Skip to main content
Education liaison

Queen Mary Futures

Students giving presentation

Queen Mary is the most inclusive university of its kind. The Queen Mary Futures programme is an opportunity for talented students who are under-represented in higher education to broaden their network, knowledge and skills, in preparation for university-level study.   

About the programme

Taking place at Queen Mary's Mile End campus this Spring Term, the Queen Mary Futures programme will provide students who are under-represented in higher education with a chance to explore their preferred subject at university and prepare for university-level study.

The 4-week programme of activities will allow Year 12 students to gain an insight in to studying a range of programmes at Queen Mary that are broadly in line with their study interests. Students will also benefit from tailored academic skill development sessions, as well as enhanced information, advice and guidance about the career opportunities that exist with different courses.

Mile End campus programme

  Science and Engineering subjects Humanities and Social Sciences subjects Programme Timings
Week 1 Wednesday 22 February Thursday 23 February 4-6:25pm
Week 2 Wednesday 1 March Thursday 2 March 4:30-6:15pm
Week 3 Wednesday 8 March Thursday 9 March 4:30-6:15pm
Week 4 Wednesday 15 March Thursday 16 March 4:30-6:15pm

 

Important

Please note that:

  • For your application to be competitive, you should currently be studying subjects and qualifications that would make you eligible for study of your preferred subject at Queen Mary. You can check relevant criteria for Queen Mary Futures subject strands below:

Queen Mary Futures - Summary of Criteria for Subject Strands [PDF 78KB]

  • Certain subject strands may close early where there is particularly high demand, so you are encouraged to apply earlier to avoid disappointment.

The subject strands that students can apply for are listed below.  

Science and Engineering Subject Strands

  1. Biological and Behavioural Sciences **(Now CLOSED for new applications)**
  2. Physical and Chemical Sciences (strong emphasis on Physics and related areas, supported with some Chemistry-related content).
  3. Engineering and Materials Science
  4. MathsElectronic EngineeringComputer Science

Humanities and Social Sciences Subject Strands

1. Economics and Finance
2. English, DramaLanguages & Film
3. Geography and History

Students will receive: 

  • Expert insight in to several subject areas that align with your preferred HE pathway

  • Opportunities to develop key academic skills that are associated with success at university

  • Enhanced careers information, advice and guidance, including contributions from Queen Mary Alumni

  • Certification to recognise your successful completion of the Queen Mary Futures programme

For your application to be competitive, you must meet the specific eligibility criteria for your chosen subject strand. You can review individual subject strand eligibility criteria via the link below:

Queen Mary Futures - Summary of Criteria for Subject Strands [PDF 78KB]

You must also:

  • Attend a non-selective state school in the UK
  • Have achieved a minimum of 5A* - C or 4 – 9 GCSE grades, with at least a C/4 in English and Maths

In addition to the above, you must meet at least one of the following additional criteria:

  • Are in receipt of, or entitled to, free school meals/16-19 bursary/pupil premium funding †
  • Attend one of Queen Mary's sponsored academy schools *†
  • Have lived, or are currently living, in local authority care †
  • Are a young carer †
  • Are estranged from your family, living independently or living with friends †
  • Are a refugee or asylum seeker †
  • Are disabled and in receipt of, or entitled to, personal independence payments or disability living allowance †
  • Live in a qualifying neighbourhood ** 
  • Neither parent has attended higher education in the UK or abroad

† These criteria will be weighted highest when applications are assessed for eligibility

*Queen Mary's sponsored academy schools are Royal Greenwich Trust School, St Paul's Way Trust School and Drapers Academy.

**Qualifying neighbourhoods are defined as:

  1. Home postcodes in IMD deciles 1, 2, 3 and 4. You can check your IMD decile here
  2. Home postcodes in Acorn categories 4 and 5. We will check your Acorn categorisation when we assess your application. More information about Acorn can be found here.

If you're unsure of your neighbourhood status, we encourage you to submit an application so that we can check on your behalf.

Applications for the Queen Mary Futures programme are now closed.

If you have submitted an application, please also remember that a teacher declaration is required to verify the information you have included with your application. This should be submitted before the programme begins in late February.

More information about how to submit a teacher declaration found can be found here.

 

Students who participate in the Queen Mary Futures programme are expected to attend for the duration of the 4-week programme in February and March 2023, and to complete the online careers module.

Attendance at a celebration event in Summer 2023 is strongly encouraged, but optional. 

Do Queen Mary Futures sessions take place online or in-person?

Scheduled programme sessions will run in-person at Queen Mary's Mile End campus, unless otherwise stated.

If accepted, when will I receive my timetable of activities?

The programme timetable is usually sent to successful applicants the week before the programme is due to start.

Are any Queen Mary Futures sessions recorded for online viewing?

Certain sessions will be video recorded using Queen Mary's in-built classroom recording technology, meaning students can watch certain sessions on-demand and can also watch sessions related to subject strands other than their own. 

Recordings typically focus on a presenter at the front of a classroom; however, it is possible that images of students may also be captured from time-to-time. Recordings are only shared with Queen Mary Futures students and relevant members of Queen Mary staff, and will only be shared more widely with the permission of those featured in relevant recordings.

When you submit your application, you will be asked to confirm that you understand and are happy to proceed on the basis of the recording arrangements described above. However, if you would like to discuss this further with a member of the team, please email: outreach-programmes@qmul.ac.uk

Can I claim support with the costs of travelling to and from the Queen Mary Futures programme?

Students who are in receipt of (or entitled to) free school meals, a 16-19 bursary and/or pupil premium funding can claim financial support for the full amount of their costs of travelling to and from the Queen Mary Futures programme.

However, it is important to be aware that:

  • Any financial support would be provided following the conclusion of the programme as reimbursement, and as such, students seeking this support would be expected to cover their own up-front travelling costs.
  • Students may only claim reimbursement for standard class travel on public transport (bus, rail, metro, tube), and we are unable to reimburse guest tickets.
  • Receipts (including screenshots of journeys that are recorded online) must be submitted alongside travel expense claims in order for them to be considered. 

Those who wish to claim financial support for travelling costs should email outreach-programmes@qmul.ac.uk in the first instance.

How can I get in touch with any other questions?

If you would like to discuss anything further with a member of the Queen Mary Futures team, please email: outreach-programmes@qmul.ac.uk

Back to top