Frequently asked questions

See more. Achieve more. Be more.
The Imperial Horizons programme was introduced in October 2012 and is available to all undergraduates. It is designed to broaden your education, inspire your creativity and enhance your potential. Our wide-ranging and innovative modules can be taken as part of, or alongside, your main degree. 

Imperial Horizons is one of the streams from which students taking an I-Explore module as part of their degree can choose. However, Undergraduate students are also allowed to take a Horizons module for extra or non-credit in their other years of study.
Find out more about I-Explore

Classes take place as follows during the autumn and spring terms:

• 1st Years: Tuesdays 16.00- 18.00 
• 2nd Years: Mondays 16.00-18.00
• 3rd & 4th Years: Thursdays 16.00-18.00

See Timetable and term dates for term dates

Departments have been asked by the university to set aside these times to avoid clashes with your core studies.*

In addition to the class time of two hours a week, you will need to set aside extra time (two to three hours for two-term modules and one hour for one-term modules) for preparation and follow-up activities that will be given in class. This is important if you want to make good progress in the module you have chosen.

*Please note:

• MBBS and BMB students in Year 3, and MBBS students in Years 5 & 6, are not permitted to take Horizons modules due to clashes with clinical/lab placements or final year projects.
• MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Management students in Year 4 are not permitted to take Horizons modules due to clashes with their core degree.

1st years

• Language modules are 19 weeks long and run over the autumn and spring terms
• All other modules are 8 weeks long and run in the autumn or spring term
• 1st year undergraduates are encouraged to take two 8-week modules (one in autumn and one in spring) if they are not enrolled on a two-term language module

2nd, 3rd & 4th years

• All modules are 20 weeks long and run over the autumn and spring terms

Please see the Timetable and term dates page for further details on the module start and finish dates. 

You should be able to find all the information you need on our webpages. If you have any specific queries about a module, you can contact the field leader or the lecturer (who's email address appears on the side of the module description). 

For information on any additional information events will be running, please see Information events.  

There is detailed information about each module on the module description. Please see module options for more details. You should choose a module in a subject you are interested in. If you have any specific queries about a module, you can contact the field leader or the lecturer (whose email address appears on the side of the module description). You can also attend one of our Information events where we will have a Q&A session. 

Imperial Horizons modules are designed to be open to all. However, you should note the restrictions below before applying.

Students can only take a module in the reserved time slot for their particular year of study. It is not permitted to enrol on an Imperial Horizons module from another year group (one that runs on another day of the week); for example, Year 3 students cannot take a Year 1 module, and Year 1 students cannot take a Year 2 module.

Languages modules
Languages modules are offered at a range of different levels from complete beginners (Level 1), upwards. Please make sure that you are eligible for the language module that you are choosing by checking the pre-requisites chart on the relevant language-specific page, which can be found under the module options for your year group. If you are in any doubt about your eligibility, please contact the appropriate coordinator.

Humanities & Social Sciences modules
Students are not permitted to take modules with the same name/ overlapping content in both Year 2 and Year 3. This rule applies to modules such as the Creative Writing, Humanities Project, Practical Art, and Music Technology modules.

Advanced Humanities Project (Level 7) requires students to have successfully completed and achieved highly in a module at the previous level. If you are in any doubt about your eligibility, please email the contact listed on the module description.

There are some BPES modules which have online and face-to-face versions. Students are not permitted to take one version for I-Explore and another as a degree credit elective.

I-Explore students
Please note the restrictions on the following webpage: Module restrictions

Details of how to enrol can be found on the Enrolment page. 

Late enrolment applications will be accepted, where spaces are still available, up until the second week of the module. 

Please complete the relevant form on the Enrolment page. Where modules are full you may be added to a waiting list and contacted if a place becomes available. 

No, MBBS students cannot take Horizons modules in years 3, 5 & 6 due to clashes with clinical placements. However, MBBS students can take Horizons modules in Years 1, 2* and 4. 

*In Year 2, Horizons is one of the streams from which MBBS students can choose their I-Explore module.

