Academics

• All students must have a gpa of 3.0 or higher prior to studying abroad at Queen's University 

• Students cannot have any academic deficiencies before studying abroad at Queen's University 

• Certain classes at Queen's University might require pre-requisites. For example, you probably can't take an upper-level math course without demonstrating prior knowledge in the area. You will register for classes once you are in Belfast, but be aware of any listed pre-requisites when registering. 

• All students are required to have a passport that is valid until 6 months after the planned date of return from Belfast.

• All students are required to remain in Belfast until the end of the examination period. HC students are not allowed to submit special requests to sit exams early for any reason

Any major can study abroad at Queen's University Belfast with some careful planning! Queen's is a comprehensive university that offers classes relevant to most HC major and common area requirements. 

Study abroad students can choose to study virtually any subject Queen’s offers across the three faculties (departments)

• Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences 

• Engineering and Physical Sciences

• Medical, Health and Life Sciences 

Examples of different areas of study available include: 

• Architecture 

• Biological Sciences

• Biomedical Science

• Conflict Transformation and Social Justice

• Ethnomusicology

• Economics 

• Engineering and Computer Science 

• Northern Ireland: Conflict, Identity, Peace - Pharmaceutical Sciences

• Psychology 

Interdisciplinary study is also possible (you don't need to stick to a specific subject area) dependent upon pre-requisites being met and timetabling. There are also some more specialist subjects on offer at Queen’s, such as "The Politics of Deeply Divided Societies" and "Introduction to Screenwriting"

Study abroad students normally take three modules per semester. Modules are usually worth 20 CATS points each (1.3 HC Credits) and students require 60 CATS Points per semester (This equates to 4 HC credits or one full semester). A list of modules in the undergraduate course catalogue is available at https://qsiscat.qub.ac.uk. Simply select the subject area of interest to see the range of modules (classes) offered. By clicking on each individual module, information on credit, content and assessment is detailed along with which semester in which it is offered. Students can usually select modules from Level 1 and 2 without evidence of prior study. Modules at Level 3 often require demonstration of relevant study. 

Module registration is not competitive at Queen's University like it can be here at Holy Cross. Once you are accepted to study abroad at Queen's by the office of study abroad, you will apply directly to Queen's University (with our help!). As part of the application, you will select the three modules you are interested in taking. Don't worry- once you arrive at Queen's, you will be able to avail of an add/drop period to make any adjustments to your schedule as you see fit! 

The Holy Cross credit approval system works like this: 

1. After you arrive in Northern Ireland, you will receive an Email from Jared Chapman in the Registrar’s office with instructions for submitting Course Approval Forms (CAFS). You'll submit one CAF per module you are taking. Remember, you need to take 60 credits, which typically means 3 modules. You'll submit your CAFs as soon as possible, and no later than 1 week after the start of classes. 

2. Once the Registrar's Office receives your CAFs, they will send classes you'd like to count towards your major(s) and minor(s) to the official Study Abroad Course Evaluators in the relevant department(s) for approval. The Registrar's office will manage the approval of common area requirements themselves. 

3. Once the office hears back from the relevant parties about all of your classes, you will receive an email detailing which classes have/have not been approved. (If you talk to your advisors before you leave and stay in touch during the course selection process, you should not receive any 'surprise' rejections). 

Courses that are NOT accepted for Holy Cross Credit:

1. Online or hybrid (partially online) courses;

2. Pre-professional, business, law, and marketing courses;

3. Other non-liberal arts courses;

4. Courses of similar content to those you have already taken;

5. Any major courses required by your major department to be taken at Holy Cross;

6. Courses taken without a letter grade (e.g. auditing, pass/no pass, etc.)

One of the most common questions we get in the Office of Study abroad is whether or not a certain class abroad will count towards a student's major, minor, concentration, etc. The answer is...maybe! Here's how it works:

If you think a class might work for your major...

You need to talk to the official study abroad course evaluator in your department.  

You should obtain a syllabus or some information about the class before contacting the course evaluator. They appreciate as much context as possible!

If you think a class might work for your minor...

You need to talk to the official study abroad course evaluator in your department.  

You should obtain a syllabus or some information about the class before contacting the course evaluator. They appreciate as much context as possible!

If you think a class might work for a common area requirment...

You need to talk to the Registrar's Office! You can send an email to Jared Chapman (jchapman@holycross.edu to gain clarity on common areas requirements abroad. 

You should obtain a syllabus or some information about the class before contacting   Jared. He appreciates as much context as possible!

60 credits at Queen's Universiy = 4 Holy Cross credits. If you earn less than 60 credits, you will incur an academic deficiency. 

Students are required to enroll in 60 credits per semester or 120 credits for the academic year. 

GRADE CONVERSION QUEEN'S UNIVERISTY 

3.8+ A

63-65 A-

60-62 B+

57-59 B

53-56 B-

50-52 C+

45-49 C

43-44 C-

40-42 D

0-39 Fail

All of the classes you take when you study abroad will be listed on your Holy Cross transcript, just as they are for any normal semester. Next to each class you take abroad, the letter grade you earned will appear, just as it does for any normal semester at Holy Cross. 

The difference is that the grades you receive abroad will not factor into your cumulative gpa. This means if you leave for study abroad with a 4.0, and you get all 'B's when you are in Belfast your gpa when you return to Holy Cross will still be a 4.0. The system is designed with you in mind! Opting to spend a semester or year studying in a completely different academic system is brave. We want to celebrate the work you do abroad by reflecting the letter grades you earn on your transcript.  We also understand that it's normal to struggle in a new academic system, therefore we don't factor your grades into your overall gpa. The goal with this policy is to encourage more students to study abroad without fearing for what a semester or year away might do to their gpa! 

NO. You cannot and will not take any classes pass/fail abroad. This is one of those "study abroad myths" that for some unknown reason seems to be passed down from study abroad generation to study abroad generation!

Your HC transcript, after your study abroad semester or year, will reflect the grades that you earn abroad. What will NOT be affected is your gpa.

The grades you earn abroad will not factor into your cumulative gpa. This means if you leave for study abroad with a 4.0, and you get all 'B's when you are in Belfast, your gpa when you return to Holy Cross will still be a 4.0. The system is designed with you in mind! Opting to spend a semester or year studying in a completely different academic system is brave. We want to celebrate the work you do abroad by reflecting the letter grades you earn on your transcript. We also understand that it's normal to struggle in a new academic system, therefore we don't factor your grades into your overall gpa. The goal with this policy is to encourage more students to study abroad without fearing for what a semester or year away might do to their gpa! 

You can look forward to much more academic independence when you study abroad. In the Northern Irish system, there is frequently only one (sometimes two) assignments that account for your entire course grade. This puts a lot more pressure on that one assignment, but it means you are free from the myriad of smaller assignments you are accustomed to at Holy Cross. There are resources available like the academic writing center if you feel you are struggling or would like extra help. You will need to take the initiative should you need assistance. Also important to note is that in Northern Ireland, grades are given on ability, not necessarily merit. You should be studying for each class more than double the amount of time you are actually in the class. 

If you have any history of accommodations for learning disabilities or anything similar, you must let the Office of Study Abroad know so we can start making arrangements at Queen's University now. It is very important that you take personal ownership over your own experience. It's a good idea to think about the support you might need in advance so we can start planning now.  In Ireland, academic accommodations are not as common as they are in the united states, and may look a little different to what you are accustomed to at Holy Cross. You can read more about academic accommodations at Queen's here.