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Information for applicants from the USA

Please note: The information on this page is intended for students interested in full degree study.   If you are looking for a semester or year of undergraduate study please refer to our information on the Study Abroad programme.

Welcome

Queen Mary has a long history of welcoming students from around the world. Over the years, many thousands of international students have graduated from the college and gone on to pursue successful careers. Today, we are home to students from more than 100 different countries. This diversity contributes to a lively and welcoming community which should make you feel comfortable and at home.

One of the largest colleges of the University of London and one of the few with fully integrated teaching, research and residential facilities, our setting gives you the benefits both of a large campus environment and of the countless academic and social opportunities of London.

Increasing numbers of US students are coming to the UK for full undergraduate and postgraduate degree study (both for the academic excellence and the time and financial savings) – at Queen Mary we currently have 40 students with us on undergraduate degrees, 66 on postgraduate taught programmes and 20 undertaking research degrees.

Undergraduate Entry Requirements

Students should be aware that there are some very marked differences between UK and US undergraduate degrees - not least the shorter duration and more specific subject focus of a UK degree - other differences are explained on the British Council USA website

Holders of a High School Graduation Diploma with a GPA of 3.3 and SAT combined scores of 1800+ in the SAT-R test and scores of 600+ in the SAT-S in at least 3 subjects relevant to the degree subject being applied for, will be considered for direct entry to degree programmes. Applicants will also be considered with Advanced Placement Test scores of 4 or above in a minimum of two or more subjects relevant to the degree subject being applied for. A score of 26 or above in the American College Testing Program (ACT) will also be considered if accompanied by AP or SATS (as above). 

Please note that these are guidelines only and specific courses may have specific entry requirements over and above those given here.  Please contact us for further guidance.

International Baccalaureate Diploma

Holders of the International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum of 30 points and marks of at least 4 or above in three higher level subjects will be considered for admission to first degree programmes.

Associate / Junior College Degrees

Applicants who have successfully completed a two-year Associate / Junior college degree, with a GPA of 3.5 or above, may also be considered for admission to undergraduate degree programmes. Applicants who have completed a specialised Associate / Junior college degree may be considered for entry to the second year of a degree at Queen Mary.

Transfer Students

US students who have completed at least 2 years of a US degree and are in good academic standing may be considered for transfer into the second year of an undergraduate degree.

Undergraduate law

Applicants are required to have at least 4 'Group A' Advanced Placements at grade 5. Applicants without this qualification should normally offer three A Levels at A*AA or equivalent. Equivalent qualifications we will also consider are: the International Baccalaureate (IB), with 36 points including 6, 6, 6 at Higher Level; 3 Cambridge International A Levels at A*AA, the Cambridge Pre-U at D3, D3, D3. If your qualification is not listed, please contact us. 

The Department of Law has an international section that includes entry requirements that are specifically for the Departments' programmes. These pages also include our International Student Ambassadors from the USA. Please visit: US Law Information & Ambassadors

Undergraduate Medicine and Dentistry

Medicine and Dentistry in the UK are traditionally taught as five year undergraduate degrees. Queen Mary now also offers a four year option - the Graduate Entry Programme for students who have completed a non-medical science degree.

Students must have achieved an average of 85 per cent (A) or higher in their High School Diploma, including a minimum grade B in English. Students must also have taken at least 3 Advanced Placement (AP) examinations and achieve grades of 5, 5, 4 or higher. Two of these subjects must be Biology and Chemistry. 

Five Year MBBS Medicine Programme (A100)

Applicants must have taken either Advanced Placement tests (AP) or the International Baccalaureate Program (IB). AP applicants must have at least 3 Advanced Placement (AP) examinations with grades of 5, 5, 4 or higher. Two of these subjects must be Biology and Chemistry. IB students are required to achieve an overall score of 36 points with grades 6,6,5 at higher level. A score of 6 must be achieved in Chemistry or Biology at Higher Level. English should be offered at either Higher or Subsidiary level.For information on entry requirements for the five year Medicine degree (A100 MB BS) please click here.

How to Apply

Applications for undergraduate degrees in the UK are made through the UCAS system, information on the procedure can be found in undergraduate study, the British Council website also includes excellent information on making a UCAS application.

Submitting your College Board Test Results

Applicants sending test results to Queen Mary through College Board please note our Designated Institution (DI) code is 7902 - 'Queen Mary U London'.

For further information please visit: College Board

Entry Requirements for Graduate Study

Queen Mary welcomes around 40 US students to our postgraduate courses each year - the majority on one-year taught Masters courses with a smaller number undertaking research programmes towards an Mphil or Phd.

