Living and Learning at QMU
Why Study at Queen Margaret University?
Great employment prospects
98.2% of our graduates find work or go on to further study within six months of graduating (HESA 2017). This is the highest graduate employment rate of any Scottish university and the third highest employability rate amongst all UK higher education institutions. Our emphasis on professionally-relevant education means our courses are up-to-date and relevant to the needs of society. We have a robust employability strategy and our careers specialists now offer ‘Careers Advice for Life’ so even after graduation our alumni can continue to access the specialist support from QMU’s Careers and Employability Service.
Courses to fit in with your lifestyle
Whether you're in your teens or are returning to education after a long gap, we will endeavour to provide a supportive environment with enough flexibility to study around career, social and family commitments.
We offer full-time, part-time and distance learning courses that can suit different lifestyles. Our staff are well aware of the demands of modern living and you will find them extremely approachable and supportive throughout your studies.
Friendly and supportive
If you choose to study at QMU, you'll be much more than just a number.
You need not get lost in the crowd and you will find our staff extremely approachable and supportive. Our campus, opened in 2007, brings all our students together on one site, giving you plenty of opportunities to meet and make friends with students with a wide range of interests.
Edinburgh - the perfect place to study
The other wonderful thing about QMU is the opportunity to enjoy Edinburgh - Scotland's beautiful capital city. Edinburgh is jam packed full of historical sites, the most popular being Edinburgh castle.
The city is never quiet. Its bustling atmosphere attracts people from all over the world and its entertainment and opportunities for fascinating cultural experiences are second to none. Edinburgh hosts the famous International Festival, The Fringe, Hogmanay Street Party - one of the largest New Year street parties in the world, The Book Festival, The International Science Festival and the Film Festival.
For students, Edinburgh has lots to offer: countless tourist attractions, libraries, cinemas, clubs, pubs, restaurants, concert venues, theatres and a wide range of fantastic shopping and sports facilities. You really couldn't choose a more interesting city to study in.
One campus
Our purpose built campus by Musselburgh, on the east side of Edinburgh, features high-tech facilities including an innovative learning resource centre combining IT and library services, along with a great variety of learning spaces. There are also on-campus sports facilities and en-suite student accommodation.
Up-to-date and relevant teaching
In order to meet the changing needs of society, lecturing staff are activity engaged in ongoing research and collaborative work with external agencies, businesses and academics from other institutions. This helps to ensure that their teaching is up-to-date and relevant which means that you benefit from the latest thinking and developments in the field.
As well as the involvement of teaching staff in research, we also have a strong community of full-time researchers, whose work is often cutting-edge. Again, this helps to ensure that the information being communicated through teaching is extremely progressive.
Research strengths
As well as high-quality teaching, we have a strong reputation for our research excellence. Our research activity is internationally recognised, and informs and adds value to our teaching at all levels.
Enhancing quality of life and serving communities
We have a strong philosophy of enhancing quality of life and serving communities. Today, graduates of QMU have used their skills and knowledge to make improvements to the lives of many different people. Through the development of better business practice for improved customer service, breakthroughs in healthcare, the development of creative arts and culture for people's enjoyment, helping communities to fight for environmental justice and working with people in third world countries to rebuild their communities after years of destruction, our graduates are helping communities the world over.
We wish you every success with making your choice of study.
Learning at QMU
Study and Learning Resource Centre
As a student at QMU, you can expect to take responsibility for your own learning, with the support and guidance of academic staff, whilst developing the necessary skills to succeed academically. Courses are generally taught through lectures and small group tutorials, laboratory sessions or practicals (including placements), with a blend of continuous assessment and exams being used to gauge progress.
QMU’s £105 million campus opened in September 2007 takes full account of the needs of 21st century students and the specific requirements of our students. The campus is a vibrant academic village with high-tech buildings and attractive landscaped spaces, featuring an innovative learning resource centre (LRC) at the heart of the development.
The LRC and its facilities are an essential support to the learning, teaching and research activities at QMU. The LRC consists of a combined facility for directed and self-directed study, based on an integrated library and information service provision. We have 1,000 study spaces organised as a mixture of silent study, group study areas, bookable group study rooms, training rooms, assistive technology, student learning support and a postgraduate study room, network enabled for terminal or laptop access to electronic resources. Access to books and journals, electronic resources and audiovisual material to support learning, research and different modes of study are provided here. Many resources are accessible wherever and whenever you need to study. Staff in the LRC are committed to providing a service which is easy for all students to use and support is available at all times.
