Applying for the course
Entry requirements and overseas equivalents
Streams and their particular areas of research
Response times
References
Scholarships
Offer status and deposits
Language requirements
Term start dates
Different streams

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Applying for the course

 

What is the application process?

All applicants are required to complete the application form. Some streams may choose to interview candidates before making a decision. The application form can be found here.

What is the course code?

The course code when applying for the course is A1BA (MRes Biomedical Research).

When is the application deadline?

There are no official deadlines; however, places will begin to fill up around the spring-time. Offers are made on a first-come, first-served basis. Overseas students should also consider the time required for visa applications.

Are there any spaces left on your course?

Please contact the administrator for the course for up-to-date information.

I was rejected by my first choice programme, do I need to re-submit my application/references?

No, there is no need to resubmit any information as the system will automatically re-route all the information to your second choice programme. You may be contacted to provide an alternative personal statement for the second programme.

I am in the final year of my undergraduate degree, can I apply before I have my results?

Yes. We ask that you include your predicted grade on your CV or personal statement. Once you receive your qualification, you will be required to post the original, hard copy documents to Registry. Their mailing address is:

Admissions, Registry, Imperial College London
South Kensington Campus
Level 3, Sherfield Building
Exhibition Road

More information can be found here: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/after-you-apply/conditions/

What is the format of the personal statement?

Please include your choice of stream on the personal statement. As a recommendation, we advise applicants to submit no more than 1 page for their personal statement. It would be useful to keep your personal statement concise and focus on concrete experience, rationale for applying, and future plans. The personal statement can be addressed generally (i.e. To whom it may concern…).

 

Entry requirements and overseas equivalents

Do you accept applications from my overseas institution? What are the equivalent academic requirements from my country?

Please check the country index for information on how qualifications awarded by overseas institutions meet our academic requirements. You can find the link here.

What are the entry requirements?

All streams have a minimum entry requirement of a good first degree (2:1 or overseas equivalent). Applicants interested in applying, who do not need the minimum entry requirements but have significant work experience in the field, should contact the stream
organisers to discuss their qualifications further.

 

Streams and their particular areas of research

Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care (APMIC)

• Trainee doctors in anaesthesia, pain medicine and intensive care interested in pursuing further education and research.
• Junior trainee doctors interested in studying perioperative medicine.
• Science degree graduates with a biomedical background interested in understanding fundamental perioperative medicine.

Biomedical Research (BMR)

• Students from a wide variety of biological, biomedical and chemical science backgrounds who are unsure of which area of biomedical science they wish to pursue in the future. The wide variety of projects available across all departments in the Faculty of Medicine gives the broadest choice of research areas amongst all the streams.

Bacterial Pathogenesis and Infection (BPI)

• Students who wish to pursue a career in biomedical research, whether it be in academia, industry or government.

Data Science (DS)

• Students with a degree in physical sciences, engineering, mathematics computer science (or related area) who wish to apply their numeric skills to solve biomedical problems with big data.

Epidemiology, Evolution and Control of Infectious Diseases (EECID)

• Students with a background in biology or biomedical science who are interested in gaining skills in quantitative methods applied to infectious disease epidemiology.
• Students with a background in mathematical sciences, physics or computing who are November 2016 interested in applying their technical skills to infectious disease epidemiology.

Molecular Basis of Human Disease (MBHD)

• Students with a biochemical or biophysical background interested in pursuing further education in a medically relevant area.
• Students with a biomedical background interested in understanding fundamental mechanisms behind disease processes.

Microbiome in Health and Disease (MHD)

• Students with a biochemical, microbiological or biological background interested in pursuing further education in microbiome and nutrition in health and disease.
• Students with a biochemical, microbiological or biological background interested in understanding fundamental mechanisms behind disease processes and developing therapeutic targets.
• Students with a clinical background interested in understanding microbiome in clinical research.

Respiratory and Cardiovascular Science (RCVS)

• Students with a biological or biochemical background wishing to pursue further education in a biomedical-related area.
• Students with the above backgrounds who are interested in undertaking research projects aimed at understanding pathophysiological mechanisms underlying respiratory and/or cardiovascular diseases.
• Students who wish to gain a Master’s qualification with a view to undertaking doctoral training, or work in the pharmaceutical industry, or in a professional biomedical technical environment.

Response times

Why haven’t I had a response yet?

Please check your account to ensure that references have been submitted. Your application will not go to the admissions tutor without at least one academic reference from your most recent institution.

I haven’t received any correspondence from the course administrator or the admissions team, what do I do?

Some queries may take time to answer and there is also a high volume of applications, therefore we kindly ask for your patience. If more than five working days have passed then please check your email spam/junk folders – if the email was sent here then please add the email address as a safe address. If this is not the case, please contact us again.

 

References

My reference wasn’t accepted due to the email address used, what do I do?

If the email addressed used by your referee is a personal email address it will not be accepted by
Registry. You should advise your reference to submit their reference via email from a
professional or academic to medicine.pg.admissions@imperial.ac.uk.

Do my references have to be academic?

Your references can be either academic or professional. We do recommend to submit at least one academic reference in support of your application, who can attest to your academic abilities.

 

Scholarships

When will I hear back about the Faculty of Medicine Dean’s Master’s Scholarship?

Applicants will be given a decision in early summer. For more information, please visit the website here: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/medicine/study/postgraduate/deans-mastersscholarships/.

What scholarships are available for me to apply?

There are several internal and external scholarships available for students to apply. To find an
internal scholarship, you can use the scholarship search tool here: https://wwwa.imperial.ac.uk/apex/apps/f?p=1007:200.

A list of external scholarships can be found here: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/fees-and-funding/scholarships/further-funding-opportunities/external/

 

Offer status and deposits

How long do I have to accept my offer/pay my deposit?

You will have 28 days from the date on your offer letter to either accept or decline the offer. No extensions can be granted on the deadline to accept. Following your decision to accept, you will have 28 days to pay the deposit. If you do not meet these deadlines then your offer may be withdrawn. If you are having troubles meeting the deposit payment deadline, please contact the course administrator to discuss options.

I can’t pay my deposit until I receive my loan/scholarship, what do I do?

Please contact the course administrator to discuss the possibility of an extension.

The system shows that my offer has been withdrawn, what do I do?

The system will automatically withdraw your offer if you do not respond to the offer within 28days. Please contact the course administrator to have your offer re-opened. Please note that, once withdrawn, there is no guarantee that your offer will be re-opened.

 

Language requirements

What is the minimum IELTS requirements?

We ask for a minimum 6.5 overall score, and 6.0 in all elements in order to meet the language requirement.

Are there alternatives to IELTS to prove I meet the English language requirement?

Yes. You can find more information on accepted qualifications here: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/requirements/english/.

There is also the option of a pre-sessional English course run by the Centre for Academic English. More information can be found here: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/academic-english/mastersstudents/.

 

Term start date

When is the first day of term?

The first day of the academic year is the first Monday in October of each year.

 

Different streams

What are the different streams on the course?

The MRes Biomedical Research course is unique, as it is divided into several different streams, each of which offers a different specialism within biomedical research. Each stream also has its own stream leader(s) who looks after their area of expertise. The format of the streams and assessment methods are the same for all students, but the teaching component and choice of research projects are determined by stream. To find more information on the 8 streams, please visit: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/surgery-and-cancer/biomedical-research/

Can I select projects from other streams?

Yes, you can select projects from other streams should you have permission from your stream leader. Please note that for the teaching component of the course, you will be expected to follow your stream’s teaching timetable. However, students on a given stream will have priority to projects offered on that stream.