Pathway Opportunity Programme 2027


Application Form

Section 1: Personal Information

Notes on completing the form

Please complete all sections of this form accurately. All fields with bold titles are mandatory. Please note that this form cannot be saved and should be completed and submitted in a single attempt. It will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Incomplete forms will not be considered by the Applications Panel.

Queen's University Belfast is committed to protecting the privacy of participants in our programmes. Our Widening Participation Unit Privacy Policy offers a clear explanation of how we treat your information - how we collect it, process it, and use it. We invite you to review the Privacy Policy here.

 
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Section 2: School and Reference Information

Please select your school from the list below. Please check the list carefully, using the scroll bar on the right to move downwards; typing the first letter of your school name will automatically move the list to that section.

If you cannot find your school in the list, please email pop@qub.ac.uk with your school name and location. You will have to wait until you receive a reply from us (which could take one or more working days) before you can continue with your application.

 
 

We will be requesting a "technical" reference (not a "personal" reference) from a staff member at your school to validate details on your application such as your address, meeting criteria A and B and subjects/grades, etc.

This will usually be your Careers teacher or your Head of Year. Please provide their details below.

 
If applicable, what is their subject?

Please do not use the info@school email for your school but ask your referee for their own school email address. Also please ensure that you type the email correctly, otherwise your application may not be processed.

 

Section 3: Eligibility

Important Information on Eligibility Criteria

Applications for the Pathway Opportunity Programme are scored on the Section B Widening Participation Criteria below. Please ensure that you confirm each element of the eligibility criteria that is applicable to you. You must meet all Section A criteria and at least one Section B criteria. The Admissions Panel will request evidence from your school for this section of the application form.

Section A Criteria (Meet all)

  1. Be ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland
  2. Be in full-time attendance at a school or college in Northern Ireland.
  3. Currently be in year 1 of an acceptable two-year Level 3 qualification such as A-Levels, BTEC, OCR. (OCN Level 3 qualifications are not acceptable for entry to Queen’s University)
  4. Confirm that neither parent has attended university nor obtained an undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in the UK, Ireland or abroad. If a parent is currently studying for their first degree and not yet graduated, applicants will still be considered.
  5. Have achieved a minimum of 5 GCSE passes at grade C/4 or above including GCSE English Language, to include no more than one non-GCSE qualification such as BTEC/OCR Level 2 or Occupational Skills (OCN Level 2 is not accepted as a non-GCSE qualification)
  6. Aspire to pursue higher education and study courses specifically at Queen’s University Belfast

In addition to the above criteria in section A, we are looking for students who meet at least one of the following Section B criteria:

Section B Criteria (Meet at least one)

  1. Eligible to receive, or currently in receipt of free school meals (FSM) and/or Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA). If you have been in receipt of FSM in the last 2 years but are currently no longer eligible your application may still be considered.
  2. Are a carer for a family member or dependant.
  3. Have a permanent residence postcode that is classified as being in a "disadvantaged neighbourhood” by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).
  4. Are a ‘Newcomer’ pupil Defined as a student not born in the UK or Ireland, who did not speak English as their first language on commencement of their education in NI, and learning has been impacted due to language barriers.

    5. OR

  5. Are a Refugee or Asylum Seeker
  6. Are Care Experienced - Applicants who are care experienced will automatically be offered a place on the programme provided the meet Section A criteria 1,2,3,5,6 Care Experienced is defined as any student who has been or is currently in care or from a looked after background for period of three months or more at any age. This can include time spent in: foster care, residential care, kinship care with a friend or family member, at home under a supervision order, or student who has been adopted. Arrangements may have been official or informal.

    7. OR

  7. Have had substantial engagement with a Social Worker or other Statutory Support Services.
    Defined as applicants who have not experienced care, but who have faced significant complex home or personal circumstances that have impacted their post primary education, resulting in interventions/ ongoing support from statutory services e.g. social worker, healthcare team, or PSNI. This will be assessed on an individual basis.

Queen’s University welcomes applications from students with a disability or long term condition.

You are required to meet any specific requirements for the course you are applying to. We advise you to research course specific entry requirements via our Course Finder on our website (https://www.qub.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate) prior to application.

 

Section A

Section B

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Additional Experience with Queen’s University

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Section 4: Qualifications

Please complete this section as accurately as possible. The Admissions Panel will request confirmation of your A-Level subjects and GCSE grades from your school.

List of Qualifications at GCSE (or equivalent)

Please list all of your qualifications obtained at GCSE level (or equivalent) and include details of Awarding Body (Exam Board), type of qualification, exact subject title as well as grade awarded. For example:

  • CCEA GCSE Maths B
  • AQA GCSE Spanish C*
A Pass in Essential Skills Communication (Level 2) will be acceptable in lieu of GCSE English Language grade C/4 for all students except those whose first language is not English Language. The University will accept a maximum of one non-GCSE qualification at Level 2 which can, in itself, be equivalent to up to 4 GCSEs. As for Key Skills, ASDAN Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (COPE), Open College Network (OCN and OCN NI) or Princes Trust, the University acknowledges that development of transferable skills is an important aspect of both school and university education and students are encouraged to develop these whether or not it is through a formal qualification. However, the University will not consider them in satisfying the GCSE requirement for the Pathway Programme.
 
List of qualifications at GCSE (or equivalent)
Awarding Body Qualification Type Subject Grade

AS or A-Level (or equivalent) Qualifications Already Completed

Although the Pathway Programme is generally designed for students commencing year 1 of a two-year level 3 qualification for the first time, if you have already completed any AS exams, A-Level (A2) exams or equivalent level 3 BTEC/OCR qualifications, please note them below and your application will be considered.

Please enter the Awarding Body, the Qualification Type (AS, A-Level, BTEC,etc), Subject, Grade and Date of completion for any Level 3 Qualifications you have already completed, along with a short explanation of your situation.

List of Subjects at A-Level (or equivalent)

 

Please list the subjects you are taking and include details of Awarding Body (Exam Board), type of qualification and the exact subject title. If it is an A-Level, please state if it is "applied" or "general". If it is another Level 3 qualification (non A-Level), please include the title of each individual unit you are taking for both year 1 and year 2. For example:

  • CCEA A-Level Health and Social Care (Applied)
  • WJEC A-Level Sociology (General)
  • Pearson/Edexcel BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate Information Technology (Information Technology Systems, Data Modelling ... - list all unit titles for both years)

Please note that Queen's accepts non A-Level qualifications:

  • Qualifications equivalent to 3 A-levels such as BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma
  • Qualifications equivalent to 2 A-Levels such as Cambridge Technical Diplomas plus a third A-Level or non A-Level qualification
  • Qualifications equivalent to 1 A-Level such as BTEC Level 3 National Subsidiary Diploma along with two other A-Levels
  • However, Queen's does not accept more than one single A-Level equivalent as part of the three required A-Levels
 
List of subjects at A-Level (or equivalent)
Awarding Body Qualification Type Subject General or Applied? (A-Levels) List of Unit Titles (non A-Levels)

Section 5: Pathway Selection

Please indicate which subject Pathway you wish to apply for. If you are interested in two Pathway subjects then indicate both first and second choices below. If your first choice is oversubscribed you may be selected for your second choice. Please research the Pathway subject areas and only choose a pathway you are interested in studying or exploring further. Check any subject specific requirements for courses on your pathway using the QUB course finder https://www.qub.ac.uk/courses/

 
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Section 6: Personal Statements

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Section 7: Parent Information

Please provide details of a parent / guardian / trusted adult who can provide parental consent.

 

Section 8: Submit Application