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Extra costs

You may need to budget for extra costs related to your course that aren't covered by your tuition fees – like field trips, books and protective clothing.

This page outlines extra costs related to courses in each of our departments. Mandatory costs are those that you will need to pay to fully participate in and complete your studies. Optional costs are not essential to your studies so you can opt-out of these.

Note: this is not an exhaustive list, and extra costs are determined by the course and modules you choose.

Placements and year abroad

If you are undertaking a placement or year abroad, you may have to consider the costs involved. These will vary, depending on the location of your year abroad or placement.

Costs may include flights, transport, visas, travel insurance, health insurance and living expenses such as accommodation.

Find out more about the types of placement

Student status with the Year Abroad

If you spend an academic year abroad, you will retain your student status at Imperial so that you will normally remain eligible for the same loans and grants that you would receive in the UK. As an exchange student, you will not pay tuition fees to the host institution abroad.

Aeronautics

Biochemistry

Bioengineering

Biological Sciences

Chemical Engineering

Chemistry

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Computing

Design Engineering

Earth and Planetary Science

Ecology and Environmental Biology

Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Geology

Geophysics

Materials

Mathematics

Mechanical Engineering

Medical Biosciences

Medicine

Mandatory costs

Travel – to and from clinical placements. Some of these costs are covered by the NHS Bursary in Phases 3a and 3b (years 5 and 6): The price will vary depending on where you live and where your placement is located. For up-to-date information on fares within London, please refer to Transport for London website.

Optional costs

Elective – additional costs may be incurred for travel and accommodation, depending on where you decide to go. This may be subsidised under certain circumstances on application: Varies by location
Clinical Research and Innovation – Research Experiences: A range of research experiences are available in London, the wider UK and abroad.
Student exchanges (e.g. Tokyo Medical and Dental University): Varies

Clinical attachments

You will complete mandatory clinical attachments during your studies through Phase 1 and Phase 3 of study on the MBBS A100 course. During Phase 1, you will undertake shorter attachments in a clinical environment, whilst a majority of your longer attachments will take place in the final year of Phase 1 and throughout Phase 3.

Clinical attachments typically last between one and ten weeks, during which time you will be attached to a certain department within a hospital. The clinical attachments will be in a hospital in the Greater London area. Typically, you will be between Zone 1 and Zone 3; however, you can be expected to travel beyond this, including to Zones 4 to 6, as well as outside London. For more information about Student Oyster Prices and the cost of travelling between zones, please visit the Transport for London fares information webpage.

You will need to budget for travel to and from your placement. The location will vary according to clinical speciality. Depending on the distances involved, you may also need to budget for accommodation. Some NHS Trusts offer overnight accommodation. This is usually on a case-by-case basis for clinical attachments that are further outside the centre of London. This is discussed with your site’s Undergraduate Education Office via the Teaching Coordinator.

If you are in receipt of an NHS Bursary in Phases 3a and 3b of the course, you may also be eligible to receive reimbursement for placement accommodation and/or travel costs.

Disclosure and Barring Service

You will need to successfully obtain a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate before you can enrol on this course.

You will need to submit a criminal record self-declaration before you enter Phase 1c (year 3) and again before Phase 3a (year 5). If positive, you may need to undergo a second DBS check.

The DBS checking process is designed to ensure candidates are suited to working with vulnerable groups such as children. The School of Medicine covers the cost of your two DBS checks.

Equipment

You will be provided with the following equipment free of charge:

iPad/ tablet computer
Protective goggles
Stethoscope
Patella hammer
Clinical uniform

The School of Medicine and/or NHS Trust will always provide free of charge any necessary personal protective equipment required for this course.

Final year elective

You are required to take part in an elective in your final year. You must have organised your elective by the end of January of your final year. The elective takes place in the elective period, which begins in April of that year.

You can choose to complete your elective in the UK or abroad. Locations are approved following a risk assessment, which considers factors including the nature of the elective, health risks, accommodation and travel. You will need to budget for the travel and accommodation costs associated with this final-year elective.

Physics

Extra costs

Placements and year abroad

Student status with the Year Abroad

Additional costs