A first or 2:1 plus a relevant Master's
The standard route is a first or upper second-class honours degree and a master's in a relevant subject, or a first or upper second-class integrated master's.
Doctoral · Imperial Mathematics
Imperial Mathematics PhD: contact supervisors first, because there is no open list
The Imperial Mathematics PhD does not keep a list of supervisors accepting students, so the Department strongly encourages you to contact the staff you want to work with before you apply. Imperial asks for a first or upper second-class degree plus a relevant Master's, or an integrated Master's, and says an application without a named supervisor goes into a pool where it is less likely to receive a quick, positive outcome. For a mathematics, physics, computing or statistics graduate, the decision is whether your degrees fit and whether you can win a supervisor's agreement. 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 Mathematics PhD
Taken from Imperial's Department of Mathematics page, Information for an application to Mathematics 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.
No list of open supervisors
The Department does not maintain a list of supervisors currently accepting students, because this can change at any time.
Contact staff before you apply
Imperial strongly encourages you to contact the staff you would like to work with, to discuss the project and check whether they plan to take on new students.
A pool route is slower
If no academic agrees to be named, you can still apply with a stream indicated, but those applications are less likely to receive a quick, positive outcome.
A proposal is not essential
A research proposal is not essential, but those seeking the President's Scholarship must provide one as part of the personal statement.
Official sources
Read on 1 November 2026 on Imperial's Department of Mathematics page, Information for an application to Mathematics 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
Can you win a supervisor's agreement before you apply?
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
your degrees match the stated routes and you can write a specific email to a member of staff whose research aligns with yours.
Think again if
you plan to send one generic email to many people. Imperial asks for brief, specific, personable messages.
Other backgrounds
Candidates who do not meet the criteria but have outstanding accomplishments in other areas may also be considered.
How the application is read
Eligibility check, then department, then the supervisor
The Faculty Admissions team first checks that you meet the minimum eligibility criteria, then the Department's admissions team, including the proposed supervisor, assesses the application. If shortlisted, the prospective supervisor contacts you to arrange an interview, which may include technical questions as well as your academic profile and motivation. Applications are only reviewed once both reference letters have been received. Applicants who pass the interview are considered for funding on a rolling basis.
How to contact staff
What Imperial says a good email contains
Imperial lists what to do when contacting an academic: ask whether they plan to take a new PhD student next academic year, give a very brief description of your previous research, say how your interest aligns with theirs, be specific and personable rather than copy-and-paste, keep it brief and state your funding status and whether you are a UK or overseas applicant. Once a supervisor agrees to support your application, name them clearly in the application.
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 with no named supervisor
The page warns that such applications are less likely to receive a quick, positive outcome.
A generic outreach email
Imperial asks for specific, brief messages rather than one message for all.
Waiting on references
Applications are only reviewed once both reference letters have been received.
Leaving ATAS to the end
Most non-EEA nationals need ATAS clearance, and Imperial says to apply as soon as an offer arrives.
Next steps
A sensible order of work
The order is Avandy's suggestion, built from the page's own steps.
Check the route
Map your degrees to the honours-plus-Master's or the integrated-Master's route.
Find the stream
Choose between Pure, Applied, Statistics and Mathematical Finance.
Write to staff
Send short, specific emails and name any who agree.
Prepare the file
Gather a CV, a personal statement, transcripts and two academic referees.
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 degree route, choose a stream and write specific emails to the staff you want to work with.
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 supervisor before applying to the Imperial Mathematics PhD?
Imperial strongly encourages contacting staff first. If no one agrees to be named you can still apply with a stream indicated, but such applications are less likely to receive a quick, positive outcome.
What degrees qualify?
A first or upper second-class honours degree plus a master's in a relevant subject, or a first or upper second-class integrated master's in a relevant subject. Outstanding accomplishments in other areas may also be considered.
Is a research proposal required?
Not essential. Applicants who want to be considered for the President's Scholarship must provide one as part of their personal statement.
Will I be interviewed?
If shortlisted, the prospective supervisor contacts you to arrange an interview, which may include technical questions.
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 Mathematics 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.