Four or five years
The MSci is four years, F124; a five-year version with a year in industry has the code F125.
Undergraduate · Imperial Medicinal Chemistry
Imperial Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry: chemistry pointed at drug discovery
Imperial's Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry MSci keeps the core of the department's chemistry degrees and adds a focus on the identification, development and analysis of new drugs. It has a four-year and a five-year version, and the same Chemistry and Mathematics entry rules as the general Chemistry MSci. The decision is whether drug discovery is the direction you already want.
Official information · last verified for 2027 entry
What Imperial asks for in Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry
Taken from Imperial's Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry MSci course page and read on 31 October 2026. For a normal 2028-entry application, made in 2027, every requirement below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change; Imperial's 2028-entry requirements and dates are awaiting publication.
A pharmaceutical focus
Imperial says the course is designed to prepare students for a career in the pharmaceutical industry or biomedical research.
AAA with Chemistry and Mathematics
The A-level standard is AAA with A in Chemistry, Mathematics and a third subject. The typical offer is A*AA. The IB standard is 38 points with 6 in each of three Higher Level subjects.
No test; an academic interview
Imperial says the department does not use a test. Shortlisted applicants are interviewed by an experienced academic.
A medicinal chemistry project
The final year culminates in a substantial research project in a medicinal chemistry-related field.
Official sources
Read on 31 October 2026 on Imperial's Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry MSci course page, which describes 2027 entry. Imperial's Department of Chemistry pages, the module descriptions, fees and the 2028-entry values were not read and are not stated.
The degree
The same chemistry core, a drug-discovery lens
Imperial says the course builds an interconnected understanding of core chemistry topics through interdisciplinary modules, with extensive laboratory work, and adds a focus on identifying, developing and analysing new drugs and therapeutics. Students study strategies for targeting diseases and work with complex portfolios of data, with specialist advanced topics in the third and fourth years.
Medicinal Chemistry or general Chemistry?
A specialism on identical entry rules
Imperial's Chemistry MSci and this course share a department and the same entry rules, so the choice is about direction.
Choose Medicinal Chemistry if
you already want drug discovery or biomedical research and want the course shaped around it.
Choose the general Chemistry MSci if
you want to keep the whole of chemistry open. Avandy's Imperial Chemistry MSci guide covers it.
Consider Biochemistry or Medical Biosciences if
your interest is biological rather than chemical. Compare the course pages.
Entry rules
Chemistry and Mathematics, no test and an academic interview
A-level applicants need AAA with A in Chemistry, Mathematics and a third subject, with Biology, Physics and Further Mathematics preferred; the typical offer is A*AA. IB applicants need 38 points with 6 in Chemistry, Mathematics and a third subject at Higher Level; the typical offer is 39 to 40. There is no test. This page states no scores.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Imperial's.
Is drug discovery a settled interest?
The course is built around it.
Is a year in industry attractive?
It is a separate five-year version with its own code.
Are Chemistry and Mathematics both strong?
Both are required at A level and Higher Level.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Applying for 2028 entry means applying in 2027, under rules Imperial has not yet published for that cycle. Each item below carries one of two labels. Last verified for 2027 entry means Imperial published it for the previous cycle and it may change. Awaiting publication for 2028 entry means Imperial has not yet published it.
Grades, subject requirements, the test position and the interview arrangements: last verified for 2027 entry
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Imperial has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
The UCAS deadline, test windows and interview dates: awaiting publication for 2028 entry
Check Imperial's course page for the 2028-entry values when they appear.
What to do now
Decide whether drug discovery is settled, and compare this page with the general Chemistry MSci.
Support
Independent support with course choice and preparation
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Imperial College London or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here means course-fit advice, subject mentoring and ethical preparation; Avandy gives no scores or probabilities and does not supply interview or test questions. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
What does Imperial Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry require?
AAA including A in Chemistry, Mathematics and a third subject, or IB 38 with 6 in each of three Higher Level subjects, in Imperial's wording for 2027 entry.
Is there an admissions test?
No. Imperial says the department does not use a test.
Is there a year-in-industry version?
Yes. A five-year version has the UCAS code F125.
How does it differ from the general Chemistry MSci?
It adds a focus on the identification, development and analysis of new drugs; the entry rules read the same.
Is there an interview?
Yes. Imperial shortlists applicants for an academic interview.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Imperial's wording for the 2027 application cycle. Check the course page again when Imperial publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Imperial Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their Chemistry and Mathematics, how drawn they are to drug discovery and whether the general Chemistry MSci would suit them better, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.