Yes*, you should enrol on a module for the year of study you are joining at Imperial, i.e. if you are joining the 3rd year, you should choose from the 3rd & 4th year modules. (You should not consider yourself a 1st year student, even if it is your first year at Imperial.) You may be permitted to take a module offered to another year group where spaces remain and your timetable allows you to attend. Please email horizons@imperial.ac.uk with any queries. 

*Please note that exchange students need to obtain permission from their host academic department and their home university/college if they wish to take an Horizons module as part of their agreed study plan. Any exchange student wishing to undertake an Horizons module in addition to their agreed study plan is advised to think carefully about their overall workload before doing so and if in doubt, to discuss this with their host academic department.

Please complete the relevant form on the Enrolment page. Where modules are full you may be added to a waiting list and contacted if a place becomes available.

Yes, you should choose from the 3rd & 4th year modules, as this is the year of study you will normally be joining at Imperial. (You should not consider yourself a 1st year student, even if it is your first year at Imperial.) 

Please complete the relevant form on the Enrolment page. Where modules are full you may be added to a waiting list and contacted if a place becomes available. 

Students on a degree which includes a year abroad (including those studying a BSc/MSci with a Language for Science) are required to study a language in preparation for that year. You will attend two hours a week language tuition through the Imperial Horizons Programme and an additional third hour of language tuition per week intended to prepare you for study abroad. It is not possible for you to take an additional Imperial Horizons module in another subject, as all modules for your year group are taught during the same timetable slot.

Students returning from their year abroad are able to take any of the available 3rd & 4th year modules.

No, Imperial Horizons is an undergraduate programme.

Postgraduates and staff are encouraged to consider the Adult Education Classes instead, where a range of courses are available at a discounted price for Imperial students and staff. 

Before the start of the module
Module changes are only permitted where there are still spaces available. If you wish to change modules, please complete the waiting list form on the Enrolment page. 

After the start of the module
Module changes are not usually permitted after the modules have started. If you are having problems with your Imperial Horizons module, please contact the relevant coordinator or field leader or email horizons@imperial.ac.uk for advice.

If spaces become available on modules with waiting lists, places will only be offered in the first two weeks (for two-term modules) and in the first week (for 8-week modules). 

I-Explore students
Please note that changes to I-Explore modules are only permitted in very specific circumstances. Please see the I-Explore Switching Policy for more information. Any queries should be directed to iexplore@imperial.ac.uk. 

Language modules
Students may repeat a language module provided they have less than 50% attendance and have completed no more than one piece of assessment (either coursework or in-class test).

Change Makers, Humanities & Social Sciences modules
If you have not attended more than 50% of the module (actual attendance) you may be eligible to re-enrol. Re-enrolment will be considered on a case-by-case basis depending on how much of the assessment has been completed.

Provided the above conditions are met, you may repeat a module for degree credit or extra credit. In this context it is important that you make a commitment to the module and consider the consequences of erratic attendance/submission of coursework over a longer period of time.

If you have any queries regarding whether you are eligible to repeat a module, please contact horizons@imperial.ac.uk.

All modules for your year group are taught during the same timetable slot, which means you can only follow one Imperial Horizons module per academic year if you choose a two-term module. If, however, you enrol for an autumn term only module in your 1st year, we encourage you to also enrol for a module for the spring term.

Please see Taking a module for credit for more information regarding your credit options. 

Please see the Withdrawal page. 

Please check the module notes on Blackboard for the submission deadlines. If you have a serious problem affecting your performance on your Imperial Horizons module, including coursework and examinations, please see the mitigating circumstances information in our CLCC UG Modules Handbook for how to proceed. 

Degree Credit 
Your numerical grade will be recorded on your Academic Transcript, and the numerical mark you obtain will be included in the calculation of your final degree result. 

I-Explore
I-Explore modules are pass/fail and this means that while you will obtain a numerical mark, the numerical mark you obtain will not be included in the calculation of your final degree result. You will be awarded the full 5 ECTS credit provided you pass the I-Explore module. The numerical mark you receive will be recorded on your Academic Transcript.

Extra Credit & Non-Credit
All passes, merits and distinctions will be recorded on your Academic Transcript.  Any fails will NOT be recorded for students who take Imperial Horizons for extra credit or non-credit.  You therefore have everything to gain from taking an Imperial Horizons option and you are encouraged to work hard to enjoy the benefits of this opportunity.