Degree Programmes Year Structure Modules Culture at Queen’s

1. International Summer School
Professor Ian Williams
July 2018
UK
Education
System

2. UK Education System
• Degree Programmes
• Year Structure
• Modules
• Culture at Queen’s

3. DEGREE PROGRAMMES
Undergraduate Degrees
BSc and BEng: Bachelors Degrees – normally 3 years
– option of placement year – 4 years
MSci and MEng: Integrated Masters Degrees – normally 4 years
– option of placement year – 5 years
Taught Postgraduate Degrees
MSc: Masters – normally 1 full year (12 months)
– option of placement year – 2 years

4. YEAR STRUCTURE
Different structures at different Universities
Academic Year – 30 Weeks

5. YEAR STRUCTURE
Queen’s Structure:
2 Semesters
Semester 1 – Weeks 1 – 12 September – December
Christmas vacation – 3 weeks
Development week – Week 13 January
Semester 2 – Weeks 14 – 25 January - April
Easter vacation – 3 weeks in April
Examinations – Weeks 26 – 28 April – May
Development weeks – Weeks 29 - 30 May

6. MODULES
Each year students take modules to the value of 120 CATS (1200 hours work)
Module – 20 CATS – taken in one semester (normally)
Double modules – 40 CATS – full year modules – taken across both semesters
Half modules – 10 CATS – occasionally used

7. MODULES
Module – 20 CATS – taken in one semester (normally) – 200 hours
Lectures: 3 or 4 1 hour lectures per week (36 or 48 lectures in total)
Tutorials
Laboratory classes (mini-projects)
Assessments
Expectation that students put in many hours of work themselves:
Following up on notes taken in lectures
Preparing for coursework/tutorials
Analysing results and preparing reports on laboratory work
Preparing for examinations

8. MODULES
Assessments
Semester 2 and Full year modules – Examinations at end of year in April/May
Semester 1 modules – normally no examination
Queen’s – diversifying methods of assessment:
Homework (usually do not contribute to final marks)
Assignments
Computer based tests
Laboratory/project reports
Class tests

9. CULTURE AT QUEEN’S
A focus on doing, not just listening
Project based learning
Research inspired teaching

10. PHYSICS FINAL YEAR PROJECT EXAMPLE
Searching for Exocomets
Rosetta project – first landing of a space probe on a
comet
Professor Alan Fitzsimmons
Physics – Queen’s University
Belfast

11. FORMULA STUDENT PROJECT

12. CIVIL ENGINEERING RECORD BREAKING
MECCANO BRIDGE

13. ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
ELECTRIC DELOREAN

14. Development
Weeks
Project
May 2018