Frequently Asked Questions

Please click here for up to date Opening Hours.

You will need your Queen's Student ID card or the 6-digit PIN code that goes with it to access the Graduate School building outside office hours (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, excluding some holidays).  You cannot use the QUB app to access the building.

If you don't have your 6-digit PIN code, request it by contacting security@qub.ac.uk and providing your Queen's student number - this PIN will allow you access to the Graduate School building and the Silent Study area on the first floor (both doors) outside office hours if you don't have your student ID card handy.

The Accommodation team is responsible for co-ordinating student accommodation within Queen's. The most current information regarding accommodation at Queen's, including the types of accommodation available, how to apply and their contact details, can be found here. 

The Students' Union also offers advice on accommodation here.

Queen's offers a postgraduate and international student village. Information on Willow Walk is available here.

Guthrie House offers single sex apartments for postgraduate students, located on the main campus.

Mount Charles is a historic street of postgraduate housing three minutes’ walk from the main campus.

Queen's offers advice on private sector accommodation as well.

A comprehensive list of letting agents can be found here:

The following websites are useful if you are looking for roommates or a single room in a privately rented house:

http://spareroom.com
http://flatshare.com
http://easyroommate.com
http://homesforstudents.co.uk
http://gumtree.co.uk
http://www.propertypal.com/ 

You don't need to book a space in the Silent Study area of the Graduate School, its 65 workstations operate on a first come first served basis.

You may book a Group Room via QOL to study collaboratively up to 2 days in advance, on a first come first served basis*.  Group Rooms seat 8.

Click here to log into QOL. Once you are logged into QOL, navigate to:
Services > Administration >Graduate School Study Room Bookings > Choose Your Time > Submit.

The room booking system will only display rooms that are available at the times you have requested.  If you cannot find a room at the times you want, adjust the length of time you're trying to book and you may be able to fit around existing bookings.

* If you have booked a Group Room and you arrive more than 30 minutes after the start of your booking, you forfeit your booking and the room may be used by another student.

You may book a consultation appointment with one of the Graduate School consultants to discuss your writing, CV, applications, etc.  Appointments can be booked via MyFuture.

Once logged in go to: 

Appointments > Book an Appointment

Career Consultations

A thirty minute confidential career consultation. Areas for discussion include: career choice, job hunting, LinkedIn profile, and further study or CV guidance.

Academic Skills Consultations

Guidance on general academic writing style and grammar. We aim to help you find your own voice within academic writing to ensure that you reach your full potential with your thesis or dissertation. Each session will conclude with take-away action points to allow you to continue to develop your writing skills.

Enterprise Consultations

Guidance around business or enterprise start-up and information on opportunities for finance, investment and further support.

Differentiation is an important milestone for new PhD students. This is where the University determines if, and how, a student will continue on their programme of research. For students who are required to differentiate to Doctoral status (e.g. PhD students), it is recommended that reviews are held within nine months from your start date to allow for any remedial actions arising from the review to be completed within the year.  However, this can vary across Schools and is dependent on staff availability.  

You can find detailed information on APR (Annual Progress Review), Progress Monitoring and Differentiation here.  

The Thomas J. Moran Graduate School provides training and support for students preparing for Differentiation, APR and Viva.  Search their Events page.

Doctoral Training Programmes follow the same study regulations as Research Degree Programmes. However, you should check with your School, as there may be additional assessments or training requirements built into your Doctoral Training Programme.

You can view all upcoming training and events at the Thomas J. Moran Graduate School on the Training and Events page here.

With the exception of the Chartered Management Institute programme, all training provided by the Thomas J. Moran Graduate School is free of charge.  

Please note: training and events are bookable two weeks in advance, and booking will close one working day before the event takes place, unless otherwise stated.

Training provided by the Thomas J. Moran Graduate School can be booked via MyFuture. Once logged in, go to: 

Events > Workshops (Careers, Graduate School & LDS)

Type 'GRADUATE' into the keyword section to get a list of training and events provided by the Thomas J. Moran Graduate School.

If you are a Full-Time PhD student, you are required to have at least ten formal recorded meetings with your supervisor per year and five of these meetings should include your supervisory team (including secondary and tertiary supervisors).

If you are a Part-Time PhD student, you are required to have at least six formal recorded meetings with your supervisor per year and three of these meetings should include your supervisory team. 

