King’s College London: Premedical Program

Please note that the King’s College London program is very popular and uses a strict rolling admissions policy. The program reaches capacity quickly—apply early for the best chance of admission, and to ensure your course registrations can be filed early.

Note that study abroad students at King’s may only enroll in level 4, 5, or 6 classes. In selecting your classes, you should be aware of any prerequisites in order to be eligible to enroll.

• Level 4 classes are introductory classes generally suitable for students with no previous undergraduate study in the subject. See exceptions in the department list below.
• Level 5 classes are intermediate classes broadly equivalent to junior year classes in the U.S. Applicants should have taken at least 3-4 classes in the subject.
• Level 6 classes are advanced classes equivalent to senior year or master’s classes in the U.S. Applicants should have taken at least 6-7 courses in the subject, and the subject should also be the student’s major.

If you are requesting to take classes at any level from the School of Bioscience Education or the departments of Chemistry, Mathematics, Music, or Physics, King’s is required to send your transcript to the academic tutor in the relevant department, as departmental approval is needed before study abroad students can be registered in these subject areas.

Below are some admissions notes regarding the most popular King’s departments among study abroad students. If you have questions about departments not on this list, please contact your IFSA Admissions Counselor.

AMERICAN STUDIES

Classes in this department fill up very quickly, so class offerings may be limited. Students are strongly advised to apply well in advance of the IFSA application deadline.

COMPUTER SCIENCE/INFORMATICS

The Computer Science/Informatics department is not open to study abroad students.

ENGINEERING

The Engineering department is not open to study abroad students, with the exception of limited spaces within the Biomedical Engineering program.

ENGLISH

The English department is not open to study abroad students.

FILM

The Film Studies department has limited spaces. Students are strongly advised to apply early and to consider alternate IFSA programs in case space is not available.

GEOGRAPHY

Students must have an academic background in any of the following areas: urban studies, economics, developmental studies, earth sciences, geology, environmental studies, and area studies.

HISTORY

The History department is not open to study abroad students.

LANGUAGES

Open to all majors, the Modern Language Centre at King’s offers classes in Arabic, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Punjabi and Spanish. You will have a short language test upon arrival to determine which level is best for you. To learn more about the language classes, search for "Modern Foreign Languages" on the King's College online course catalog.

LAW

Many law modules are offered for degree-seeking students only. Those open to study abroad students will be clearly indicated.

LIFE SCIENCES

Students must have suitable background—generally two chemistry and two biology courses—and a strong GPA to be considered for classes in the Faculty of Life Sciences.

MANAGEMENT

The Management department is willing to consider applications from students with an appropriate background. Look under “Management” or also “Business” for classes in business, economics, human resources management, and marketing.

MUSIC

King’s usually requires that applicants to the music department be music majors at their home university. Preference is granted to students from traditional music schools. Please only request Music modules if you can play an instrument and/or read music fluently. If you have no music classes on your transcript, you will be asked to inform King’s of your musical background and ability when you submit your Module Request Form. This allows King’s to provide the academic tutor with the needed supporting material as part of the eligibility process. Please call your IFSA Admissions Counselor to discuss your audition requirements and the application process.

PHILOSOPHY

This department at King’s is widely recognized as one of the best in England, on par with the departments of Oxford and Cambridge. Introductory philosophy classes are open to students of all majors. Intermediate classes are open to students who have taken college-level philosophy courses in epistemology and metaphysics and/or ethics. Advanced classes are open only to philosophy majors only who have a substantial background in the subject.

SHAKESPEARE’S LONDON

Shakespeare's London is a regular English module offered by King’s that, through close reading and practical experience, allows students to place Shakespeare's plays in the context both of the city out of which they grew and of the theatrical world of Shakespeare. The module features an intensive, hands-on, three-week section at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre involving practical work on the staging of Shakespeare's plays. There are limited spots available, so apply early if you are interested.

THEOLOGY

A very limited number of second- and third-year theology classes are open to study abroad students.

WAR STUDIES

Students applying to the War Studies department must have a strong background (i.e. three to four courses) in political science and/or international relations. This department is very popular, so please complete your application materials as soon as possible.