Entry requirements British Sign Language and/or Irish Sign Language (Signature Level 6 or QQI Level 8, or equivalent) plus see below Entry Requirements
This MA in Interpreting is designed to provide students with an advanced level qualification in the field of interpreting to enable them to work at the highest professional level with opportunity to:-
- Acquire a professional-level qualification accredited by NRCPD, enabling them to practice at all levels and within all contexts;
- Develop an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the prevailing theories and practices of Interpreting through intellectual and interactive enquiry;
- Receive thorough training in the field of Interpreting, defined as theory and practice, that will enable students both to undertake independent research and/or to work as high-quality professional interpreters in a range of relevant settings;
- Develop sophisticated intellectual enquiry and debate with fellow students, academics and professional practitioners, drawn from a range of relevant backgrounds, through interrogation of theoretical models and analysis of practice-based work;
- Enhance their professional interpreting skills and to theorise within the context of the discipline and their own practice;
- Identify their role within the specific context of the Deaf community by reflecting upon and assessing key issues in Deaf Studies, with a special focus on the language, culture and lives of the Deaf from the social rather than the medical perspective;
- Build a professional knowledge of the language-services market place and skills to work efficiently and effectively within the profession;
- Learn and promote a dynamic and innovative approach to interpreting as a mode for understanding the socio-political and cultural complexities posed by the movement of peoples and the demands of multi-ethnic organisation;
- Develop effective writing communication skills, and to develop as independent interpreters and self-reflective lifelong learners;
- Undertake and successfully complete a substantial piece of research within the field of Interpreting;
Interpreting highlights
Internationally Renowned Experts
You will be taught by staff with professional experience in various fields and research profiles of international standing, with a wide and diverse range of interests in interpreting and translation studies.
In REF 2021, 88% of research submitted by Queen’s has been assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent. The School hosts several large research projects across all the language areas, funded by the AHRC, the Leverhulme Trust, British Academy, and Horizon 2020.
Career Development
Graduates can pursue careers that require Sign language interpreting and bilingual skills, cross-cultural awareness, and interpersonal skills. We have graduates working in a range of areas, e.g., academia, creative writing, translation and interpreting industry, public policy, business and commerce and journalism, and in many other industries, e.g., technology, finance, engineering, construction, international trade, foreign affairs, marketing, law, medicine, pharmaceutics, (video) gaming, fashion, and tourism. The programme also includes specialist training in translation technologies and offers opportunities for work experience.
Student Experience
There are field visits to our industry partners, including Keywords Studios, a world-known game localisation provider, and the European Union (Directorate-General for Translation and Interpretation). You can also attend the workshops delivered by industry professionals in various fields, e.g., game localisation, audio description, translation and translation technology, post-editing, and actor training and interpreting, and weekly seminars with renowned visiting speakers.
Professional Accreditations
A professional-level qualification accredited by NRCPD.
Student Testimonials
Choosing to study at Queen's is one of the best decisions I have made. I am now working as an interpreter and sales manager in an overseas-funded enterprise based in Chongqing, China. Interpreting skills I acquired when studying at Queen's has definitely paved my way for career development. I would like to give this credit to the professional course arrangement and capable lecturers teaching the programme!
The programme introduces students to the contexts and environments in which professional Sign Language interpreters work and to the research techniques and modes of practice required by these contexts. Delivered through a combination of seminars, workshops, guided private study, a programme of visiting speakers and appropriate professional practice, the structure of the programme enables students to work at the highest professional level. Please note that only BSL-English and ISL-English language pairs will be offered for 2024 entry.
Dissertation
The dissertation will either be an extended essay on an aspect of interpreting theory and practice; or a case study documenting an extended interpreting engagement.
Year 1 Modules
Principles and Practices of Interpreting (40 CATS)
Research Methods in Sign Language Interpreting (20 CATS)
Year 2 Modules
Domain-specific Sign Language Interpreting and Translation (40 CATS)
Critical Issues in Deaf Studies (20 CATS)
Profession and Placement (0 CATS)
The information below is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study (2024/25). Modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year.
This is a part-time version of the existing full-time foundation module, tailored to the needs and demands of students with signed language combinations.
This module will introduce students to interpreting theory as well as the various forms of interpreting practice and the particular methodologies and skills that they require. It will also discuss the role of the interpreter and the development of interpreting practice in terms of their historical, ethical and legislative frameworks. An integral part of the modules will be attendance at and weekly reflection (in the form of a log book) on research seminars in Translation and Interpreting.
