Queen Mary Futures

Three Queen Mary students from diverse ethnic backgrounds stand in front of a purple background.

Queen Mary is the most inclusive university of its kind. The Queen Mary Futures programme is an opportunity for talented students who are under-represented in higher education to broaden their network, knowledge and skills, in preparation for university-level study.

Taking place at Queen Mary's East London campuses, the Queen Mary Futures programme is an opportunity for eligible Year 12 students to gain an insight into different subjects that are studied at university, and to prepare for the challenges of university-level study.

An overview of the 4-week programme of after-school activities is below.

Mile End campus programme (2025/26)

	Science and Engineering subjects	Humanities and Social Sciences subjects	Session Timings
Week 1	Wednesday 5 November	Thursday 6 November	4-6:30pm
Week 2	Wednesday 12 November	Thursday 13 November	4:30-6:30pm
Week 3	Wednesday 19 November	Thursday 20 November	4:30-6:30pm
Week 4	Wednesday 26 November	Thursday 27 November	4:30-6:15pm

Important

Please note that:

For your application to be competitive, you should currently be studying subjects and qualifications that would make you eligible for study of your preferred subject at Queen Mary. A summary of eligibility criteria for each Queen Mary Futures subject strand is below.

QM Futures - Summary of Subject Strand Criteria AUTUMN 25-26 [DOC 48KB]

Certain subject strands may close early where there is particularly high demand, so you are encouraged to apply earlier to avoid disappointment.

Science and Engineering Subject Strands

Biological and Environmental Sciences
Chemical Sciences
AI, Computer Science and Electronic Engineering
Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences Subject Strands

For your application to be competitive, you must meet the specific eligibility criteria for your chosen subject strand, summarised below. (Please also take note of the 'Potential additional consideration' notes included in the below document.)

QM Futures - Summary of Subject Strand Criteria AUTUMN 25-26 [DOC 48KB]

Furthermore, you must meet our widening participation criteria, as outlined below.

Step one:

In order to be eligible to apply, students must meet all of the criteria outlined in step one.

Attend a state-funded school or college.

Are currently studying in Year 12 (or equivalent)

Have achieved at least five 5-9 GCSE grades, with at least a 5 in English and Maths. For the Law subject you will need a minimum of six GCSE passes at grades 777766.

Be a Home registered student or expect to be by the time they apply for higher education,

Step two:

Students must meet two points from the below widening participation eligibility criteria. Where a programme is oversubscribed, students who meet the highest point score will be offered a place on the programme.

Are currently, or have previously lived in local authority care, or is permanently estranged from both parents	2
Has a disability defined under the ‘Equality Act 2010’. A physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.	2
Be living in an area of high deprivation (IMD Decile 1, 2, 3 or 4) or be living in an area of socio-economic disadvantage (ACORN group M, N, P, Q, R, S or U).	1
Are a young adult carer. Queen Mary's definition of a young adult carer can be found here.	1
Were previously entitled to Free School Meals during Key Stage 4, or are currently in receipt of the 16-19 bursary.	1
Neither parent or carer has attended higher education in the UK or abroad	1
Are a refugee or asylum seeker.	1
Are from Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller background, inclusive of Showmen and Boater communities	1
Attend one of Queen Mary's sponsored academy schools: Royal Greenwich Trust School, St Paul's Way Trust School or Drapers' Academy**	1
Attend a school whose attainment performance is below the national average***	1

*If you're unsure of your neighbourhood status (IMD, ACORN), we encourage you to submit an application so that we can check on your behalf.

**Please note that places per school may be capped for students who qualify for the programme on the basis of attending one of Queen Mary's sponsored academy schools.

***You can check your school's overall GCSE performance to get an indication of whether you would meet this criterion. However, please note that Queen Mary has its own definition for low school attainment which is used to determine programme eligibility.

Applications for the Autumn 2025/26 programme have now closed.

Do Queen Mary Futures sessions take place online or in-person?

Scheduled programme sessions will run in-person at Queen Mary's Mile End campus, unless otherwise stated.

If accepted, when will I receive my timetable of activities?

The programme timetable is usually sent to successful applicants the week before the programme is due to start.

Are any Queen Mary Futures sessions recorded for online viewing, and how does this work?

Certain sessions will be video recorded using Queen Mary's in-built classroom recording technology, meaning students can watch certain sessions on-demand and can also watch sessions related to subject strands other than their own.

Recordings typically focus on a presenter at the front of a classroom; however, it is possible that images of students may also be captured from time-to-time. Recordings are only shared with Queen Mary Futures students and relevant members of Queen Mary staff, and will only be shared more widely with the permission of those featured in relevant recordings.

When you submit your application, you will be asked to confirm that you understand and are happy to proceed on the basis of the recording arrangements described above. However, if you would like to discuss this further with a member of the team, please email: outreach-programmes@qmul.ac.uk

Can I claim support for the costs of travelling to and from the Queen Mary Futures programme?

Certain students can claim financial support for the full amount of their costs of travelling to and from the Queen Mary Futures programme, according to the following criteria:

Eligible for travelling expenses paid in advance	Eligible for travelling expenses paid after programme conclusion
Students who are currently, or have previously lived in local authority care, or is permanently estranged from both parents	Students who were previously entitled to Free School Meals during Key Stage 4, or currently receive the 16-19 bursary Students who have a disability defined under the ‘Equality Act 2010’. A physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.

It is also important to be aware that:

Students may only claim reimbursement for standard class travel on public transport (bus, rail, metro, tube), and we are unable to reimburse guest tickets.
Receipts (including screenshots) for relevant journeys must be submitted alongside travel expense claims in order for them to be considered.

More information about how to claim travel expenses will be communicated to eligible programme participants in a timely way. However, any questions related to claiming travelling expenses can be emailed to: outreach-programmes@qmul.ac.uk.

Will I be guaranteed a contextual offer for Queen Mary if I take part in the Queen Mary Futures programme?

Queen Mary automatically considers every UK undergraduate applicant (that applies in the main UCAS cycle) for a contextual offer.

Many Queen Mary Futures participants qualify for a contextual offer because the criteria for the programme and for Queen Mary's contextual offers often overlap. However, participation in the Queen Mary Futures programme on its own does not guarantee a standard or enhanced contextual offer can be made to an applicant.

Students can use Queen Mary's contextual admissions eligibility checker for an indication of whether they could qualify for a contextual offer from Queen Mary.

Can my parent/carer wait for me on campus until my Queen Mary Futures sessions finish?

Parents/carers are welcome to wait for Queen Mary Futures participants by remaining in outdoor sections of Queen Mary's campuses (some outdoor seating is available), or in any of Queen Mary's retail outlets (e.g. Ground Café at the Mile End campus) if they are open. However, it isn't possible for parents/carers to wait for participants within their scheduled sessions, in any of Queen Mary's buildings that are designated for teaching, or in any other Queen Mary building that is not typically open to the general public.

How can I get in touch with any other questions?

If you would like to discuss anything further with a member of the Queen Mary Futures team, please email: outreach-programmes@qmul.ac.uk