Admissions

All applications to our postgraduate programmes are made online – we do not accept paper applications. Please refer to the ‘How to apply’ section of each programme page to see what documents you are required to submit with your application and to view the selection process.

All of our programmes are academically rigorous and include a quantitative component so all candidates are expected to be familiar with a basic level of mathematics before the start of the programme. The quantitative experience statement provides an opportunity to demonstrate this to the selection committee.

In the quantitative experience statement, you need to list up to five of the most quantitative modules or elements of your studies to date. You should list the main topics of study (eg: algebra, probability etc) as well as the level of study (eg: high school, undergraduate degree, short course etc) as this will allow the selection committee to have an understanding of your quantitative experience to date.

Quantitative experience is a key selection criterion for our more quantitative programmes (MSc Finance, MSc Finance & Accounting, MSc Financial Technology, MSc Investment & Wealth Management, MSc Risk Management & Financial Engineering, MSc Business Analytics, MSc Climate Change, Management & Finance and MSc Economics & Strategy for Business) so please be sure to check the entry requirements for your programme of interest to ensure your background is sufficiently quantitative. For other programmes, candidates are advised to review both the programme content and the pre-study modules to see what the numerical content of the programme includes before they submit an application.

You can apply to be considered for one programme each year. We will take your areas of interest and eligibility into account when considering you for alternative programmes.

While it is not compulsory to submit the results of an approved English language test with your application, it is strongly encouraged and will add weight to your application if you are able to show that you have met the language requirement prior to applying. You can find detailed information regarding the Business School’s language requirements and the tests that we accept here.

As part of your application, you will be asked to provide the contact details of two referees. Your referees will be contacted by email once you have completed and submitted your application, and the email will contain instructions on how they can submit your reference via our application system.

Please ensure that each reference letter that is submitted has been sent from an academic or professional email address. We cannot accept references sent from personal email addresses, such as Gmail, Hotmail, 126, 163, Sina, QQ, and Yahoo.

Our electronic application service is provided by an external provider, so there may be a delay before the receipt of your references is confirmed on your student application account.

If you receive confirmation that your references have been received but this still isn’t confirmed on your account a week after receiving the confirmation, please contact the Central Admissions team at business.admissions@imperial.ac.uk.

If you submit a complete application by the stated round deadline, we will ensure you receive an outcome by the corresponding decision deadline. However, if your references are delayed, this may affect our ability to process your application and provide a decision on time. If your references are delayed by more than five working days, we may not be able to guarantee a decision by the deadline.

If you have received confirmation that your references have been submitted but this is not reflected in your account after a week, please contact the Central Admissions team at business.admissions@imperial.ac.uk. 

Yes. As part of the selection process, shortlisted candidates for our MSc programmes will be invited to complete an interview. Interviews are conducted through Kira Talent, our video interview platform, which you can access online to record and submit your answers.

The interview process typically takes about 20 minutes and does not require extensive preparation. It aims to supplement your written application by providing a further opportunity for you to articulate your suitability for your MSc programme of choice through questions about your previous experience and future aspirations.

If you are invited to submit a video interview, you will be sent details of how to access and use the Kira Talent online interview platform.

Once you have created an account, you will be asked a series of questions, to which you can record your answers as short videos and submit them online.

Please make sure that the invitation doesn’t go to your junk mail by adding kiratalent.com to your list of safe senders. You must complete your online interview by the deadline stated in the email. If the email has gone into a junk, spam, or clutter folder in your inbox, we will not be able to rearrange a new interview for you, and your application will be considered for withdrawal.

Please note: our video interviews are conducted via the Kira Talent platform. As Kira Talent is an independent third party service provider with their own terms and conditions of service and privacy policy, please familiarise yourself with these and ensure you are happy with them before proceeding to use the Kira service and platform.

For all MSc programmes, you can normally expect to receive a decision within 6-8 weeks of having submitted a complete application. Please keep in mind that during busy times and/or where documents are missing from an application, this time may increase.

When an offer is submitted by the Business School, the Central Admissions need to make a number of final checks before it can be formally approved. These may include an additional review of an applicant’s academic background or ensuring the references we have received are valid. Until you have received confirmation of the official offer via the College’s applicant portal, please do not arrange accommodation, book flights or decline any other offers you may be holding. The majority of offers are successfully approved by Central Admissions and you will be able to see full details of your offer conditions once your official offer has been confirmed.

Unfortunately, we are unable to confirm when you will receive a decision on your application but we will be in touch via email as soon as there is an update. Please be aware that you do not need to provide any additional information unless you think that this will add significant weight to your application (e.g. updated transcripts, relevant internships, English language results).

Please email your programme admissions team if you would like feedback on your application. Please note that whilst limited feedback can be provided, the decision of the academic selectors is final and it will not be possible for your application to be reconsidered.