The one-year duration of UK Masters courses allied to their international reputation for quality makes them a cost-effective choice for US students.The British Council USA website includes a useful section on postgraduate study in the UK .

Holders of a Bachelor degree, from an accredited institution, with a good grade point average (3.2 or above), majoring in a subject relevant to the degree being applied for (with the exception of conversion Masters courses) will be considered for postgraduate study. This will normally be a postgraduate diploma or a taught Masters degree (usually one year in duration).  

Graduate Entry Medicine Programme (GEP - A101)

This programme provides an accelerated four year medical degree for students who have a science undergraduate degree. Your first degree must include a significant component of Biology and Chemistry with a final GPA of 3.6 or above.

For 2007 entry and beyond all students applying to the A100 (5 year) programme must have undertaken the UKCAT (Clinical Aptitude Test) at it's most recent sitting in order for their application to be considered.  From 2008 this will also be the case for GEP (A101) entrants. For further details see the website see the UKCAT website.

It should be noted that there are many more applicants than available places for both these courses. Applicants for either course would be expected to give evidence of relevant work experience in order to be successful.

Applications for Graduate Medicine (A101) are made through the UCAS system, information on the procedure can be found in undergraduate study, the British Council website also includes excellent information on making a UCAS application. It should be noted that even though this is a graduate programme it is an undergraduate subject which means applications are made through UCAS.

One year Master of Law Programmes, LLM (M2Q1)

A GPA of 3.0 in a JD degree from an ABA recognised law school is needed for entry to the LLM.

The School of Law offers a suite of 18 LLM programmes of study, each leading to the award of a University of London LLM degree.

LLM Scholarships for US students

The Centre for commercial Law studies ( part of the School of Law) at Queen Mary offers a number of scholarships and bursaries.

Full details including deadlines, application forms and contact details can be found at: CCLS Scholarships

Postgraduate Research Degrees

Holders of U.S. Master's degrees with a GPA of 3.5 or above will be considered for postgraduate research programmes leading to MPhils, MScs and PhDs.

How to Apply

Applications for postgraduate courses are made directly to us, information on applying to study for a postgraduate degree at Queen Mary can be found in postgraduate study.

Foundation Programmes

If you do not currently meet our entry requirements Queen Mary also offers one year foundation programmes for entry into undergraduate programmes Business, Arts, Law & Social Sciences and Science & Engineering.

English Language Requirements

US nationals do not need to provide English language test scores to apply to Queen Mary.  Students of any nationality who have completed a degree programme in the USA will also be exempt from any English language requirements.

Financing your Studies 

Queen Mary, University of London is an eligible Federal loan institution, our Federal school code is G06697.

US Federal loans and private study loans are administered by The Bursaries, Grants and Scholarships Office. Find out more details of the procedures.

The following web resources include information about financing your study:

Postgraduate funding

  • Fulbright Scholarships
    Scholarships are available to students who wish to pursue graduate study in the UK
  • Marshall Scholarships
    The Marshall Aid Commemorative Commission has recently established a partnership with Queen Mary. Alternatively, if students do not fit the criteria, they can also be considered for the general Marshall Scholarships scheme.
  • British Council USA
  • Study Abroad Alumni Scholarships
    If you have studied with us during your undergraduate degree as a visiting Study Abroad student, you are entitled to a 10% reduction on your postgraduate tuition fees at Queen Mary.

Overseas Representatives

Educational Representatives the United States provide support to the ever increasing number of applicants to Queen Mary, University of London.

For a full of all In Country Representatives, click here.

Useful Contacts

The British Council provides comprehensive advice on many aspects of study in Britain and can provide UCAS forms and Record of Prior Acceptance forms (for students applying to one institution only) for undergraduate applicants. Their website includes information on application procedures - including a sample UCAS form, guidance for completing the online UCAS application, funding etc.  

