Molecular Biology and Pathology of Viruses
Analyse the nature of viruses as cellular parasites and their importance in human, animal and plant diseases.
Analyse the nature of viruses as cellular parasites and their importance in human, animal and plant diseases
Engage with leading experts in virology and molecular biology and attend the UK’s principal virology conference
Develop your research skills and carry out a laboratory-based research project
Course key facts
Qualification
MSc
Duration
1 year
Start date
September 2026
Study mode
Full-time
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Fees
£16,300 Home
£47,300 Overseas
Delivered by
Location
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South Kensington
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Minimum entry standard
2:1 in Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Medicine, Physiology, Veterinary Sciences or a related Biomedical science subject.
The department will consider 2:2 on a case-by-case basis.
Course overview
Examine the fundamental nature of viruses as molecular machines and cellular parasites on this Master's course.
You'll consider their importance in human, animal and plant diseases and explore recent major advances in the understanding of how the viruses manipulate host cellular machineries to establish infection.
The programme also covers the molecular mechanisms of virus replication, virus disease pathogenesis, and the emergence of novel viruses, alongside the intrinsic defences mounted by our cells, as well as exploring the therapeutic strategies for detecting, preventing and treating viral diseases.
You'll engage with experts from many areas of molecular virology and cell biology during the course. Through this collaborative work, you'll develop skills to embark on further study at PhD level or support a career in academic or industrial research.
Two research projects also provide an opportunity to learn and apply techniques to important research problems.
Structure
This page is updated regularly to reflect the latest version of the curriculum. However, this information is subject to change.
Find out more about potential course changes.
Please note: it may not always be possible to take specific combinations of modules due to timetabling conflicts. For confirmation, please check with the relevant department.
You’ll take all of these core taught modules.
Taught modules
Examine viruses at the molecular level including the structure of virus particles and virus genomes, and the interactions of viruses with cells.
Explore the pathogenesis of virus-induced diseases – from viral immunology, oncogenesis, emergence and evolution, to strategies for the detection, treatment and prevention of virus infections.
Build your experimental design skills and research methods to safely perform a guided laboratory based experimental project.
You'll also analyse and interpret your data to address the objectives of the project.
Develop your critical judgement and communication skills and learn techniques and strategies to study the structure of research publications.
You'll join an academic research laboratory to carry out an original research project investigating an important question on a subject related to virology.
During the six-month project, you'll work under supervision in a research team, interacting with researchers working in related areas.
You'll also attend the Annual Conference of the Microbiology Society.
Most projects are carried out within the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College. However, some may be carried out at other Imperial campuses or with external research institutions in the UK, or possibly abroad.
You will give an oral presentation of your project to your peers, and your work will be assessed by a 10,000 word thesis and an oral ‘viva’ examination.
Teaching and assessment
Teaching and learning methods
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Seminars
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Group tutorials
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Lectures
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Journal clubs
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Group work
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Independent study
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Data interpretation sessions
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Conference
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Virtual learning environment
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Laboratory skills sessions
Balance of assessment
This is an example of how assessments are usually divided, based on a typical pathway through the course. The actual breakdown may be different depending on the modules you choose.
Key
- Modules and mini-research project
- Research project
- 50% Title 1 goes here
- 50% Title 2 goes here
Assessment methods
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Scientific writing abstract or summary
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Written examinations
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Poster and oral poster presentation
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Individual written project report
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Literature review
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Research grant proposal
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Research project thesis
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Oral examination
Entry requirements
How to apply
Apply online
You can submit one application form per year of entry. You can choose up to two courses.
Application deadlines – Round 2 closes on Wednesday 7 January 2026
We operate a staged admissions process with several application rounds throughout the year.
Apply by 23.59 (UK time) on the closing date of an application round, to ensure you receive a response on your application by the relevant decision date.
Round 1
Business School courses only.
Round 2
- Applications open on Monday 29 September 2025
- Applications close on Wednesday 7 January 2026
- Decision by Wednesday 4 March 2026
Round 3
- Applications open on Thursday 8 January 2026
- Applications close on Wednesday 11 March 2026
- Decision by Wednesday 6 May 2026
Round 4
- Applications open on Thursday 12 March 2026
- Applications close on Wednesday 29 April 2026
- Decision by Thursday 2 July 2026
We recommend applying as early as you can – we cannot guarantee that places will be available, or that courses will remain open, in later rounds.
Once your application has been reviewed, all shortlisted applicants will be interviewed by academic member(s) of the course teaching team. Candidates will be notified within two weeks of the interview.
There is no application fee for Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas, or courses such as PhDs and EngDs.
If you are applying for a Master’s course, you will need to pay an application fee before submitting your application.
The fee applies per application and not per course.
The application fees for postgraduate courses are:
- £90 for all Master's applications, excluding those to Imperial Business School
- £125 for MSc applications to Imperial Business School
- £150 for MBA applications to Imperial Business School
If you are facing financial hardship and are unable to pay the application fee, we encourage you to apply for our application fee waiver.
Find out more about how to apply for a Master's course, including references and personal statements.
An ATAS certificate is not required for students applying for this course.
Fees and funding
Home fee - Molecular Biology and Molecular Medicine
2026 entry
£16,300
You should expect and budget for your fees to increase each year.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the university, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our tuition fees payment terms, including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out how we assess your fee status.
If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
The maximum value of the loan is £12,858 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2025.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
Please note:
- The loan is only available if you’re studying a full Master’s course from the start.
- If you start on a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) or Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) and later move on to the Master’s, you won’t be eligible for this loan.
Overseas fee - Molecular Biology and Molecular Medicine
2026 entry
£47,300
You should expect and budget for your fees to increase each year.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the university, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our tuition fees payment terms, including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out how we assess your fee status.
If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
The maximum value of the loan is £12,858 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2025.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
Please note:
- The loan is only available if you’re studying a full Master’s course from the start.
- If you start on a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) or Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) and later move on to the Master’s, you won’t be eligible for this loan.
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Further links
Contact the department
- Telephone: +44 (0)20 7594 5873
- Email: a.pastuszek@imperial.ac.uk
Course Director: Professor David Rueda
Visit the Department of Infectious Disease website.
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You can find further information about your course, including degree classifications, regulations, progression and awards in the programme specification for your course.
Programme specifications