Queen Mary University of London

Overview

Queen Mary University of London is one of the 24 Russell Group universities, meaning it’s seen as a world-class, research-intensive uni. It has a long history that dates back to 1785, although the institution wasn’t formally opened as Queen Mary College until the 19th century, to give education opportunities to working-class people living in London’s East End. It was recently ranked 53rd in the Complete University Guide’s 2024 league table of UK universities.

Queen Mary is a campus-based uni which is spread over five campuses across the capital. The two main sites are located in Mile End and Whitechapel. Most humanities, social science and engineering students are based in Mile End, while Whitechapel and Charterhouse Square are home to most medicine and dentistry students.

Being mainly situated in East London, Queen Mary students have great access to central London, as well as having loads happening on their doorstep. Among local attractions for students to enjoy include the popular neighbourhoods of Shoreditch and Hackney, as well as Brick Lane, Boxpark, the Genesis independent cinema and the Mile End climbing wall. You’re also a short walk away from the popular Victoria Park, a large open space that hosts music festivals every summer.

In other areas of the city, you’ll be able to enjoy the capital’s generous offerings, including world-class theatre and museum districts, endless music and comedy venues and an exciting and varied nightlife scene.

Being in the capital, you’ll be in one of the most well-connected cities in the country. The great transport links include multiple national rail and coach stations, as well as various international airports.

There are more than 240 courses on offer at Queen Mary across three faculties – Humanities and Social Sciences, Science, and Engineering. Most degree programmes are studied full-time. It also offers some degree apprenticeship programmes that allow students to work and earn while they study.

Typically, undergraduate degrees at Queen Mary take three years to study, but a number of courses include placement years, study abroad options or an integrated master’s year. These courses usually take four or five years to complete. Medical courses usually take five years to study and some courses take longer.

Some degrees include optional modules, as well as core modules, meaning you can study the degree topics you’re most interested in.

It's also possible to combine two or three subjects within an undergraduate degree in what’s called a combined honours degree. For example, it’s fairly common to study a humanities course, like history, alongside a language, such as French or Spanish.

You can also find courses that include a Foundation Year, before first year. These are good if you need to get up to speed with a subject before starting it at degree level.

Queen Mary accepts several qualifications, including A-levels, BTECs, Scottish/Advanced Highers and the Welsh Baccalaureate. Each course has specific entry requirements that can be found online on the uni’s course search pages, however, we’ve given you an idea here of what grades you might need to study certain subjects at Queen Mary.

For example, to study an accounting, finance or business course, you’ll likely be asked for A-levels ranging from A*AA–BBC (or equivalent qualification). To get onto a health & medicine degree, you’ll probably need A-levels ranging from A*AA–ABB (or equivalent qualification).

For Queen Mary’s maths and science courses, you’ll probably need A-levels of AAA–BBC (or equivalent qualification), and for humanities courses, the entry requirements range from AAA–BBB (or equivalent qualification).

Some of the course options with lower-level entry requirements include a Foundation Year before first year.

It should be noted that entry requirements can change so you should always confirm these with the university before applying.

There’s a range of uni accommodation options both on and near the Mile End, Whitechapel and Charterhouse Square campuses. In all of these locations, you’ll have excellent access to all the city has to offer, as well as all of the uni facilities and other residences.

All new undergraduates are guaranteed accommodation in uni halls of residence, or with a partner provider, as long as the relevant criteria and deadlines are met.

A range of living options is available to choose from, including en suite and shared bathroom residences. Most halls are self-catered and all Queen Mary residences have a 24-hour reception and residential support teams.

If you’re a medical or dental student, you’ll have dedicated accommodation on either the Charterhouse Square or Whitechapel campus.

If you don’t wish to live in uni halls, you’ll find plenty of private rental options throughout London.

Queen Mary’s dedicated Careers and Enterprise team is there to help you through your career journey and is available to students throughout their studies and for three years after graduation.

The service aims to improve your job prospects in numerous ways, e.g., by offering one-to-one appointments that can be used to cover any career query, including choosing a career path, writing your CV and preparing for an assessment centre. You’ll also find online resources for extra help and support.

The service also has ways to help you search for jobs and work experience opportunities, through the careers hub for example. You’ll also be able to prepare for interviews and assessment centres by booking practice interviews and by going through the uni’s extensive collection of online practice interview questions.

A busy events schedule is also there to be taken advantage of while studying at Queen Mary. Careers fairs will give you the chance to learn more about industry sectors and meet possible employers. There will also be skills workshops that you can attend to develop important employability skills.

Queen Mary provides a wide range of scholarships and bursaries to give extra financial support to students who meet certain criteria. Scholarships and bursaries don’t need to be repaid.

For example, the Aldgate and Allhallows Foundation Scholarship is worth £1,250 per year, for three years, for up to ten students who have been a permanent resident in the city of London or the borough of Tower Hamlets for at least three years. To be eligible for the scholarship, you’ll also need to come from a household with an annual income of £42,875 or less.

Additionally, the Children of Alumni Award is worth a one-off fee discount of £1,000 for overseas students who are children of an international ex-student. Some funding will be available for students of certain subjects only. For example, the Law Undergraduate Bursary is for students of law and is worth between £1,000 and £12,000.

You can find out about all the scholarships and bursaries available, as well as their eligibility criteria, by visiting the uni’s online funding pages and using the search database.