Funding/Scholarships
The School has serveral funding opportunities for academic study and travel. Details of all the School funding can be found on this page. Be sure to revisit this page frequently and check the site news items throughout the year as funding becomes available.
Central University Funding & Fees
Please click here to view possible funding opportunities advertised centrally by the university and the latest information on course fees.
Hamilton Harty Scholarship | MUSIC
Available to current Music students from the School of Arts, English and Languages only.
The first Hamilton Harty scholarship was founded in 1959 in memory of Sir Hamilton Harty. Additional awards were founded in 1967 and thereafter as a result of further gifts from Miss Olive Baguley.
Up to 4 scholarships per year of £1500 (or less) with at least one of maximum value of £2,500 will be awarded to enable UG, PGT or PGR students on any Music pathway to travel within the continent of Europe (broadly conceived) during the long vacation in pursuit of their music studies (i.e. to a music festival or to pursue music studies outside term-time). It may be awarded to a student in any year of a course. Scholarships will not normally be awarded more than once to any student. Applications will be reviewed by the Music Bequests Committee before the end of second semester. Applications are prioritised by the strength of the application (e.g. providing complete information about the event or training, offering clear and realistic financial costings, demonstrating benefit to the student).
A scholarship will normally not be awarded more than once to any one student.
Guidelines
Applications should take the form of a summary proposal outlining the purpose for which the funding is sought, the costs associated with the proposal, and the benefits to the student of the proposed activity.
Applicants should ensure that they have provided detailed and realistic costs associated with their proposal.
Please submit to Denise Toner (d.toner@qub.ac.uk)– before 5pm on Friday 6th June 2025
QUB TradFest Summer School Bursaries
The Music Department at Queen’s University Belfast is delighted to announce the provision of two undergraduate bursaries to attend Belfast TradFest Summer School, made possible through our Jack Kerr fund.
This includes five days of masterclasses from 28th July - 1st August 2025, and access to the programme of afternoon events, demonstrations, talks, workshops and sessions.
The awards are open to current first and second year undergraduate students in any subject.
Deadline 12th May - for application details and terms click here.
Sir Van Morrison Music Scholarships
We are delighted to announce the establishment of The Sir Van Morrison Music Scholarships generously sponsored by Dr Sir Van Morrison and the Van Morrison Official Belfast Rhythm and Blues Foundation.
The scholarships are born out of the unique partnership between Queen’s University Belfast and Morrison, who is the first musician to be named as university-wide ‘artist in residence’.
Designed to support widening access to Music through higher education, the scholarships will be awarded in September 2025 to two Northern Ireland residents registered on a full-time BMus or BA programme in Music in the School of Arts, English and Languages at Queen’s University Belfast. The awards will be made to the two undergraduate entrants with the highest three A-level results and who meet specific criteria relating to widening participation.
To read more about the partnership between Sir Van Morrison and QUB, please visit: https://www.qub.ac.uk/News/Allnews/2025/MusictotheirearsforQueensstudentstoreceivescholarshipsfromVanMorrison.html
The Seamus Heaney International Scholarship for the MA in Poetry
The Seamus Heaney International Scholarship is available to any international student who applies to the MA in Poetry programme before the closing date on Friday 30 May 2025. The scholarship is worth £10,000 offset against fees.
All international applicants who have applied for the MA Poetry programme by the closing date will be automatically considered for the award.
More information on the MA in Poetry
The Seamus Heaney Centre
For further information contact Professor Fran Brearton f.brearton@qub.ac.uk
The Michael Longley Scholarships (MA in Poetry)
Two scholarships of £7,500 will be available on an annual basis to assist graduates to pursue the MA in Poetry: Creativity and Criticism, in the School of Arts, English and Languages at Queen’s University Belfast.
Scholarship One:
To be eligible for the Scholarship an applicant must:
- be a resident of Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland and qualify for fees at “Home Student” status;
- have been accepted on to the MA in Poetry (Full Time) in the School of Arts, English and Languages.