Themes covered in the module:
0. Setting the scene
- Presentation of module content and assessment
- Maintaining a supportive educational environment
- Pedagogical focus of MA Interpreting: autonomous learning
- Feedback culture and practices - what to do, and what not to do
- Roles and expectations (of us all) - participation and commitment (to ourselves and others)
- Setting SMART goals
1. Introduction to Principles and Practices of Interpreting (signed languages)
- Conceptual roots of interpreting
- What is interpreting? Interpreting v translation
- Typological parameters. Distinctions between different types of interpreting
2. Insights from semiotics
- Typology of signs
- Iconic, indexical and symbolic principles in language
3. Insights from linguistics
- Levels of meaning: morphological, lexical, structural, grammatical, contextual
- Units of meaning
- Pragmatic impact
4. Equivalence and equivalent effect
- 'Free' and 'faithful' translations and interpretations
- Formal and dynamic equivalence
5. Communication as interaction
- Visual, verbal, paraverbal and extraverbal communication
- How can linguistics inform communication?
- Levels of meaning: morphological, lexical, structural, grammatical, contextual
- Units of meaning
- Pragmatic impact
- Key notions: fidelity, equivalence, loyalty
- Different types of interaction such as speech, spontaneous speech, dialogue (relatively) short turns at talk
- Impact of visual cues
6. Communicative/Interpreting competence
- Elements that constitute communicative/interpreting competence
- Intervention and mediation
- Difficult speakers/listeners
- Communicative distance between languages and cultures
- Code of conducts in different cultures and their impact on interpreting
7. Ethics of interpreting
- Role and status of a professional interpreter
- Decision making processes
- Impartiality vs. allegiance
- Objectivity and subjectivity
- Models of interpreting ethics
8. Personal improvement and professional development
- Evolution of practice and profession - role descriptions and expectations
- Professional profile - skills and knowledge; duties and responsibilities
- Professional and ethical anxieties of an interpreter
- Curriculums in different countries
9. Translation and interpreting industries
- Opportunities and challenges
- Industry segments
- Self-promotion and branding
- Working for/with (difficult) clients
10. Law and Interpreting (special sessions with Dr. Paula Wilson, tbc)
The teaching methods will combine presentation with class discussion and group work.
Indicative Reading List
- Baker, Mona and Gabriela Saldanha (eds.). 2011. Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies. London and New York: Routledge
- Boeri, Julie and Carol Maier (eds.). 2010. Translation/Interpreting and Social Activism. Manchester: St Jerome.
- Downie, Jonathan. 2016. Being A Successful Interpreter. London and New York: Routledge
- Gile, Daniel. 2009. Basic Concepts and Models in Interpreter and Translator Training. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
- Inghilleri, Moira. 2012. Interpreting Justice:ethics, politics and language. London and New York: Routledge.
- Lederer, Marianne. 2003. Translation: The Interpretive Model. Manchester: St. Jerome.
- Nord, Christiane. 1997. Translating as a Purposeful Activity. Manchester: St Jerome.
- Pochhacker, F., M. Shlesinger, (eds.). 2002. The Interpreting Studies Reader. London and New York: Routledge.
- Pochhacker, Franz. 2016 (2nd edition). Introducing Interpreting Studies. London and New York: Routledge.
- Pochhacker, Franz. (ed.). 2015. Routledge Encyclopedia of Interpreting Studies. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon and New York:Routledge.
- Steiner, G., 1929. After Babel: aspects of language and translation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
- Identify and articulate the foundational principles and practices of sign language interpreting, building on insights from semiotics, linguistics, communication studies, and ethics, as well as from professional contexts and industries.
- Discuss and differentiate the unique features of the various contexts in which interpreters work, and what demands (practical and ethical) are made of the interpreter by those contexts.
- Explain how the wider language-services sector for sign language interpreting operates, and to be able to relate their own profession to that wider context in terms of professional practice.
- Synthesise and present complex ideas, in both written and signed/form, within the framework of a structured and reasoned argument in a well-articulated, and stylistically mature fashion.
- Develop independent and sophisticated insights into the world of the professional interpreter, and to demonstrate these through the undertaking of independent research projects.
- Plan and undertake independent learning and research.
- Retrieve, sift, and select current and relevant primary and secondary information from standard and electronic sources.
Skills
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
- Identify and articulate the foundational principles and practices of sign language interpreting, building on insights from semiotics, linguistics, communication studies, and ethics, as well as from professional contexts and industries.
- Discuss and differentiate the unique features of the various contexts in which interpreters work, and what demands (practical and ethical) are made of the interpreter by those contexts.
- Explain how the wider language-services sector for sign language interpreting operates, and to be able to relate their own profession to that wider context in terms of professional practice.