We are unable to assess eligibility before an applicant applies as the academic selection committee needs to review a full application before any decision can be made. Please check the specific entry requirements of the programme you are interested in studying along with our international entry requirements. If you feel you meet our entry requirements you can apply online.

In addition to the guidance available on our website, we also hold regular information sessions both online and on-campus throughout the year where we would be happy to discuss your suitability in more detail.

We accept a wide range of international qualifications for postgraduate study at Imperial.

We've provided general guidance in the country and region index on how qualifications awarded by public institutions overseas may satisfy our minimum academic admission requirements.

We review our requirements annually. Updates usually happen in September each year before the next academic year of entry.

If your country or region is not listed, please contact the relevant Admissions team for further information.

View accepted qualifications

The majority of the MSc programmes require a minimum of an Upper Second Class Honours degree (or international equivalent) to be admitted. While work experience can add weight to an application, this would not be considered in place of meeting the academic requirement, regardless of how lengthy the experience has been.

The exceptions to this are MSc Global Health Management, MSc Business Analytics (online delivery, part-time), and MSc Strategic Marketing (online, part-time). Please refer to the programme’s entry requirements for more detailed information.

We may consider candidates applying to MSc Business Analytics (online delivery, part-time) with non-traditional qualifications and backgrounds, on the basis of highly relevant work experience or demonstrated interest.

The Business School does not offer pre-sessional English courses or accept attendance of a pre-sessional English course as a means of meeting the English language requirement.

Yes, you can. You can pay your tuition fees in either one or two instalments payable at the start of term, or at the start of term and February, respectively. If you pay in instalments there will be a 2% surcharge of the total amount added to your first instalment. You would be asked to select a payment schedule during the offer acceptance process. Please contact the Student Finance Team if you have further questions about this process.

The Business School offers a variety of different scholarships, each with unique eligibility criteria.

All candidates who submit an MSc application before the scholarship deadlines (listed on our website) and receive an offer for one of our programmes will automatically be considered for scholarship(s) relevant to their programme, providing they do not have additional criteria such as a video submission. You can be considered for multiple scholarships at the same time.

Additionally, there are a number of cross-programme awards and programme specific awards also available. Please check on the scholarships page on your programme of choice for eligibility and entry requirements.

Find out more information about all our scholarships.

Yes, we offer a 10% bursary on programme fees to successful candidates with an undergraduate degree from Imperial awarded at a minimum of upper second class, or Master’s degree awarded with a minimum of Merit. In order to be considered for this bursary, you must submit your application by the scholarship deadline. 

If you are being sponsored by an organisation that will be responsible for paying your tuition fees, you must provide acceptable proof of the award.

Satisfactory evidence of sponsorship is usually regarded as an original, dated and duly authorised letter from your sponsor on headed paper which includes the following:

• Your name and College Identifier Number

• The programme for which you have been offered a place

• The amount of fees which will be paid by your sponsor (please report in GBP)

• The address to which the invoice should be sent

• Any Purchase Order Number required

• Confirmation that the fees will be sent directly to Imperial College

Sponsorship letters should be emailed to the Central Admissions team at business.admissions@imperial.ac.uk 

Your CAS number holds information about the programme you will study and if you have paid any fees. You will not need a formal letter from the College confirming your offer status for your visa appointment.

For more information about what you will need, see the UKVI website.

If you need any advice about your visa please contact the International Student Support team. Most information can be found on the International Student Support website.

We will start to issue CAS numbers from April. The details of your CAS will appear on your My Imperial record after you have met all the conditions of your offer. Please note that you will need to upload a scanned copy of the photo page of your passport and current visa (if you have recently completed a degree in the UK), before your CAS can be issued. Please upload these documents to the ‘Passport/visa’ section of your My Imperial account.

Once your CAS is ready, you will receive an email confirming that it has been uploaded onto your My Imperial account. If you log into My Imperial you will be able to find your CAS number and the details that have been included in your CAS.

Please note that we cannot provide you with a CAS if you have outstanding conditions on your offer. Please ensure that you allow enough time to meet your conditions and apply for a visa before the start date of your programme of study.

GMAT Exam scores will remain valid for five years from your appointment date.

You will be able to take the old exam up until 31 January 2024.

You can start to take the GMAT Focus Edition from 7 November 2023. Starting 1 February 2024, the only version of the GMAT available for you to take will be the updated GMAT Focus Edition. You can find further details on the new GMAT Focus Edition on the GMAC website.

GMAT / GRE is not required for admission to this programme.

However, if you have if you have already sat or intend to take GMAT (old or new test) or GRE, you are welcome to submit your results as a good score overall can add weight to your application – particularly if you feel that your degree performance does not reflect your academic potential.