MRes in Biological and Physical Chemistry
Further your skills and knowledge to tackle multidisciplinary problems that lie between life sciences and physical sciences
Key information
Start date: October 2022
ECTS: 90 credits
Duration:
1 year full-time
2 years part-time
Overview
This multidisciplinary course will equip you with the skills to tackle the problems that lie at the interface between life and physical science, on a molecular level.
Advances in the understanding of biomolecular processes have often depended upon the collaborative efforts of biochemists, chemists and physicists.
This course will enable you to bridge the gap that can exist between the physical and life science disciplines due to differences in language, perspective and methodology.
You will receive training from both academic and industrial leaders in the physical and biology fields.
Careers
Our MRes in Biological and Physical Chemistry trains you in translational multi-disciplinary research through a bespoke training and research programme.
At the end of this course graduates will be ideally placed to undertake PhD studies in collaborative multidisciplinary research at the physical and life sciences interface.
Alternatively, graduates may seek employment within the industrial sector to engage in technology innovation and translation in the life science, personal care or agri-science industries.
Structure
This page reflects the latest version of the curriculum for this year of entry. However, this information is subject to change.
The curriculum of this programme is currently being reviewed as part of a College-wide process to introduce a standardised modular structure. As a result, the content and assessment structures of this course may change for this year of entry.
We recommend you check this page before finalising your application and again before accepting your offer. We will update this page as soon as any changes are confirmed by the College.
Find out more about the limited circumstances in which we may need to make changes to or in relation to our courses, the type of changes we may make and how we will tell you about any changes made.
Page last reviewed on 31 May 2021.
Taught module
Taught modules focus on cellular, molecular and analytical knowledge and techniques..
You will engage in peer-to-peer training through group learning seminar, which is an assessed transferable skills module that aims to develop presentation skills, whilst encouraging scientific debate, and providing the opportunity to broaden scientific knowledge.
You will focus on practical laboratory experience, hacking and prototyping. There are also specialist lectures in transferable skills.
Research module
You will complete a nine-month interdisciplinary research project.
In term one, you choose a research project after discussion with academic staff during the first two weeks of the course. Each research project has at least one physical and one life sciences supervisor. Under their guidance, you write a literature report and research proposal for submission at the end of term.
Through term two and three you will continue to work on your research project, which will be examined by a research manuscript, an oral viva examination and a presentation at a one-day MRes Conference held at the beginning of September.
Teaching and assessment
Teaching
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Practical work
- Individual research project
Assessment
- Coursework
- Written examinations
- Project work
- Project proposal
- Practical
- Presentations
- Manuscript-style report
Entry requirements
We welcome students from all over the world and consider all applicants on an individual basis.
Admissions
Minimum academic requirement
Our minimum requirement is a 2.1 degree in chemistry, physics, mathematics, biophysics, biochemistry or bioengineering.
You must also have studied at least 50% physical science content within your degree.
International qualifications
We also accept a wide variety of international qualifications.
The academic requirement above is for applicants who hold or who are working towards a UK qualification.
For guidance see our Country Index though please note that the standards listed are the minimum for entry to the College, and not specifically this Department.
If you have any questions about admissions and the standard required for the qualification you hold or are currently studying then please contact the relevant admissions team.
English language requirement (all applicants)
All candidates must demonstrate a minimum level of English language proficiency for admission to the College.
For admission to this course, you must achieve the standard College requirement in the appropriate English language qualification. For details of the minimum grades required to achieve this requirement, please see the English language requirements for postgraduate applicants.
Competence standards
Our competence standards highlight the core skills students should be able to demonstrate by the end of this course.
View the Department of Chemistry's competence standards [pdf]
We believe in providing the widest practicable access to all of our degree programmes and will make reasonable adjustments wherever possible to support your study. For more information, please contact the Department using the contact details below.
Department of Chemistry
T: +44 (0)20 7594 5864
E: d.pappoe@imperial.ac.uk
How to apply
Making an application
Apply online
All applicants must apply online.
Visit our Admissions website for details on the application process.
You can submit one application form per year of entry. You can usually choose up to two courses.
Application fee
If you are applying for a taught Master’s course, you will need to pay an application fee before submitting your application.
The fee applies per application and not per course:
- £80 for taught Master's applications (excluding MBAs)
- £135 for MBA applications
There is no application fee for MRes courses, Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas or research courses, such as PhDs and EngDs.
If you are facing financial hardship and are unable to pay the application fee, we encourage you to apply for our application fee waiver.
ATAS certificate (overseas candidates)
An ATAS certificate is required for all visa-nationals, with the exception of EEA/Swiss nationals and nationals of the following countries: Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the USA.
To apply for an ATAS certificate online, you will need your programme’s Common Aggregation Hierarchy (CAH) code and ‘descriptor’, as well as your university supervisor name. For this course, these are:
| CAH code | Descriptor | Supervisor name |
|---|---|---|
| CAH07-02-01 | chemistry | Professor Oscar Ces |
Your student visa application, or extension of stay, will automatically be refused if you need an ATAS certificate and cannot provide one.
