Summary: Founded in 1845, Queen's University Belfast is the ninth oldest university in the UK. Queen's is a proud member of UK's elite Russell Group of research intensive university. This marks Queen's as one of the most exceptional teaching universities in the country, alongside heavyweights such as Oxford, Cambridge, and Imperial College London. Queen's is at the heart of Belfast's culture, as well as its art and social scenes. The University is proud to be part of a bustling, cosmopolitan city boasting a vibrant social life and rich cultural heritage. Study abroad students at Queen’s are taught by world-leading researchers and experts in their field through lectures, tutorials, or practical laboratories, in state-of-the-art facilities. Due to the unique history of Belfast, students can also gain insights into their subject(s) in a post conflict scenario, especially in areas of Politics, International Studies, History and English. International students are encouraged to maximize their experience outside the classroom by joining clubs or societies and participating in organized field trips and excursions through student accommodation services.
 
Name: Queen's University Belfast
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland
University size: 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students (approx. 20% international) 
University founded: 1845
 
Terms available: academic year, fall, spring
Dates: early September to mid-May (academic year); early September to late December (fall semester); mid-January to mid-May (spring semester) Start and end dates noted are tentative and subject to change.
Academic Calendar: https://www.qub.ac.uk/about/Semester-dates/
Pre-university program: n/a
Registration info: 120 credits per year (60 per term) is a full course load. This usually amounts to three 20-credit classes per semester. There are some 30-credit classes! If you take two 30-credit classes, that is considered a full-time semester course load even though you are only in 2 modules (classes). It is not the number of classes (modules) students take that matters, but rather the number of credits. Again, 60 credits is a full semester course load and all HC students are expected to take 60 credits per semester!
ICIP required: Yes for academic-year students 
Housing: All Queen's University Belfast students live in on-campus student accommodations. Students are not guaranteed to be placed with other Holy Cross students. 
Maximum capacity:  15 Holy Cross students per semester: This is a highly competitive program.  We are only able to send 15 students per semester as a maximum, and regardless of applicant volume, we need to make every effort to balance the Fall and Spring semesters. Preference will be given to Academic Year students. In the event that we receive more applications than available openings, or we need to shift students from one semester to another, we will select participants with the highest GPAs in their respective majors to attend Queen's University Belfast during their preferred semester. It is advisable that students interested in Queen's arrange to meet with Assistant Director Emma Meade (emeade@holycross.edu) to discuss alternative locations in the event that student interest in Queen's exceeds capacity.
 
University website: https://www.qub.ac.uk/
Study Abroad website:  https://www.qub.ac.uk/International/International-students/Studyabroad/StudyAbroad/

Visa fees: Single semester students do not require a visa to study in Northern Ireland. Academic Year students, on the other hand, do require a visa. Academic year students should plan to spend around $1000 on the UK student visa (the actual number fluctuates and depends on exchange rates with the British Pound).
 
Course Catalog (module search)*: https://www.qub.ac.uk/International/International-students/Studyabroad/StudyAbroad/ChooseaCourse/
Grade equivalency sheet: Available on the Holy Cross Registrar’s website: https://www.holycross.edu/support-and-resources/office-registrar/study-abroad-equivalencies
 
*Note: In Northern Ireland, classes are called “modules” and majors are called “courses.”
 
All information listed above is subject to change.

For more information, please contact:
Emma Meade, Assistant Director
Email: emeade@holycross.edu  
Phone: 508-793-3090
Office: Smith 213
Book an advising appointment