Queen's University Belfast is Northern Ireland's leading university and a member of the Russell Group. It is best known for pharmacy, engineering, law and cyber security, and for one of the lowest costs of living of any UK university city. Choose it for a research-intensive degree at prices well below Great Britain.
Belfast, United Kingdom
Official website: qub.ac.uk
#206
Member — 24 research-intensive UK universities
Top 50 in the world (QS by Subject)
Among the lowest of any UK university city
£20,000 – £28,000
International students, undergraduate and taught Master's
£9,000 – £11,500
Rent, food and local transport
Approximate figures for 2026-27, please verify. Fees change every year and vary by course, so check the latest amount on qub.ac.uk before you apply.
MSc Software Development
Masters DegreeDuration
12 Months
Intake
Sep, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 90
MSc Data Analytics
Masters DegreeDuration
12 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 90
MSc Management
Masters DegreeDuration
12 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 90
MSc Applied Cyber Security
Masters DegreeDuration
12 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 90
MSc Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Masters DegreeDuration
12 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 90
MPharm Pharmacy
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 7.0, TOEFL: 100
Centre for Secure Information Technologies — the UK's largest cyber security research centre.
School of Pharmacy — consistently in the world's top 50.
Belfast — one of the cheapest UK cities for students, with rents about half of London's.
Queen's Business School — AACSB-accredited, in a new building opened in 2023.
Software and cyber security graduates join Belfast's tech cluster, including Citi, Rapid7, Kainos and Allstate.
Pharmacy graduates enter the NHS, Almac and Randox, both headquartered in Northern Ireland.
Engineering alumni work at Spirit AeroSystems, Thales and Harland & Wolff.
Management graduates go into PwC, Deloitte and EY, all with large Belfast offices.
Undergrad
14 Jan 2027
Postgrad
Rolling
Undergrad
No UG intake
Postgrad
Rolling
The campus centres on the Victorian Lanyon Building in south Belfast, with the library, the students' union and most teaching within a few streets; Botanic Gardens is next door.
Belfast is a compact, friendly city with a growing tech sector, the Titanic Quarter and the Antrim coast an hour away. Living costs are among the lowest in the UK.
CAS from Queen's University Belfast
Proof of funds for fees and living costs
English test at B2 level or above
TB test certificate, if required
Immigration Health Surcharge payment
Valid passport with blank pages
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS with an equal-consideration deadline of 14 January 2027 for September 2027 entry; medicine and dentistry close on 15 October 2026. Taught Master's courses accept applications on a rolling basis, with most closing by the end of June.
September is the main intake for all undergraduate and most postgraduate courses. A selection of taught Master's programmes, including software development and some management degrees, also start in January. Check the course page for the current January list.
You need a Student route visa, the same as for the rest of the UK. Queen's issues your CAS once you accept an unconditional offer and pay the deposit. Apply online up to six months before your course starts and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge with the application.
Software development, data analytics, management, applied cyber security and electrical engineering are the most applied-for programmes. Most Master's courses ask for a 2:1 or equivalent and IELTS 6.5. Undergraduate offers typically range from AAB to BBB, with pharmacy requiring AAB including chemistry.
Yes. Queen's offers international scholarships that reduce tuition for high-achieving undergraduate and Master's applicants, including awards for students from India and South Asia, and school-level awards in engineering and business. Most are assessed automatically from your application. Check the scholarships page for current amounts.
