Frequently asked questions

To apply for the 4-year CDT programme, choose the "Postgraduate Research" option from the College online applications page, then choose "Combined Masters and PhD Application (1+3 Degrees)".

Select Programme Title: "Neurotechnology (1plus3) (MRes 1YFT)|H6NT|1|SK|FT|CN".

If you are applying for the ONE YEAR MRes, you should choose the "postgraduate taught" application option and select programme title: "Neurotechnology (MRes 1YFT)|H6NU|1|SK|FT|AC"

No. The CDT programme is only offered as a full-time, campus-based programme.

No. The first year (MRes in Neurotechnology) is an integral part of the four-year CDT programme. It is very different to an MSc, and enables us to guarantee a unique and high quality research training experience.

No. One of the core modules (Statistics & Data Analysis) is common to both courses, but students who have taken this before will take an alternative module in place of Statistics.  Students will also choose modules from the MSc Biomedical Engineering as electives, however the large number of options available means that there should be no overlap between the MSc and MRes courses. The MRes Neurotechnology journal club is a specific paper discussion forum run by and for the CDT cohorts.

Funded studentships are restricted to the projects advertised on our website, which are approved by the Research Board in each round. However, if you bring your own 4-year funding, we can consider you for a place in the CDT if you can devise your own suitable alternative project (subject to Research Board approval). 

Applicants for the one-year MRes are required to devise their own projects with their proposed supervisor.

In any case, Centre activities will be open to all students and staff at Imperial College with an interest in Neurotechnology.

For the MRes year, all CDT students are based in the new EPSRC CDT suite at South Kensington and will spend time in the various laboratories of their supervisors. In the PhD phase, CDT students are based in the home department of their primary supervisor.

Students on the one-year MRes Neurotechnology are not allocated a desk but will have access to departmental and Centre facilities and will spend time in the laboratories of their project supervisors.

This is a very open ended question.

London is one of the most expensive cities in the world and South Kensington is one of the most expensive boroughs in London. However, more affordable options exist in the surrounding areas within the radius of a few Underground stops.

There is a limited amount of postgraduate housing available through Imperial College. This housing is generally limited to the first year of postgraduate study. The Details on living costs can be found on the College Student Finance web pages.

If you are applying for a funded CDT project, you do not need to include a research proposal with your application but must submit a personal statement.  The statement should be clear and concise: consider your aptitude and motivation for applying for the course, your academic and/or career plans as well as your research interests. Explain why studying in the CDT/Imperial College would help you achieve your research/career goals.

If you are applying as a self-funded CDT student or for the one-year MRes, you should include a brief description of your proposed project with your application as well as the personal statement.

You can choose up to 3 CDT projects by completing the additional CDT form to specify your choices.  On your official College application, you only need to list the CDT Neurotechnology once and should put down your first choice supervisor/project on the form.

We cannot tell you what to write in your personal statement as this should be in your own words, but ideally your personal statement should be relevant to all project choices.  However, you can upload separate/extra documents if you wish. Please label any additional statements clearly and inform the CDT Administrator (k.hobson@imperial.ac.uk) to ensure the correct documents are sent to the reviewers.

Yes, you can apply, however not all of our studentships can be used for non-UK residents, so competition will be very intense for these places.

The UK government has confirmed that EU students starting or continuing their studies in the 2017–18 academic year will continue to pay the Home rate of tuition fees for the duration of their course. EU students will also remain eligible for the same government funding support as they are now, including the Tuition Fee Loan. This access to government funding will continue throughout your course, even if the UK exits the EU during this time.

Check the latest information from the College on the EU referendum.

We recommend that you get your references in by the deadline if possible, as the time between the deadline and shortlisting date is short.

We will still consider your application if your references are not in by the deadline, but be aware that your potential supervisor may not get the chance to read them if they arrive too late.

No - you can make your application first and take the test later, but you must meet the College English requirements before starting the course.

Yes. Submit your application, filling in the details of your pending degree and the expected date of your results.

Your degree certificate and transcript can follow on when they become available. If you are made an offer, this may be conditional upon you obtaining a certain grade.

You would need to have the necessary quantitative skills to be able to thrive in the programme, for example university-level mathematics, engineering or physical sciences, experience in programming etc. Please discuss your background with your potential supervisor or the CDT Administrator.

When applying, make sure you include transcripts or evidence of any appropriate (eg mathematics/engineering/physical science) modules you may have taken as part of your degree.

It is a 4-year project encompassing both an MRes component (with lab rotations) and a PhD component. The lead (contact) supervisor will be able to provide you with more information on the project, including a proposed rotation schedule for the MRes project.

The precise schedule for the MRes lab rotations will be finally tailored to suit the student selected for the project, in discussion between the student and supervisory team.

This section is mainly for those applying for unfunded programmes. As the CDT studentships are already funded, you can answer "No" to the questions "Do you wish to be considered for any College related scholarships appropriate to your circumstances and agree for us to pass your application to relevant committees deciding awards?" and "Are you intending to apply for an Imperial scholarship?".

However, if you are applying for a scholarship in relation to a second choice programme, you can still add this to the form - this will not afect your CDT application or elgibility to be considered for the CDT studentships.