- Synthesise and present complex ideas, in both written and signed/form, within the framework of a structured and reasoned argument in a well-articulated, and stylistically mature fashion.
- Develop independent and sophisticated insights into the world of the professional interpreter, and to demonstrate these through the undertaking of independent research projects.
- Plan and undertake independent learning and research.
- Retrieve, sift, and select current and relevant primary and secondary information from standard and electronic sources.
The dissertation will take one of the following forms:
• An extended essay on an aspect of interpreting theory and practice (for example, on relevance theory or discourse analysis)
• A case study documenting an extended interpreting engagement (preparation, glossary work, evaluative research bibliography, think-aloud protocol, relationship with clients etc)
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module (and their dissertation), students will be able to:
a. Critically reflect upon and make appropriate judgments in terms of their own professional performance, and apply those judgements within a particular thematic or practice-based area, as selected by the student.
b. Contextualise and theorise a variety of perspectives and professional situations.
c. Synthesise and present complex ideas, in both written and oral form, within the framework of a structured and reasoned argument in a well-articulated, and stylistically mature fashion.
d. Develop independent and sophisticated insights into the world of the professional interpreter, and to demonstrate these through the undertaking of an independent research project.
e. Work autonomously, manifested in self-direction, self-discipline, and time-management.
Skills
Research skills; writing skills; analytical skills; independent study skills; time-management skills.
The module has three aims: (i) to introduce students to the key principles that constitute good research (integrity, transparency, scientific rigour, researcher positionality), (ii) to familiarise students with various main research methods and related basic concepts, (iii) to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to design a research plan that takes into consideration the principles of good research and adopts appropriate approaches for engaging in research with/about Deaf and/or sign language communities, or communities on the intersection of plural vulnerabilities. This will enable the student to develop the research skills and knowledge necessary to undertake a guided research project (dissertation).
By approaching signed language interpreting from the perspective of diversity rather than disability, the module introduces various research methods and types of skills necessary for the planning, data gathering and dissemination stages of interpreting-related research.
In addition to key research methodologies and skills, the module focuses on contextual factors affecting data collection and analysis in the specific context of signed language interpreting research and community engagement (including ethical and political issues).
Students are trained to identify gaps in knowledge, to formulate sound discipline-specific research questions, and to explore the diverse approaches which might fruitfully be applied to these questions. They are introduced to practical issues in data collection, considering, for example, the medium, size and representativeness of data samples, and the ethical considerations involved in collecting data from different sources. A special emphasis is put on the principles governing research involving human participants (including vulnerable individuals).
Module content:
1. Audit of students’ exposure to linguistic and interpreting sub-fields, and of their skills and interests
2. Research contexts and literature reviews
3. Introduction to research methods in sign language interpreting
4. Rationale and positionality
5. Quantitative research methods, data collection and analysis
6. Qualitative research methods, data collection and analysis
7. Formulating research questions
8. Research and experiment design
9. Ethical and practical implications of research design choices (including completing an ethics approval application)
10. Documenting and referencing, avoiding plagiarism
11. Writing up and presenting research
The teaching methods will combine presentation with class discussion and group work.
Weekly readings of published studies allow students to compare different theoretical and sub-disciplinary approaches to a similar topic. Class discussion centres on an evaluation of the merits of different approaches for the studies’ stated aims, and on the collection, organization, and analysis processes suggested by those approaches.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
• Demonstrate understanding of the aims of and differences between qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research, descriptive and exploratory research, primary and secondary data.
• Evaluate the efficacy of various data collection methods (experimental, semi-experimental, observations, surveys, interviews, desktop studies).
• Specify guidelines appropriate to researching and/or sign language communities, or communities on the intersection of plural vulnerabilities.
• Evaluate the advantages and drawbacks of different methods of data analysis.
• Design a research proposal that includes draft research questions, research rationale and methods, researcher’s positionality, data collection instruments and approach to data analysis, addressing the ethical and practical implications of research design choices.
Skills
The module equips students with the research skills and knowledge necessary to undertake a guided research project. This includes:
• Reading case studies and abstracts for theoretical and quantitative or qualitative analytical approaches to similar questions;
• Reading case studies for methodological approach;
• Identifying research gaps;
• Formulating discipline-specific research questions;
• Selecting data;
• Evaluating fit;
• Evaluating ethical and practical issues in interpreting research design;
• Completing an ethics approval application.
