Queen's University Belfast

Queen’s University Belfast began as Queen’s College, Belfast, chartered in 1845 and opened in 1849. It was part of the federal Queen’s University of Ireland until the Irish Universities Act of 1908, when it became an independent university. It is now the larger of Northern Ireland’s two universities and a member of the Russell Group.

Computing sits within the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EEECS), which is closely tied to the Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT), established in 2003 to commercialise digital technology research. The school’s best-known strength is cyber security. In 2008 Queen’s was chosen to host the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT), one of the UK’s Innovation and Knowledge Centres and now the country’s national innovation centre for cyber security. CSIT is a recognised Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research under the GCHQ and NCSC scheme, and its work was awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2015.

For students, that research focus feeds into teaching, with several modules linked to CSIT and ECIT and a placement year built into the degree. Queen’s has a single historic campus near the centre of Belfast and the lower living costs of the city.

Admissions

The typical A-level offer for the BSc Computer Science is AAB including Mathematics, Computing, or Software Systems Development, or AAA including a subject such as Chemistry, Physics, or Digital Technology. Applicants also need a strong set of GCSEs, including English language and mathematics at grade C/4 or better.