Queen's University Belfast

Queen's University Belfast

Age: 167

History: Previously Queen's College Belfast, founded in 1845. Became an independent university in 1908. Celebrated its centenary in 2008 with a range of high-profile events, including a Royal visit by Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Address: University Road, Belfast.

Ambience: Situated in leafy south Belfast, it borders the city's Golden Mile, a bustling centre of pubs, clubs and restaurants. Belfast has been boosted by recent investment and the optimism of the ongoing peace process. The city's Odyssey Arena is hosting this year's MTV Europe Music Awards

Vital statistics: Around 17,500 students (full-time equivalents), three faculties comprising 20 schools, and several research institutes and industrial units.

Added value: In November 2006 Queen's became the first university to be invited to join the Russell Group since the association was set up in 1994. The £50m McLay Library at Queen's opened in 2009, while £45m has been spent on new student residences which accommodate more than 1,800 students. The students' union has also had a £9m facelift, a £7m investment has enhanced the sports facility at the university's physical education centre, and a £13m investment is currently underway to enhance outdoor sporting facilities. A new £15m postgraduate and executive education centre is due to open at Queen's in October 2011 and will give vital support to business leaders and students by developing bespoke leadership and executive education programmes designed to address short and long term challenges. A new £12m health sciences building is also in the works. The university owns a two-screen cinema, an art gallery, and hosts one of the UK and Ireland's largest annual arts festivals - the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen's. In February 2010, a state-of-the-art theatre and research centre named after Ireland's greatest living playwright was opened. The Brian Friel Centre for Theatre Research includes a 120-seat studio theatre and will provide world-class facilities for the university's performing arts students.

Easy to get into? Offers are made in terms of grades as opposed to UCAS tariff points, and some courses require the best. Medicine, dentistry and actuarial science and risk management, ask for AAA at A-level plus A in a 4th AS-level subject; other subjects including pharmacy, law, accounting and most of the MEng/MSci degrees ask for either AAA or AAB. Currently A* grades are not included in conditional offers but are used in August in borderline cases. Queen's is keen on widening participation and offers an Access programme to offer an alternative foute to HE to those without traditional qualifications.

Glittering alumni: Seamus Heaney, poet; Paul Muldoon, poet; Nick Ross, TV personality; David Trimble, Northern Ireland's former first minister; Mary McAleese, Irish President; Frank Pantridge, who developed the mobile coronary care unit; Zoe Salmon, TV personality; Annie Mac, Radio 1 DJ; Patrick Kielty, entertainer; Liam Neeson, actor.

Transport links: An hour by air from London and most other large UK cities. Belfast has two modern airports within 30 minutes of the city centre with regular flights throughout the day to London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Paris, Krakow, New York and many other locations throughout America and Europe.

Who's the boss? Professor Sir Peter Gregson, president and vice-Chancellor, was appointed in August 2004. His research on aerospace aluminium alloys and the performance of load-bearing medical devices is internationally acclaimed.

Teaching: 76th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide in 2011.

Research: 36th out of 115 in the Research Assessment Exercise in 2011.

Overall ranking: Came 25th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: The Students' Union has five main entertainment and social venues: the award-winning Mandela Hall, the Bunatee Bar, the Speakeasy, Bar Sub and The Space. Elms Village, the main student residence on campus, has its own student centre incorporating an entertainment and social venue in the heart of the student village.

How green is it? So, so – came 68th out of 145 universities graded by People and Planet for their 'Green League 2012'.

Any accommodation? Yes, ranging from around £70 to just under £100 per week.

Cheap to live there? Yes. A room in a shared flat or house in the private sector costed as little as £55 per week in 2011.

Sports ranking: 114th in the BUCS league table.

Fees: £9,000 per year for full-time UK/EU undergrads starting in 2012. For students who reside in Northern Ireland, it's £3,465 per year. International student fees start at £11,266 per annum.

Bursaries: A wide range of scholarships are available, including those based on academic excellence. Visit the university's website for more details.

Prospectus: 028 9097 2586 / www.qub.ac.uk

UCAS code: Q75