Queen's University Belfast

The School has over 120 academic and support staff with 250 students undertaking PhD and Masters programmes and over 1,300 undergraduates across our degree pathways.

The School has strong links with a wide range of industries/organisations in the form of collaborative projects and student placements. The curriculum is also supported by our Public Facing events and world-class facilities.

The School brings together academic experts, researchers, and students with interests in the study of History, Anthropology, Philosophy & Politics. With over 90 academic members of staff with expertise in a range of areas, the School is the largest centre for the study of History, Anthropology, Philosophy & Politics in Ireland, and one of the largest in the United Kingdom.

You will have the opportunity to work with academics who are truly world-leading scholars in their specialist fields. Staff will enjoy sharing their knowledge and experience with you. We work hard to make the research environment at Queen’s a world-leading one to which your research can contribute.

The School prides itself on each year having a large cohort of postgraduate taught students taking one of its many and varied Masters and Postgraduate Diploma programmes.

The School is committed to teaching of the highest quality. The principal aim of our postgraduate programmes is to develop your capacity for scholarship: to equip you with the necessary skills, and to give you the opportunity to make an original contribution to knowledge. At PhD level your training is primarily through the work of staff members assigned to supervise your research, and also through seminars and workshops organised by the School, specialist training provided by the Graduate School, and other professional development opportunities run by Queens for postgraduate research students. We encourage students to take advantage of all the opportunities open to them as a postgraduate student within the School, Faculty, University and beyond.

Law has been studied and taught at Queens since 1845. The years since have seen many changes and challenges for lawyers in Belfast. Legal and political developments have drawn their interest to law throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as to the distinctive aspects of the Northern Irish legal system. In more recent years the impact of globalisation has led Queens, in common with law schools throughout Europe, to a growing interest in European, international and comparative law.

Legal research at Queen’s has international, national and local dimensions. Though Northern Ireland has its own separate legal system and a unique relationship with the Westminster Parliament, the close similarities between much of the law of Northern Ireland and that of England and Wales make it possible to carry out research which simultaneously serves both local needs and, very importantly, contributes to national scholarship. With the recent striking globalisation and Europeanisation of Law, it is no longer possible to carry out research work which ignores the wider international context of law. Therefore, at Queen’s we fully encourage and support the student who is interested in the international jurisdiction, or the international legal problem. We are keen to hear from potential students who are interested in studying either on one of our taught postgraduate courses. Note that a good first degree in law is usually required for entry to this programme, though relevant legal experience may be considered.

Taught postgraduate degrees are not identical to undergraduate programmes: there is no constant stream of lectures to fill the day. Instead, contact is usually through seminars which may be held on a weekly or twice weekly basis. Taught courses are more supportive to the student, and develop their confidence in doing advanced work through to a final position where - with the LLM degree - the student can carry out independent research. Thus our LLM's require students to produce a dissertation of around 15,000 to 20,000 words on an original topic. It is not uncommon for work carried out on the LLM programme to be published, and certainly students should aim for a publishable standard if at all possible. Less demanding courses are those at the Diploma level. These operate with the same weekly or bi-weekly seminars, but are usually examined in the traditional manner.

Staff in the School of Law at Queens pursue a broad and diverse research agenda which is reflected not just in the production of books and academic journal articles but also through commissioned research, policy papers and contributions to the media.

The School houses a strong and dynamic postgraduate community. Postgraduate education is an integral part of the life of the School. Programmes are delivered via small, supportive group teaching.

As a School within the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, we are uniquely positioned to offer an innovative approach to interprofessional education using the latest technologies in simulated learning. We pride ourselves on offering programmes that integrate theory and clinical practice, preparing our students to be sought after practitioners capable of delivering health care around the globe. Our training partners include internationally-recognised clinical institutions and community care services. Our students benefit from teaching by staff, who are actively engaged
in areas of speciality practice. We make sure our programmes meet the needs of service users and carers with our established Service Users and Carers' Forum.

The School’s research excellence is evidenced by our return in the 2008 RAE with over 50 per cent of outputs ranked 3* or 4*. With a multidisciplinary approach to our programmes of research in the fields of Maternal and Child Health and Cancer, Supportive and Palliative Care, we are internationally recognised for our PhD research training programme. We have a vibrant research culture, with international collaborators as investigators on Research Council UK, Health Research Board and charitable organisation-funded projects, and international students undertaking PhD studies.

Students can avail of opportunities to visit the School’s international partner institutions to further develop their careers. The School offers scholarships and travel awards to support students in their journey of education and learning - both at home and internationally.

We welcome students from around the world to participate in our programmes. We have a Personal Tutor scheme that provides educational and pastoral support to students on a one-to-one basis. We work closely with Queen’s Student Plus Directorate to provide a safe and culturally diverse learning experience for students while they are in the School. Together with Student Plus and the Student Union, we support our students to contribute and grow, and to better develop academic performance with an ethos of social inclusion and community. A wide range of learning opportunities at undergraduate and postgraduate levels are available depending upon the needs of the individual learner and/or service provider.

The School of Pharmacy at Queen's is ranked as the top UK School of Pharmacy by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2015.

There's an astonishing range of courses on offer at the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, all stamped with the Queen’s guarantee of excellence. With over a hundred years experience of offering part-time provision no-one understands better than us the pressures on those trying to juggle the demands of busy lives with study requirements. Over that period we are proud to have helped many thousands achieve their educational goals, develop their careers and enrich their lives. Today, we’d like to extend those opportunities to you. The choice has never been richer. And no matter which course you pick we can assure you of a very warm welcome.