Domain-specific Sign Language Interpreting and Translation
Overview
This practice-led module is designed to provide learners with the opportunity to work at a high professional level as interpreters and sight translators in the key domains that sign language interpreters frequently find themselves, in order to enhance their employability. The four major strands of the module include interpreting and translation in (1) healthcare settings, (2) legal settings, (3) educational settings, and (4) employment settings. The module consists of both practice and discussion to integrate theory into practice and is centred around the concept of reflective and autonomous learning, which will be indispensable for those who choose to work as sign language interpreters or translators and have British or/and Irish Sign Language as [a] working language[s]. Real world interpreting and translation situations will be used as examples to prepare students for likely scenarios they will encounter. The four major strands will be equally divided across two semesters – healthcare and legal settings in the first semester, and educational and employment settings in the second.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
• Define sign language interpreting and translation (SLT/I) and identify their complexities in interpreter-mediated communication.
• Articulate the intricate relationship between the interpreter and the service users, in terms of social and political influences and user vulnerability, both Deaf and hearing?
• Debate and discuss professional value, role of interpreter, and code of ethics that help determine suitable conduct in healthcare, legal, educational, and employment settings that require SLT/I.
• Further sharpen the competences and skills required for SLT/I in healthcare, legal, educational, and employment settings, so as to be able to work as the highest professional level within the requirements posed by these different domains.
• Assess and engage in different models of collaborative practice and team work, as appropriate to the demands of particular task-based practice.
Skills
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to demonstrate and apply:
• A nuanced understanding of the nature of communication that requires SLT/I and how SLT/I could facilitate or intervene in the communication in healthcare, legal, educational, and employment settings.
• A thorough and nuanced understanding of how external factors, including social, political influences, and even the immediate environment where SLT/I takes place will affect interpreters’ decision-making and exhibit a nuanced approach towards addressing the potential challenges in the above-mentioned settings.
• A skillset to effectively and efficiently facilitate communication that requires SLT/I.
• Teamwork through group practice and discussion and also peer assessment to facilitate learning and forge professional identity and community.
• The ability to identify and clarify the value of SLT/I, a suitable role in each setting, and to judiciously apply the code of ethics to help guide one’s professional behaviour and achieve professionalism.
• Transferable skills through role play activities relating to professional interpreting and translation practice.
• Self-reflection skills.
• Independent academic research and critical analysis skills.
This module offers an overview of critical issues in Deaf Studies, with a special focus on the language, culture, and lives of the Deaf from the social instead of the medical perspective. It identifies and reflects on common experiences among the Deaf community in terms of oppression, misrecognition, and implications on mental health.
This module introduces students to the range of ways in which deafness and Deaf people are categorised – by medical personnel, by hearing people, and by the Deaf community.
Module content:
• Contemporary Deaf history
• Deaf identity and Deaf culture
• Sign languages, with special focus on BSL/ISL
• Perspectives on Deafness
• Commonalities in lived experiences of Deaf people
• Interactions between Deaf and hearing communities
• Ethical issues in conducting research with Deaf populations
• Deafness and mental health
The teaching methods will combine presentation with class discussion and group work.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
• Identify the specificities of working with the users of British Sign Language and Irish Sign Language and the positionalities of Deaf communities locally and globally.
• Describe the major philosophical influences on responses to deafness (e.g. legal, religious, educational, normalisation, human rights, socio-cultural views, medical responses to deafness).
• Describe the historical context in society that forms the basis for common beliefs about people who are Deaf.
• Compare and discuss positionalities of Deaf communities and the disability movement.
• Define the critical elements of Deaf culture: language, principles, values, rules, and traditions and compare it with other linguistic cultures.
• Identify the systemic effects of discrimination and misrecognition on Deaf people’s access, inclusion, and sense of identity.
• Describe the significance of the use of signed languages among the Deaf population, including language use among people who identify as Deafblind.
Skills
The module familiarises students with key aspects of deafness and Deaf Culture, equipping them with the knowledge, skills and socio-cultural perspective needed to work as a professional with Deaf communities.
This new module involves spending a certain length of time in an appropriate placement during any given period in the year agreed together by the Centre for Translation and Interpreting (CTI), the employer/employing unit (if applicable), and the student. The total duration of the placement should range between 120-420 hours but does not have to be taken in a block of time (from approx. 17 full days -- 7 hours per day – or 6 weeks of part-time placements – 20 hours per week -- up to 60 full days or 21 weeks of part-time placements). The placement must finish by September in the year the student expects to graduate. The placement can be hosted in the University or at a relevant organisation in Northern Ireland or elsewhere. All kinds of organisations are eligible, as long as the tasks assigned to the student are considered relevant to a career in the language services industry or any other industry that requires the skill set developed in the programme of MA Translation or MA Interpreting.
