As soon as you accept your offer and complete the registration process you should start preparing to become part of the Imperial community.

There is lots of information you need to learn about Imperial, to make the most of your doctoral journey and here we’ll give you some key advice.

Early on, it is very important you are aware of all the aspects that you need to deal with when joining a postgraduate research programme at Imperial.

These are:

• If you are an international student, you will need to apply for your student visa. The International Student Support Team will help and support you in the process.
• There are regular sessions Your Next Move covering a variety of topics e.g. visa applications, accommodation, disability service and wellbeing.
• The Centre for Academic English (CfAE) offers summer pre-sessional courses which help you learn the real academic language and skills that you need for successful research and study at Imperial. These courses are STEMM-focused and specifically designed for international Imperial PhD students. The CfAE offers a 6-week course for PGRs who hold a conditional offer and who need to improve their English language proficiency to meet the English language entry condition for their degree course. There is also a 3-week course, for students who wish to extend and enhance their academic skills in preparation for their studies.
• Both courses run in-person in South Kensington campus.
• All doctoral students must also fulfil the Imperial College London Doctoral Academic Communication Requirement (DACR). This is done through taking DACR Assessment 1. Depending on the result of this initial assessment, students may also need to have a progress check (DACR Assessment 2). See all details and exemptions in the the DACR webpages.

 You should also give time to: