A First or Distinction Master's
Applicants are expected to have a First Class or Distinction Masters level degree, or equivalent, in a relevant scientific or technical discipline. A Bachelor's alone will not normally be considered.
Doctoral · Imperial Computing
Imperial Computing PhD: a Master's standard, a research statement and 3-4 supervisors
The Imperial Computing PhD expects a First Class or Distinction Master's level degree in a relevant scientific or technical discipline, says a Bachelor's alone will not normally be considered and recommends naming three to four supervisors to be shortlisted for interview. The application carries a CV, a 1-2 page personal statement and a 3-4 page research statement, all written without Generative AI. For a computer science or mathematics graduate, the decision is whether your degree route meets the departmental standard, which is higher than the University minimum, and which supervisors to name. 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 Computing PhD
Taken from Imperial's Department of Computing PhD page, its PhD application guidelines and the University's doctoral entry requirements 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.
Higher than the University minimum
The departmental entry requirements are higher than the University's accepted qualifications, so meeting the minimum does not mean you qualify.
Name three to four supervisors
The Department recommends listing three to four potential supervisors to maximise your chances of being shortlisted for an interview.
Two statements, written by you
A 1-2 page personal statement and a 3-4 page research statement are expected, written without help from Generative AI tools.
An exception route exists
Outstanding applicants without a Master's may still apply with clear evidence of compensating factors such as research experience and publications.
Official sources
- Imperial College London: Department of Computing, PhD application guidelinesimperial.ac.uk
- Imperial College London: Department of Computing, PhDimperial.ac.uk
Read on 1 November 2026 on Imperial's Department of Computing PhD page, its PhD application guidelines and the University's doctoral entry requirements 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
Does your degree route meet the departmental, not the University, standard?
This guide concerns only the Imperial research degree. The reading below is Avandy's judgment (heuristic), built from what the pages say about entry and the application.
It fits if
you hold or are about to hold a First or Distinction Master's in computer science, mathematics or a related technical field and can name supervisors whose themes match your research problem.
Think again if
you hold only a Bachelor's. Imperial says such candidates will not normally be considered and may first apply to do an MSc in the Department.
Without a Master's
Imperial allows outstanding applicants to apply with compensating factors, but says individual exceptions cannot be evaluated over email.
How the application is read
Two statements and a ranked set of supervisors
The application includes a CV, a personal statement of one to two pages and a research statement of three to four pages, with an indication of potential supervisors. The personal statement covers your motivation and why you chose the university, the supervisors and a research area; the research statement covers the research problems you want to investigate, the motivation for them and your initial ideas on method, with references to the literature. All statements are expected to be written without Generative AI tools. After you apply you may be invited to an interview, in person, by video or by phone.
How the degree runs
A departmental degree, with an AI route for one centre
Applicants to the main departmental degree select Computing Research. The AI and Machine Learning degree is for applicants to the AI4Health Centre for Doctoral Training only. Imperial describes the Department as one of the largest computer science departments in the UK and says applications can be made at any time during the year. 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 pages. They are not Imperial rules and carry no probability.
Meeting only the University minimum
Imperial says departmental requirements are higher than the University's accepted qualifications.
Mixing the two statements
The research statement is for research problems; motivation belongs in the personal statement.
Naming one supervisor
The Department recommends three to four to maximise the chance of an interview.
Using Generative AI to draft
Imperial expects all statements to be written by the applicant without help from such tools.
Next steps
A sensible order of work
The order is Avandy's suggestion, built from the pages' own steps.
Check the degree route
Compare your Master's with the First or Distinction expectation.
Find supervisors
Read the Department's research themes and choose three or four.
Draft the statements
Write the personal statement and the research statement yourself, each for its own purpose.
Prepare the interview
Be ready to present a past project or discuss papers a supervisor sets.
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
Check your Master's against the departmental standard, choose three or four supervisors and draft both statements yourself.
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
Do I need a Master's for the Imperial Computing PhD?
Imperial expects a First Class or Distinction Masters level degree or equivalent. Candidates with only a Bachelor's will not normally be considered, though outstanding applicants may apply with compensating factors.
How many supervisors should I name?
The Department recommends listing three to four to maximise your chances of being shortlisted for an interview.
Can I use AI tools to write my statements?
No. Imperial says all statements are expected to be written by the applicant, without help from Generative AI tools.
What happens at interview?
It may be in person, by video or by phone, and typically involves a presentation on a past project or a discussion of papers set by the potential supervisor.
Does the PhD include funding?
This guide did not read Imperial's funding tables and states no funding. Check the Department's pages for the cycle you apply in.
Students and families
Talk to us about the Imperial Computing 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.