A three-year BSc, C500
Delivered by the Department of Life Sciences; Imperial says the course focuses on bacteria, fungi and viruses.
Undergraduate · Imperial Microbiology
Imperial Microbiology: a specialist degree in bacteria, fungi and viruses
Imperial's Microbiology BSc is taught by the Department of Life Sciences and focuses on all types of microorganisms. It asks for Biology plus a second science, makes the ESAT compulsory with Mathematics 1, Chemistry and Biology modules, and says the department generally does not hold interviews. The decision for an applicant is less about entry grades than about whether a specialist degree in microorganisms suits you better than a broader biology degree.
Official information · last verified for 2027 entry
What Imperial asks for in Microbiology
Taken from Imperial's Microbiology BSc course page and read on 1 November 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.
AAA with Biology, or IB 38
The A-level standard is AAA including A in Biology and A in Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics. The IB standard is 38 points with 6 in Biology at Higher Level.
The ESAT is compulsory
Imperial says applicants must sit three ESAT modules: Mathematics 1, Chemistry and Biology.
Generally no interview
Imperial says that, generally, the department does not hold interviews.
Applications in medicine, industry and food
Imperial describes biotechnological, industrial, medical, food and agricultural applications.
Official sources
Read on 1 November 2026 on Imperial's Microbiology BSc course page, which describes 2027 entry. Imperial's Department of Life Sciences pages, the module descriptions beyond the course page, fees and the 2028-entry values were not read, and no other Imperial degree's page was read for this guide and are not stated.
The degree
A specialist degree in microorganisms
Imperial says the course aims to understand the behaviour of living systems from cells up to whole organisms and ecosystems, with a focus on all types of microorganisms. After the fundamentals, students move to advanced study that they can tailor, and complete a research project that is laboratory, data or field-based. The second year includes Molecular Microbiology, on molecular bacteriology and viruses, and Immunology. This guide does not list the year-three options.
Is it the right degree?
Microbiology or a broader biology degree
Imperial teaches several life-science degrees from the same department, and the entry rules look alike, so the question is the focus. Avandy's comparison is general.
Choose Microbiology if
microorganisms and their applications are what draw you, and you want that focus from the start.
Look at Imperial Biological Sciences if
you want a broader degree across the living world. Avandy's Imperial Biological Sciences guide covers it.
Look at Biochemistry if
your interest is molecules and chemistry. Avandy's Imperial Biochemistry guide covers it.
Entry rules
Biology plus a second science, and the ESAT
A-level applicants need AAA including A in Biology and A in Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics, plus a third subject; IB applicants need 38 points with 6 in Biology and 6 in Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics at Higher Level. The ESAT is compulsory, with Mathematics 1, Chemistry and Biology modules. Imperial generally does not hold interviews for the department. This page states no test scores.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Imperial's.
Are microorganisms the part of biology you want to study?
The course focuses on bacteria, fungi and viruses.
Are Biology and a second science secure for you?
Both are stated conditions of the minimum entry standard.
Can you prepare for a three-module ESAT?
It is part of the application, not an optional extra.
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
Confirm your Biology and second-science subjects, and plan ESAT preparation across all three modules.
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 Microbiology require?
AAA at A level including A in Biology and A in Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics, or 38 IB points with 6 in Biology and 6 in a second science at Higher Level, in Imperial's wording for 2027 entry.
Is the ESAT required?
Yes. Imperial says applicants must sit three modules: Mathematics 1, Chemistry and Biology.
Is there an interview?
Imperial says that, generally, the department does not hold interviews.
What does the course study?
Imperial says it focuses on all types of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi and viruses, with a research project.
Which department teaches it?
The Department of Life Sciences.
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 Microbiology
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their biology and chemistry, how they weigh microbiology against broader biology or biochemistry and the ESAT, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.