your module marks to date.

I do not have a First Class undergraduate degree – am I still eligible?

Scholarships include a need basis assessment to consider applicants and do not expect successful applicants to have received a first class degree. We aim to support students who are in need of financial support and those that demonstrate their academic potential.

Scholarships are awarded to applicants who have outlined where and how they would significantly benefit from receiving scholarship and deemed by the panel to have the greatest potential to be leaders in their chosen field. This is assessed through the scholarship application form (statement of support submitted to outline the ‘need’ in terms of financial support) and your application for the programme outlining your academic potential, professional/research experience and sense of career trajectory.

Will I need to have an offer of a place on a course before applying for a Faculty of Medicine Master’s Scholarship?

No. However, you must apply for a place on a programme starting October 2024 before applying for the scholarship. You can find information on the SPH scholarship page.

Can I combine a Master's Scholarship with another scholarship or bursary from Imperial College London?

Imperial policy dictates that students can only hold multiple awards if one is for fees and the other is a stipend. As the School of Public Health Master's Scholarships provide an award for fees, you would be permitted to also hold an award for a stipend. You will not be permitted to hold more than one full scholarship.

Can I apply for other types of funding from Imperial College London while applying for the School of Public Health Masters Scholarships?

Yes. You are welcome to apply for other types of funding from Imperial while applying for a School of Public Health Masters Master's Scholarship. However, these scholarships cannot be combined with any other scholarship that covers fees. For further information on this, please see the question above.

By completing the SPH Master’s Scholarships application form will I also be applying for other types of funding from Imperial College?

No. Other scholarship and bursary schemes run by Imperial have different application procedures. Please consult the pages of the different schemes for guidance. 

Do I need to send you my references?

No. We will use the references which are sent to the School of Public Health as part of your programme application.

Any further questions?

Please contact a member of the School’s admission team by email if you have any further queries related to Scholarships via sph-scholarships@imperial.ac.uk