The British Council
c/o British Embassy
3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington DC 20008-3600
USA
Tel: (202) 588 6500/7830
http://www.britishcouncil.org/usa

Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
Rosehill, New Barn Lane
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
GL52 3LZ
UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1242 227788
www.ucas.com

The US State Department has a website giving information for students planning to study overseas; it includes information on travel documents, health, emergency procedures, US embassy contacts and voting whilst abroad: http://studentsabroad.state.gov 

What our Students Say

Sarah E Dooley

General LLM

USA

'My path to Queen Mary spanned nearly two years. I first considered a postgraduate law degree while I was still a law student in New Hampshire. I wanted a degree that would expose me to very specialized knowledge in immigration law. By that point I had nearly two years of experience in US immigration law, but I wanted exposure to other immigration schemes and to have a broader knowledge of the comparative law. When I started my search, I was only able to find a handful of schools where taking immigration courses at the LLM level was even possible, and only at Queen Mary was I able to focus my entire LLM study within the field. Upon my learning about the program, I e-mailed Dr Mitsilegas, the LLM tutor and a professor of EU immigration law. I received an answer immediately. His answer was so thoughtful and thorough, and really made me believe that my research interests would be fostered and encouraged. I knew this was the school for me, plus it had the ultimate bonus of being in London.
When I ultimately decided to come to Queen Mary, it was nearly one year later, and I was at a crossroads in my career. I had graduated from law school one-year prior, had recently been admitted to the bars in California and New Jersey, and was clerking in the Family Division of the New Jersey Superior Court. I had several opportunities to stay in New Jersey and work as an immigration attorney, but I wanted something different. Queen Mary came back into my mind. I applied, was accepted, and after many e-mails between Dr. Mitsilegas and myself, and having the counsel of former professors, my family, and my supervising judge, I came to the realization that coming to Queen Mary was the right choice.
Since arriving in London, I have never regretted my decision to come. While I am one of very few students making an exclusive study of immigration law, the personal attention from the faculty has been incredible. I love my courses, I am studying comparative immigration law, immigration in the European Union, and the legal treatment of migrants once they enter a new host nation. It is fascinating. I have had the opportunity to work under the supervision of some of the premier academics in the field. I also have been given the opportunity to further my studies by being selected to attend a summer school in Vienna hosted by the European Union to further study security, border control, human rights, terrorism and public policy.
Queen Mary also provides a great deal of support. While I am a native English speaker, I have taken advantage of legal writing classes for both my dissertation and my upcoming exams. I am also a member of the LLM Staff and Student Liaison Committee which is a group of student representatives who meet with academicians and law school administers to discuss issues as they arise. The University and the School of Law want to make sure that we succeed and they provide the tools for us to do so.
Living in London has also been fantastic. When I first arrived, Queen Mary arranged for international students to be collected from the airport so I didn't need to arrange private transport. They also provided orientation to the local area, the services provided by the school, basic living (like banking and healthcare) in London, and studying law at the LLM level in the United Kingdom. I also have become involved in activities that I never would have thought of doing, like fencing. I am actually even competing now. Also, London has endless possibilities in restaurants, nightlife, museums, and culture.
I would recommend anyone to study at Queen Mary. Coming here is one of the best decisions I have ever made.'

Garrett Turner

MA Theatre and Performance

USA

‘I am a proud native of Florence, Alabama and attended Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia for undergrad where I studied Music and Creative Writing and was actively involved in theatre.
This is my third period of study in the UK.  I have also completed study abroad programmes in Oxford and St. Andrews in Scotland. During those periods I made several trips into London and knew it was somewhere I’d like to return to live someday.  
After applying for and receiving a Marshall Scholarship, I got that chance. Marshall Scholarships finance up to forty US students each year to undergo graduate study in the UK for one to three years (http://www.marshallscholarship.org/). The intention is that we will gain a lasting understanding of British society and strengthen the relationship between Britain and the United States.
I chose Queen Mary for myriad reasons; not the least because the Drama department here is first rate. The Theatre and Performance programme appealed to me specifically as I knew it would serve both my academic and artistic aspirations. I was also excited about the prospect of regularly venturing over to East London, a very vibrant and multicultural area of the city.
Outside of the time I spend studying, I enjoy playing basketball and going to see shows across London.  Of late, I have been busy with rehearsals as I am playing the lead role in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun as part of Queen Mary’s celebration of Black History Month.
For my programme, I have class Tuesday through Thursday for about two hours each day. You will generally find in the UK that there is less class time, but you will need to undertake a lot of independent study. It takes some getting used to, but I enjoy the freedom.  
I would certainly recommend studying at Queen Mary and in the UK in general. There is so much to be learned from even a short time abroad here. Although the US and UK share a common language, there are still many cultural differences, which can sometimes be shocking or frustrating. But the way to make the most of your time here is to accept those differences with an open mind and find out what you can learn from them and how they can help you grow.
For the second year of my Marshall Scholarship, I will complete another one-year master’s programme.  After that I hope to use both my scholarly and creative propensities to propagate the power of performance as I move forward in my career.’

To hear from more of our US students and students from other countries visit the What our Students Say page.