Queen's University Belfast

Queen's University Belfast was founded in 1845 as Queen's College Belfast and became an independent university in 1908. It is a member of the Russell Group and holds a distinguished place among research universities in the UK and Ireland. The main campus lies in south Belfast, where university buildings spread along University Road, University Square and the surrounding streets, centred on the landmark Lanyon Building designed by Sir Charles Lanyon.

The university has around 25,000 students and is organised into three faculties: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Engineering and Physical Sciences; and Medicine, Health and Life Sciences. In the Research Excellence Framework 2021, 99 per cent of the research submitted was assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent, and Queen's was ranked first in the UK for Agriculture, Food and Veterinary Sciences. Recognised research strengths include cancer research, engineering, sustainability, pharmaceuticals and sonic arts. Queen's has received the Queen's Anniversary Prize on seven occasions and estimates its annual economic impact on the region at over £3 billion.

Information for International Students

Queen's welcomes more than 3,800 international students from over 110 countries. The Immigration Support Service advises on Student visa applications and extensions, eVisas and immigration compliance, and holds regular drop-in sessions. New international students are met at the airport and taken to their accommodation, and a structured welcome programme introduces them to the university and the city. Belfast City Airport is around 15 minutes from the campus and Belfast International Airport around 30 minutes.

Most degree courses typically require IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each component, with 6.0 accepted for less linguistically demanding courses and 7.0 required for more demanding ones. In-sessional English classes support students throughout their studies.

The Queen's University Belfast International Study Centre, operated on campus in partnership with INTO, offers International Foundation, International Year One and Pre-Master's courses, together with Academic English and Pre-sessional English. Accommodation is guaranteed for all full-time first-year undergraduate and postgraduate international students who apply by the published deadline, with more than 3,900 rooms in university residences and wraparound residential support. Northern Ireland is reported to have the lowest student living costs in the UK.