For further guidance on obtaining an ATAS certificate please see the information on our International Student Support website.
ATAS course description
The description of the MRes course that you should use in your ATAS application is the below:
- Title of the research: MRes in Biological and Physical Chemistry
- Description: The MRes in Biological and Physical Chemistry covers advances in the understanding of biomolecular processes have often depended upon the collaborative efforts of biochemists, chemists and physicists. This course will enable students to bridge the gap that can exist between the physical and bioscience disciplines due to differences in language, perspective and methodology.
Students will receive training from both academic and industrial leaders in the biology and physical sciences fields. At the end of this course graduates will be ideally placed to undertake PhD studies in collaborative multidisciplinary research project, or to seek employment within the agri-science or biomedical industrial sector.
Further questions?
Find answers to your questions about admissions. Answers cover COVID-19, English language requirements, visas and more.
Tuition fees and funding
The level of tuition fees you pay is based on your fee status, which we assess based on UK government legislation.
Find out more about fees and funding opportunities.
Tuition fees
Home rate of tuition
2022 entry
Full-time - £12,800
Part-time - £6,400 per year
Fees are charged by year of entry to the College and not year of study.
Except where otherwise indicated, the fees for students on courses lasting more than one year will increase annually by an amount linked to inflation, including for part-time students on modular programmes. The measure of inflation used will be the Retail Price Index (RPI) value in the April of the calendar year in which the academic session starts e.g. the RPI value in April 2022 will apply to fees for the academic year 2022–2023.
Fee status
Whether you pay the Home fee depends on your fee status.
Your fee status is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status.
Find out more about how we assess your fee status.
EU/EEA/Swiss students
The Government has confirmed that EU/EEA/Swiss students who begin a course before the 31 July 2021 will be eligible to pay the same fee as Home students and have access to student finance for the duration of their course, as long as they meet certain requirements which are unchanged from previous years. This includes students who begin the course remotely.
EU/EEA/Swiss students starting a course on or after 1 August 2021 will no longer be eligible for the Home fee rate and so will be charged the Overseas fee. Please note we do not expect this to apply to Irish students or students benefitting from Citizens' rights under the EU Withdrawal Agreement, EEA EFTA Separation Agreement or Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement respectively. However, we are currently awaiting the formal publication of the amended Fees and Awards regulations.
The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website has useful information on the conditions you currently need to meet to be entitled to pay tuition fees at the Home rate for study on a higher education course in England and reflect the regulations as they currently stand (not the amended regulations which are subject to publication).
UKCISA has also provided some information in response to Questions for students starting their course from the 1 August 2021.
Overseas rate of tuition
2022 entry
Full-time - £35,400
Part time - £17,700 per year
Fees are charged by year of entry to the College and not year of study.
Except where otherwise indicated, the fees for students on courses lasting more than one year will increase annually by an amount linked to inflation, including for part-time students on modular programmes. The measure of inflation used will be the Retail Price Index (RPI) value in the April of the calendar year in which the academic session starts e.g. the RPI value in April 2022 will apply to fees for the academic year 2022–2023.
Fee status
Whether you pay the Overseas fee depends on your fee status.
Your fee status is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status.
Find out more about how we assess your fee status.
EU/EEA/Swiss students
The Government has confirmed that EU/EEA/Swiss students who begin a course before the 31 July 2021 will be eligible to pay the same fee as Home students and have access to student finance for the duration of their course, as long as they meet certain requirements which are unchanged from previous years. This includes students who begin the course remotely.
EU/EEA/Swiss students starting a course on or after 1 August 2021 will no longer be eligible for the Home fee rate and so will be charged the Overseas fee. Please note we do not expect this to apply to Irish students or students benefitting from Citizens' rights under the EU Withdrawal Agreement, EEA EFTA Separation Agreement or Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement respectively. However, we are currently awaiting the formal publication of the amended Fees and Awards regulations.
The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website has useful information on the conditions you currently need to meet to be entitled to pay tuition fees at the Home rate for study on a higher education course in England and reflect the regulations as they currently stand (not the amended regulations which are subject to publication).
Postgraduate Master's loan
If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
For 2022-23 entry, the maximum amount is £11,836. The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
Scholarships
We offer a range of scholarships for postgraduate students to support you through your studies.
See what opportunities you may be eligible for:
Accommodation and living costs
Living costs, including accommodation, are not included in your tuition fees.
You can compare costs across our different accommodation options on our Accommodation website.
A rough guide to what you might expect to spend to live in reasonable comfort in London is available on our Fees and Funding website.
Further information
Got a question?
Dr Mike Ray and Dr Dipa Gurung
T: +44 (0)20 7594 2678 and +44 (0)20 7594 1241
E: chemres@imperial.ac.uk
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