If your primary supervisor is on medical leave and you have no indication when they will be back, contact your School and your second/third supervisor(s) to make them aware of your situation.

Formal vs Informal

Any meeting during which you and your supervisor(s) have discussed your research can be counted as a formal meeting. This can include a meeting with your supervisor(s) via video chat, e.g. Skype or MSTeams, which should be recorded as a virtual formal meeting. You should speak with your supervisor and agree dates for your formal meetings.

You should keep a record of all your formal meetings (and you may wish to record your informal meetings) on Qsis. You can find support and step-by-step instructions here. 

Informal meetings can be unplanned throughout the year, they are usually short, ad hoc meetings or emails. You are not required to keep a record of informal meetings, although you may find it useful to record them. 

Found a student card?

Please return it to the Reception desk at the Graduate School or the Student Information Desk (Level 1) of the One Elmwood Student Centre, so we can contact the student and let them know it has been found.

For the most up-to-date information regarding Student Smart Cards, please visit the Information Services Website.

Lost your student card?

• To disable the card go to QOL -> “My Smart Card” application -> select the option to Hotlist A Card
• Report the lost card to the Reception desk at the Graduate School and the Student Information Point (Level 1) of the One Elmwood Student Centre, to see if it has been handed into either desk:
  Email: graduateschool@qub.ac.uk or studentconnect@qub.ac.uk 
  Telephone: 028 9097 2585 for the Graduate School, or 028 9097 2727 for the Student Information Point in One Elmwood
• There will be a £10 charge for replacement cards

The University’s single biggest obligation is to ensure that the period between enrolment and graduation is one of personal growth and development for each and every student. 

This Student Charter helps to create the environment where those expectations can be met and ambitions realised. It is the result of a real partnership between students and staff. 

Click here to read more about The Student Charter. 

As a current postgraduate student of Queen’s University Belfast, you will have the opportunity to gain official recognition by the University as a result of developing your own skills and research in addition to your studies, designed to give you an edge in a competitive world.

Once completed, you receive your Transcript and your Future Ready Award at graduation.

You can find out more information about the Future Ready Award here.

How many training days should I complete each year and how do I record my training?

We recommend PhD/PGR students (full-time and part-time) complete 30 days of training throughout the duration of their studies (approx. 10 per year).  

If you complete training provided by the Thomas J. Moran Graduate School, their staff will update your QSIS training record (records are usually updated monthly), unless otherwise stated. If you undertake training outside of the Thomas J. Moran Graduate School you and/or your School administrator should update your QSIS training record. 

For instruction on additional training and instructions on how to update, please visit the PSTP Training Guide HERE. 

What constitutes "additional training" for PhD/PGR students?

We use 'training and development' in the widest sense and this might include online learning, volunteering training through your School or Students’ Unions. An opportunity that helps you develop and enhance your skills could be regarded as ‘training and development’. We do suggest that you do not record more than 5 days relating to one specific activity such as teaching, mentoring etc. 

What counts as one full day of training for PhD/PGR students?

One full-day's training is 7-8 hours. For a full breakdown of training time allocation and a guide on how to upload additional training, please click HERE. 

The "Period Poverty" trial which the Thomas J. Moran Graduate School participated in has come to an end.  We are running down our supply of free period products in the women's bathrooms on the ground and first floors and in the all-access bathroom located on the first floor beside the lift.

The Graduate School is not included in Queen's recent "Period Poverty @ Queen's" free vending machine initiative, but you can find more information here on where to find free vending machines.  The closest to the Graduate School are in Junction, the Peter Frogett Centre (PFC), Queen's Film Theatre (QFT) and the Administration Building.

Period product bins will remain in the women's and gender neutral bathrooms in the Graduate School, for safe and hygienic disposal of used period products.

Draft differentiation reports, papers or thesis chapters/sections should be submitted by your School to the Canvas Plagiarism Framework (CPF) prior to your Annual Progress Review (APR).

Your supervisory team should help you interpret your report and offer advice on improving your writing style and referencing, if required. 

It is important that your details, including your start date, are accurately recorded on QSIS. If you notice any errors with your Qsis record, or if there is any information missing, please contact your School Administrator who can update this information on Qsis for you.

Full wireless network (WiFi) instructions for both Windows and Mac devices can be found here.