Roughly 40-50 places from around 350 applicants
The Department says every year between 40-50 students are accepted for the PhD from around 350 applicants.
Doctoral · Imperial Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Imperial EEE PhD: a 2.1 and a Merit Master's, and a supervisor conversation first
The Imperial Electrical and Electronic Engineering PhD says it accepts 40-50 students a year from around 350 applicants, and its minimum entry is a 2.1 or 1st in an integrated Master's, or a 2.1 or 1st Bachelor's plus a Master's at Merit or higher. Applicants proposing their own project must discuss it with a potential supervisor before applying, and the application carries a CV, a one to two page personal statement and a two to three page research statement. For an engineering graduate, the decision is whether your degrees meet the minimum and whether a supervisor will back your idea. 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 Electrical and Electronic Engineering PhD
Taken from Imperial's Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering page, Postgraduate research (PhD) 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.
A 2.1 and a Merit Master's, or an integrated Master's
UK applicants need an integrated Master's at 2.1 or 1st, or a Bachelor's at 2.1 or 1st plus a Master's at Merit or higher.
Discuss your idea with a supervisor first
If you are proposing your own project you need to discuss your research idea with a potential supervisor before you apply.
A research statement of two to three pages
It describes a research problem and your initial ideas and does not commit you to the exact research described.
A Teams interview with two staff
If shortlisted, you have an interview with your potential supervisor and one of their colleagues on Teams.
Official sources
Read on 1 November 2026 on Imperial's Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering page, Postgraduate research (PhD), 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 your degrees meet the minimum, and will a supervisor back your idea?
This guide concerns only the Imperial research degree. The reading below is Avandy's judgment (heuristic), built from what the page says about entry and the application.
It fits if
you hold an integrated Master's at 2.1 or 1st, or a 2.1 or 1st Bachelor's plus a Master's at Merit, in electrical engineering or a related subject.
Think again if
you have no supervisor in mind. The page expects you to identify potential supervisors and to discuss your research idea with one.
International degrees
Imperial asks for the equivalent of a UK 2.1 and the equivalent of a UK Master's at Merit, and points to its accepted qualifications page by country.
How the application is read
References first, then your supervisor and a Teams interview
The application includes a CV of one to two pages, a personal statement of one to two pages and a research statement of two to three pages, with a potential supervisor or research area indicated. Applications are not usually reviewed until both references have been received. If you named a supervisor, the application is sent to them first. If you are shortlisted, you have a Teams interview with that supervisor and a colleague. The page says to expect a decision within 8 weeks of the application arriving in the Department.
How the degree runs
Three to four years, with milestones
A PhD typically takes three to four years and gives the opportunity for in-depth research in a specific topic. Progress is marked by PhD milestones that help the student and supervisor achieve the main objectives of carrying out original research and attaining the degree. Research studies can start in early October, early January, 1 April or 1 July. 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.
A research statement that is a motivation essay
The personal statement covers motivation; the research statement describes a research problem and initial ideas.
A generic email to a supervisor
Imperial asks for a formal email showing that you have researched their expertise and past work.
Late references
Applications are not usually reviewed until both references have been received.
Reading the intake figures as odds
The 40-50 places and 350 applicants are the Department's description, not a probability for any applicant.
Next steps
A sensible order of work
The order is Avandy's suggestion, built from the page's own steps.
Check the degrees
Compare your degrees with the stated UK and international minimums.
Choose supervisors
Use the Department's list of potential supervisors and write formal emails.
Draft the documents
Prepare the CV, the personal statement and the research statement.
Brief your referees
Give them time, because review waits for both references.
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 degrees against the minimum, choose supervisors and draft the CV, personal statement and research statement.
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 degrees qualify for the Imperial Electrical and Electronic Engineering PhD?
An integrated Master's at 2.1 or 1st in electrical engineering or a related subject, or a Bachelor's at 2.1 or 1st plus a Master's at Merit or higher. International applicants need the equivalent.
Do I need to contact a supervisor first?
If you propose your own project, yes: you need to discuss your research idea with a potential supervisor before you apply.
What are the research and personal statements?
A personal statement of one to two pages on motivation and career plans, and a research statement of two to three pages on a research problem and initial ideas.
How long does a decision take?
The page says to expect a decision within 8 weeks of the application arriving in the Department.
Does the PhD include funding?
This guide did not read Imperial's funding 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 Electrical and Electronic 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.