A good 2:1 or First, and a Master's
The FAQs list a good Upper Second or First Class degree in engineering or another numerate discipline, a Masters level qualification and good mathematical skills.
Doctoral · Imperial Civil and Environmental Engineering
Imperial Civil Engineering PhD: a supervisor's interest first, a complete file second
The Imperial Civil and Environmental Engineering PhD says online applications should only be submitted after a potential academic supervisor has expressed sufficient interest, and that applications without prior consultation take longer to process and are unlikely to be accepted. It lists a good Upper Second or First, a Masters level degree and good mathematical skills, and warns that processing takes at least 12 weeks. For an engineering graduate, the decision is whether to approach a supervisor before applying, and what a complete file contains. This guide sets out what Imperial says for the 2027-28 cycle, marks Avandy's judgment separately and ends with next steps.
Official information · last verified for 2027-28 entry
What Imperial asks for in Imperial Civil and Environmental Engineering PhD
Taken from Imperial's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering PhD FAQs page and read on 1 November 2026. The page describes 2027-28 entry. For a 2028-29 start, applied for in 2027-28, every requirement below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change; Imperial's requirements, dates and funding for 2028-29 are awaiting publication, and none is stated here.
Supervisor interest comes first
Applications should only be submitted after the potential supervisor has expressed sufficient interest.
Unconsulted applications are unlikely to be accepted
Applications received without prior consultation with a supervisor, or through an open scheme, take longer and are unlikely to be accepted.
At least 12 weeks to process
Processing can take longer if the application was incomplete, for example if referees were late or no supervisor was identified.
Professional referee emails only
Reference letters from private email accounts are not accepted.
Official sources
Read on 1 November 2026 on Imperial's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering PhD FAQs page, which describes 2027-28 entry. Imperial's deadline, fee and funding tables, scholarship pages, the department's research pages and the University's application guidance were not used and are not stated. No deadline, fee, funding amount or place number is stated.
The decision
Do you have a supervisor's interest, and a file that is complete?
This guide concerns only the Imperial research degree. The reading below is Avandy's judgment (heuristic), built from what the FAQs say about entry and the application.
It fits if
you hold a good Upper Second or First in engineering or a numerate discipline, a Master's and strong mathematics, and a supervisor has shown interest.
Think again if
you plan to apply without speaking to anyone. Imperial says such applications take longer and are unlikely to be accepted.
Part time
The Department lists the research degree as full time and part time.
How the application is read
Three steps, then the Department's process
Step one is to identify a project and supervisor and contact them to discuss projects and funding. Step two is to prepare transcripts with a marking scheme, an English language qualification if needed, two referees, a CV, and a brief personal statement and research proposal, preferably with the potential supervisor. Step three is the online application through MyImperial. The Department holds an application until it is complete, with all documents and two completed references, then sends it to the named supervisor. Some applications do not pass preliminary screening; an interested supervisor arranges an interview with the applicant and another academic.
How long it takes
At least 12 weeks, and often longer
Imperial says it will take at least 12 weeks to process an application, and that processing times can exceed this in particularly busy periods or if the application was incomplete, for example because referees were late or no supervisor was identified before applying. Decisions are reported to and processed by the College Admissions Office, and notifications are sent by email. This is the 2027-28 page and may change.
Avandy's judgment
Where an application can go wrong
These points are Avandy's heuristic reading of the page. They are not Imperial rules and carry no probability.
Applying before a supervisor is interested
The page asks you to wait for sufficient interest.
A referee using a private email
Private accounts are not accepted, so brief your referees.
Leaving out the marking scheme
The page says always include a copy of the University Marking Scheme with transcripts.
Expecting a quick decision
Allow at least 12 weeks.
Next steps
A sensible order of work
The order is Avandy's suggestion, built from the page's own steps.
Find a supervisor
Use the Department's staff pages to identify topics and supervisors, then write to them.
Prepare the file
Gather transcripts, the marking scheme, a CV and two referees with professional emails.
Draft with the supervisor
Write a brief personal statement and research proposal, preferably together.
Apply and wait
Submit through MyImperial and allow at least 12 weeks.
Planning for 2028-29 entry
Planning for 2028-29 entry: what carries over and what awaits publication
Imperial's pages describes entry in 2027-28. A start in 2028-29 means applying in the 2027-28 cycle, under rules Imperial has not yet published. Each item below is either last verified for 2027-28 entry, which means Imperial published it for the previous cycle and it may change, or awaiting publication for 2028-29 entry.
The structure of the route and the application
The entry standard, the application items and the research-degree structure are described on Imperial's pages for the 2027-28 cycle. Imperial has not published the following cycle.
Deadlines, places, funding and fees
This guide states none of them. Imperial publishes them per cycle; read them again when they show 2028-29.
What to do now
Identify a supervisor, wait for their interest and then submit a complete file through MyImperial.
Support
Independent support with the research statement and fit
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Imperial College London or any of its departments, and it has no relationship with any member of staff. Support sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant and a PhD-level Academic Mentor help the applicant test a research idea against the department's published research areas and plan their own statement. Support here is limited to testing a research idea against the department's published research themes and planning the applicant's own statements; it does not extend to contacting staff on the applicant's behalf. Avandy does not write or submit any part of an application, cannot arrange a supervisor and promises no outcome or funding.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
What are the entry requirements for the Imperial Civil and Environmental Engineering PhD?
A good Upper Second or First Class degree, or international equivalent, in engineering or another numerate discipline; a Masters level degree qualification; good mathematical skills; and an English qualification where applicable.
Do I need to contact a supervisor first?
Imperial says online applications should only be submitted after the potential supervisor has expressed sufficient interest, and that applications without prior consultation are unlikely to be accepted.
How long does an application take?
At least 12 weeks, and longer in busy periods or if the application is incomplete.
Can my referees use a personal email?
No. Referee email addresses must be professional; private accounts such as gmail or yahoo are not accepted.
Does the PhD include funding?
This guide did not read Imperial's scholarship pages and states no funding. Check the Department's pages for the cycle you apply in.
Students and families
Talk to us about the Imperial Civil and Environmental Engineering PhD
Tell us about your degrees, your research experience, the research question you want to pursue and the supervisors or groups you have in mind. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to develop the research statement.