The onus will be on the students to obtain a placement. There are two different routes: students may (1) apply for an existing opening in the CTI internally, e.g. a position in the CTI Information Hub, or one currently offered by an external institution that has an internship agreement with the CTI, or (2) locate a placement on their own. Both routes require approval from the CTI to ensure the suitability of the placement; for the first route, there will be an internal selection process undertaken by the CTI if availability with the intended employer is limited. Students will be provided with support from the Careers, Employability, and Skills Service in the Student Guidance Centre. Students must submit pre-placement paperwork, which includes a maximum of one A4 page documentation showing the suitability of the placement (how it links to the student’s studies), the goal(s) of the student, and how the student intends to accomplish the goal(s). The deadline for submission is one month prior to the decision for the placement proposal being made.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
a. Identify and explain the range of contexts in which translators and interpreters work, to differentiate between what is required of the translator/interpreter across a full range of professional environments, working with various agents and entities, and to choose and apply an appropriate professional-level skillset to each different context.
b. Effectively apply the principles of translation and interpreting to professional-level translator and interpreter practice and justify how their practice is fit for purpose.
c. Explain how the wider language-services sector operates, and to be able to relate their own profession to that wider context in terms of professional practice.
d. Critically reflect and make appropriate judgments in terms of their own professional performance.
e. Demonstrate specialist knowledge and skills deriving from extensive research in all areas of professional activity.
f. Evaluate appropriate professional codes of behaviour and practice within each work context.
Skills
Completion of the placement and relevant assessment will allow students to develop the following skills:
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: ability to identify relevant and context-specific knowledge, sources and data; understand, evaluate and internalise such information in one’s own behaviour
• Analytical Thinking: ability to identify measures suitable for specific contexts to address the issues at hand as a cross-cultural communication and language professional
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to analyse each individual situation to establish context-dependent best practices and defend one’s choices when encountering questions or criticism
Professional and employability skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate ideas clearly both orally and in writing, either as a participant of the communication or interpreter/translator
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, make contribution in different positions, negotiate conflicts, and help the team achieve goals
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to cultural and personal differences present in the working environment and act accordingly
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Efficient and effective work practice: ability to work efficiently to deadlines, both individually and as part of a team
• Time Management: ability to prioritise tasks at hand and properly allocate time and energy, cope with stress, and negotiate deadlines or expectations when necessary
• Entrepreneurship: ability to demonstrate innovative ways to build one’s own reputation and professional network and identify a niche market for career success
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT, and to learn new IT skills, e.g. search engine, project/client management, CAT, TM, TB, and MT
• Regulations and standards: be aware of the current rules and regulations concerning ethics, confidentiality, and information management, and the ability to meet the requirements
Eligible applicants will have fluent command of British Sign Language and/or Irish Sign Language (Signature Level 6 or QQI Level 8, or equivalent), as well as English language proficiency (reading and writing) at level C1 (or equivalent), assessed by interview (interpreter-assisted as necessary). Students seeking recognition for their prior learning must submit a portfolio of work outlining their professional experience.
Closing date for applications is 31st July 2024 at 12 noon.
This course is funded by the Department for Communities and is therefore not open to international applicants.
In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal. Notifications to this effect will appear on the Direct Application Portal against the programme application page.
International Students
Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region. Use the dropdown list below for specific information for your country/region.
English Language Requirements
English language proficiency (reading and writing) at level C1 (or equivalent), assessed by interview (interpreter-assisted as necessary
International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.
Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.
Careers in interpreting and translation can be both highly intellectual and extremely rewarding in a practical sense. In addition to international organisations, interpreters and translators can find employment in a range of roles in diverse companies or work as freelancers for agencies and/or direct clients. Professional interpreting and translation skills are valued in many areas of employment, notably banking and finance, politics, NGOs, publishing, libraries, arts venues, management consultancy, law, and jobs in engineering and manufacturing, due to their international client base. Interpreters and translators are also required in a wide range of other activities and lines of work, including aiding police investigations and other security services, supporting migrant communities, conference proceedings, sports events, and governmental communications. http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/
Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.
1EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.
2 EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.
3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.
All tuition fees quoted relate to a single year of study unless stated otherwise. Tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
There are no specific additional course costs associated with this programme.
There are no specific additional course costs associated with this programme.
All Students
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.
Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.
Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.
If a programme includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.
Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.
There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
How do I fund my study?
The Department for the Economy will provide a tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 per NI / EU student for postgraduate study. Tuition fee loan information.
A postgraduate loans system in the UK offers government-backed student loans of up to £11,836 for taught and research Masters courses in all subject areas (excluding Initial Teacher Education/PGCE, where undergraduate student finance is available). Criteria, eligibility, repayment and application information are available on the UK government website.