Overview of Queen’s University Belfast

Enriched in history, Queen’s University Belfast celebrated 150 years in 202O and is a member of the Russell Group, the Association of Commonwealth Universities, and others.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranked Queen’s 200 in the world in 2021. QS World University Rankings included 14 subjects offered by this educational institution among the top 200 around the world in 2020 while four of the subjects in this list are in the Top 100 ranked by QS World Rankings in 2019. The QS Graduate Employability Rankings in 2020 ranked the educational institute among the top 140 in the world.

Queen’s successfully earned the 21st position for international outlook in Times Higher Education Work University Rankings in 2021, showing the university’s support for international students as the University currently has over 2,600 students from 85 different countries around the world.

History of Queen’s University Belfast

With students from 85+ countries, 3,500 staff members and over 100K graduated hailing from around the world, Queen’s University Belfast has made its way to becoming one of UK’s and the world’s leading educational institute, especially in regards to research.

Queen’s University Belfast, known among faculty, students and alumni as Queen’s or QUB, has found its way to academic and research excellence over 175 years. Steeped in heritage, the educational institution has history embedded in the Belfast Academic Institution (founded in 1810). From there, the university found its roots as Queen’s College, Belfast when it was it was chartered in 1845 and opened its doors to provide higher education in four years later with 195 students attending and 23 professors.

The ninth oldest university in the UK, Queen’s University Belfast gained its status as an independent university in 1908. With an unwavering focus on the pursuit of research across various subjects, Queen’s has become a member of the Russell Group with 24,000 UK, EU and international students thriving in its academic, research and social offerings.

The educational institution is one of the prime hubs of research. Ranked at the 8th position for Research Intensity in the UK by Times Higher Education, the university has contributed to research on every scale. Queen’s obtained over £101.6 million in research grants, contracts and awards in the 2016-2017 academic years.

Leveraging the educational institution’s history of excellent disciplinary research, Queen’s University Belfast has developed four research institutes that engage in different formats of research in the fields of healthcare, food safety, cybersecurity, and global peace, security and justice.

Located in Queen’s quarters in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, Queen’s University Belfast offers students an opportunity to experience the capital’s city life and natural beauty. Apart from other campuses, parks, nightlife, and architecture within the city, there is much to explore outside its boundaries.

To match the natural and architectural beauty surrounding Belfast and to meet its goal of providing students access to state-of-the-art facilities, Queen’s University Belfast invested over £700 million to develop the McClay Library, the School of Law, and the Wellcome-Wolfson Institue for Experimental Medicine along with adding a new Computer Science Building and Student Centre.

Queen’s University Belfast Rankings and Achievements

• NSS 2021 Rank-41
• QS Ranking- 216
• THE- 201–250
• The Guardian-33

Faculties at Queen’s University Belfast

• School of Arts, English and Languages
• The Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice
• Queen’s Management School
• Institute of Theology
• Centre for the Study of Risk and Inequality (PRP)
• Seamus Heaney Centre
• School of Law
• The William J Clinton Leadership Institute
• Institute of Irish Studies
• School of History & Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics
• School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work
• Institute of Professional Legal Studies
• Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation (PRP)

Student Statistics

• Undergraduate – 73%
• Postgraduate – 27%
• Full-time students –78%
• Part-time students –22%
• UK students–83 %
• EU students-4%
• International students –13%
• Female – 58%
• Male –42%

Breakdown of the Fee Structure

FR1 (classroom): £17,900
FR2 (laboratory): £22,000
FR3 (pre-clinical) / FR4 (clinical):  £32,800**

Scholarships at Queen’s University Belfast

Queen’s University Belfast provides scholarship opportunities for UK, EU, Commonwealth, and International students. These scholarships are available to new and returning students who have successfully been accepted into a program. The university also offers sports bursary and scholarships for athletes that are current students.

Student Support

The Learning and Development service at Queen’s University Belfast supports undergraduates and their academic skill development needs. Students can access e-books, online resources and workshops along with one-on-one support from relevant faculty. In addition, peer-assisted learning and personal tutor schemes are also available at the educational institution.

Queen’s University Belfast supports student wellbeing through wellbeing advisors, counsellors, and workshops. There is also an independent health centre near the campus. For students with disabilities, the university makes suitable adjustments and accommodates special equipment needs.

This UK university also has a Student Union body that supports 200+ clubs and societies and works for the collective student body.

Student Life at Queen’s University Belfast

Considering that Belfast is Northern Ireland’s capital city, it’s home to a lively and flourishing culture. With plenty of restaurants, pubs, live music venues, cinemas, galleries, parks, and shopping centres within walking distance.

In addition to the Naughton Gallery, the Ulster Museum and the Titanic Museum offer great exhibitions. Other venues around the city also host contemporary, traditional and modern art collections throughout the year.

For cinema buffs and theatre fanatics, The Lyric Theatre, The Grand Opera House, Crescent Arts Centre, the Queen’s Film Theatre, and the rooftop cinema at Treehouse will become frequent hotspots. Venues such as the Black Box, Voodoo, Ulster Hall, and the Limelight will appease those who appreciate live music.

While you can grab a pint at Crown Bar, Jeggy Nettle, or a variety of other pubs within Cathedral Quarter, underground clubs such as Maverick, Thompson’s Garage, Babel and the Perch offer thriving nightlife. And if you’re the one for shopping, the city centre is littered with boutiques, global brand outlets, and artisan markets to have your fill.

To see some of Northern Ireland’s best natural bounty, visit the Mourne Mountains to see some of the ethereal backdrops that inspired C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, Giant’s Causeway, or the various locations where many scenes of the Game of Thrones series were filmed.

Living Accommodations

While campus accommodations are at a short distance, Queen’s new city centre accommodation is right in the hub of Belfast’s active social life. Students don’t need to worry about safety as Belfast is considered one of the safest regions in Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom by UK Crime Surveys in 2018/2019.
Queen’s University Belfast provides student accommodation at Elms BT1 and BT2 located in the city centre. Applauded for quality, these accommodations are at a 15-minute distance from Queen’s campus and 10 minutes away from Victoria Square, Belfast’s retail hub.

Students have the option of choosing an En-suite room or a self-contained studio at a cost of £124 and £149 per week respectively.

Transport

With the student accommodation located in the city centre, Belfast is most conveniently seen on foot or on a bike. Even if students don’t take residence in university accommodations, they can get to the campus on foot within 10 minutes.

To travel beyond the campus, the Belfast Bikes scheme is convenient and easy to find around town. Public transport through buses and trains is also easy as they offer student discounts. From Queen’s University Belfast’s campus, students can walk to the Botanic train station. Other than that, Uber and local taxi services such as Value Cabs can also be used.