- Preference will be given to students who can provide evidence of financial need. This could include:
To be eligible for the Scholarship an applicant must:
- be classed as a resident of the UK or EU citizen and classified in residency terms for fees at “GB” “Home Student” or “EU” status;
- have been accepted on to the MA in Poetry (Full Time) in the School of Arts, English and Languages.
- First preference will be given to “GB” students.
- Second preference will be given to students from the island of Ireland.
How to Apply: The award will be based on the quality of the sample of work submission* and a supporting written statement outlining in not more than 750 words:
- what the applicant hopes to achieve through this opportunity and the impact they think this will have on their life
- what the applicant plans to do with their learning to impact the lives of others
*This refers to the sample of work candidates will have already submitted as part of the application process for the MA Programme.
Closing Date for Applications: Friday 20 June 2025, 16:00:00 BST
(The written statement application must be received by the AEL postgraduate office (ael-pg@qub.ac.uk) by 4pm BST on the closing date.)
For further information contact Dr Stephen Sexton <S.Sexton@qub.ac.uk>
MRes in ARTS and HUMANITIES
LANGUAGES
All eligible students who have been accepted for a place on the MRes by 21 June 2024 will be automatically considered for one of the following awards:
Dr Henry Hutchinson-Stewart Literary Scholarship (Languages) (normally in the region of £5,900)
One literary scholarship derived from a bequest from the Dr Henry Hutchinson-Stewart Trust is open to students meeting the criteria below:
(a) Have obtained an undergraduate degree in Modern Languages (Single or Joint);
(b) Are applying to study a language on the MRes Arts and Humanities.
The scholarship shall normally be awarded to the student or students who have obtained the highest overall average mark as used for degree classification.
If, in the opinion of the Board of Examiners, there is a tie then the award can be split between candidates.
The award is tenable with any other studentship or scholarship across the University and will be made as payment towards postgraduate fees at registration in September/October. In the event of a tie, the scholarship may be divided in two.
Musgrave Scholarship (Modern Languages) The scholarship derives from a gift in 1917 from Mr Henry Musgrave. Students who will be eligible for automatic consideration for the Musgrave Scholarship are those who:
(a) Have obtained an undergraduate degree in Modern Languages (Single or Joint);
(b) Have applied through the QUB portal for a place to study a language on the MRes Arts and Humanities on a full-time basis by the deadline advertised on the School website.
The scholarship (in the region of £3000) shall normally be awarded to the student or students who have obtained the highest overall final mark as used for degree classification.
The award shall be made as payment towards postgraduate fees in September/October and is tenable with any other studentship or scholarship across the University. If the return on investment is insufficient the award may not be made in that year. In the event of a tie, the scholarship may be split.
MUSIC
Douglas C Harrison Fund
These bursaries are made possible by the bequest of Professor Douglas Harrison. This will be used to support up to 3 bursaries of £3,000 each allocated to the top MRes applicants in Music to offset tuition fees. MRes bursaries will be awarded by the Music Bequests Committee.
Bursaries will be prioritised based on previous academic record, matched with the research interests of the school, and previous professional or academic experience.
All eligible students who have applied by 5pm on Friday 6th June 2025 through the QUB portal (https://dap.qub.ac.uk/portal/user/u_login.php) for the MRes will be automatically considered for this award. No late applications will be considered.
For further details contact Dr Miguel Ortiz (m.ortiz@qub.ac.uk)
Hamilton Harty Scholarship | MUSIC
Available to current Music students from the School of Arts, English and Languages only.
The first Hamilton Harty scholarship was founded in 1959 in memory of Sir Hamilton Harty. Additional awards were founded in 1967 and thereafter as a result of further gifts from Miss Olive Baguley.
