A 1st or 2.1 BSc, and a Master's may be needed
Applicants should have or expect a BSc of 1st class or 2.1 standard in the UK system, or equivalent. A Master's degree may also be required.
Doctoral · Imperial Life Sciences
Imperial Life Sciences PhD: a 1st or 2.1, a named academic and no template email
The Imperial Life Sciences PhD asks applicants to have or expect a BSc of 1st class or 2.1 standard, says a Master's may also be required and warns that the Department often asks for higher grades than the College minimum for overseas degrees. Unless you apply for a specific funded programme, you first identify and contact an academic as a prospective supervisor, with an email that shows you have read their profile and publications and that is not a template. For a biology graduate, the decision is whether your degree meets the stated standard and which academics to approach. 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 Life Sciences PhD
Taken from Imperial's Department of Life Sciences Prospective Students page for postgraduate research 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 College minimum
The Department often asks for higher grades than the College minimum for overseas degrees; check the advert's eligibility criteria.
Contact an academic first
Unless you apply for a specific programme, you identify and contact a prospective supervisor before submitting an application.
No template emails
Imperial asks you not to use the same template for different academics and to read their profiles and a couple of publications first.
Deadlines follow the programme or funder
The admission deadline is generally set by the programme or the funding competition you apply for.
Official sources
Read on 1 November 2026 on Imperial's Department of Life Sciences Prospective Students page for postgraduate research, 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 meet the Department's standard, and whom will you approach?
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 or expect a 1st or 2.1 BSc, can show commitment to and demonstrated ability in research, and can name academics whose themes match your interest.
Think again if
you rely on the College minimum for an overseas degree. The Department says it often asks for higher grades.
Other backgrounds
Applicants who do not meet the criteria but have sufficient relevant experience and background knowledge may be considered.
How to approach a supervisor
Imperial's list of what a good first email does
Imperial says to identify the research theme, research the academics who work within it, read their profile and a couple of publications, write a brief email showing awareness of their research and how it aligns with yours, indicate your intention to apply for doctoral study, summarise your research background and include your funding status and whether you are a UK, EU or overseas applicant. It says not to use the same template for different academics. The formal application is then submitted through My Imperial.
Funding and deadlines
The advert sets the date
Available funded projects are advertised on the Department's PhD Opportunities page. The deadline for admission is generally set by the programme or funding competition you are applying for; for funding listed on the Departmental page the closing date is published in the advert. This guide states no date because dates change by cycle. 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 template outreach email
Imperial says not to reuse the same template for different academics.
Ignoring the advert's criteria
The Department often asks for higher grades than the College minimum for overseas degrees.
Applying with no academic in mind
The first step is to identify an academic or a funded project.
Leaving out your funding status
Imperial asks you to say whether funding is secured, self-funded or to be applied for.
Next steps
A sensible order of work
The order is Avandy's suggestion, built from the page's own steps.
Pick a research theme
Search the Department's themes and staff.
Read their work
Read profiles and a couple of publications.
Write specifically
Send a brief, specific email with your research background and funding status.
Apply through My Imperial
Submit once an academic or advert is in place.
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
Pick a research theme, read the academics' work and send a specific email before applying through My Imperial.
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 degree does the Imperial Life Sciences PhD ask for?
A BSc of 1st class or 2.1 standard in the UK system, or an equivalent overseas degree; a Master's degree may also be required. Applicants who do not meet this but have sufficient experience may be considered.
Do I need a supervisor before applying?
Unless you apply for a specific programme or funded project, you first identify and contact an academic as a prospective supervisor.
Can I use a template email?
No. Imperial says not to use the same email template to contact different academics.
Is the College minimum enough for an overseas degree?
Not necessarily. The Department often asks for higher grades than the College minimum, so check the advert's eligibility criteria.
Does the PhD include funding?
This guide states no funding. Funded projects are advertised on the Department's PhD Opportunities page; check it for the cycle you apply in.
Students and families
Talk to us about the Imperial Life Sciences 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.