Up to 4 scholarships per year of £1500 (or less) with at least one of maximum value of £2,500 will be awarded to enable UG, PGT or PGR students on any Music pathway to travel within the continent of Europe (broadly conceived) during the long vacation in pursuit of their music studies (i.e. to a music festival or to pursue music studies outside term-time). It may be awarded to a student in any year of a course. Scholarships will not normally be awarded more than once to any student. Applications will be reviewed by the Music Bequests Committee before the end of second semester. Applications are prioritised by the strength of the application (e.g. providing complete information about the event or training, offering clear and realistic financial costings, demonstrating benefit to the student).
A scholarship will normally not be awarded more than once to any one student.
Guidelines
Applications should take the form of a summary proposal outlining the purpose for which the funding is sought, the costs associated with the proposal, and the benefits to the student of the proposed activity.
Applicants should ensure that they have provided detailed and realistic costs associated with their proposal.
Please submit to Denise Toner (d.toner@qub.ac.uk) before 5pm on Friday 6th June 2025
May Turtle Awards | MUSIC
This scholarship was founded in 1950 by Hugh Turtle, Esq., LLD. Up to two scholarships annually are tenable by graduates from any UG Music pathway at Queen's University Belfast. It is to be used for the purpose of further study of Music at Queen’s University Belfast or at a different institution (for the latter, proof of fees paid will be requested). The scholarships will normally be of the value of up to £2000 per annum. The scholarship will be tenable for one year but may be renewed for a second and for a third year. Priority will be given to new applicants, with renewals for additional years granted where levels of funding permit. Applications will be prioritised based on the highest undergraduate degree mark while studying at Queen’s University Belfast, and will be reviewed by the Music Pathways Committee at the end of year exam board.
Apply:
Please complete the application form and submit to Denise Toner (d.toner@qub.ac.uk) no later than Friday 6th June 2025
Late applications will not be considered.
Hamilton Harty Scholarship | MUSIC
Available to current Music students from the School of Arts, English and Languages only.
The first Hamilton Harty scholarship was founded in 1959 in memory of Sir Hamilton Harty. Additional awards were founded in 1967 and thereafter as a result of further gifts from Miss Olive Baguley.
Up to 4 scholarships per year of £1500 (or less) with at least one of maximum value of £2,500 will be awarded to enable UG, PGT or PGR students on any Music pathway to travel within the continent of Europe (broadly conceived) during the long vacation in pursuit of their music studies (i.e. to a music festival or to pursue music studies outside term-time). It may be awarded to a student in any year of a course. Scholarships will not normally be awarded more than once to any student. Applications will be reviewed by the Music Bequests Committee before the end of second semester. Applications are prioritised by the strength of the application (e.g. providing complete information about the event or training, offering clear and realistic financial costings, demonstrating benefit to the student).
A scholarship will normally not be awarded more than once to any one student.
Guidelines
Applications should take the form of a summary proposal outlining the purpose for which the funding is sought, the costs associated with the proposal, and the benefits to the student of the proposed activity.
Applicants should ensure that they have provided detailed and realistic costs associated with their proposal.
Please submit to Denise Toner (d.toner@qub.ac.uk) before 5pm on Friday 6th June 2025
Leverhulme (LINCS) PhD Scholarship Opportunities
The Leverhulme Interdisciplinary Network on Cybersecurity and Society (LINCS) at Queen’s University Belfast has been established to support pioneering research at the interface between the social sciences and electronic engineering & computer science.
LINCS brings together the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice (ISCTSJ) and the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) to develop a distinctive cohort of doctoral students working across the boundaries of their disciplines who will open up new avenues of enquiry centred initially on the priority themes and specific PhD projects.
More information is given here.
International Funding
Travel Scholarships
Students already enrolled at Queen’s are entitled to apply for various awards for travel related to their research. Typical events for which you can apply include:
- Presenting a conference paper
- Attending a conference closely related to your area of research
- Travel to libraries or archives for research purposes
- Attending a premiere of one of your compositions
- Attending a composition workshop
In all cases, applicants are advised that well-costed and specific applications tend to meet with more success than vague or general requests for funds.
Click here to view travel scholarship opportunities advertised centrally by the University.