For the 2024 intake, a Chinese bachelor's degree holder needs a weighted average of at least 70% for a 2.2-required programme at a Tier 1 (一档) institution, rising to 85% for a 2.1-required programme at a Tier 3 (三档) independent college. Your exact bar depends on your institution's tier and on whether your target programme asks for a 2.1 or a 2.2.
What the tiers mean
Queen's groups Chinese institutions into three tiers and sets a different minimum average for each:
| Tier | Covers | Minimum average for a 2.1 programme | Minimum average for a 2.2 programme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 (一档) | Double First-Class universities and ARWU 2021 Best Chinese Universities Ranking Top 100 institutions | 0.75 (75%) | 0.7 (70%) |
| Tier 2 (二档) | All regular recognised universities outside Tier 1 and Tier 3 | 0.8 (80%) | 0.75 (75%) |
| Tier 3 (三档) | MOE-recognised independent colleges | 0.85 (85%) | 0.8 (80%) |
The published Tier 1 list is the only named list; Tier 2 and Tier 3 do not carry institution lists. Queen's also recognises affiliated colleges of Tier 1 institutions and accepts self-taught (自考) qualifications that come with dual certificates.
Which programmes set the higher bar
Most postgraduate taught programmes at Queen's ask for a 2.1, so most applicants are measured against the higher column above. In the Queen's Business School, for example, MSc Accounting and Finance, MSc Financial Analytics, MSc Risk and Investment Management, MSc International Business, MSc Business Analytics, MSc Marketing, MSc Human Resource Management, MSc Actuarial Science and the MBA all require a 2.1. The one Business School exception is MSc Management, a 2.2 programme open to career changers that does not accept applicants with a business or management background.
Some programmes accept any academic background. These include MSc TESOL and Applied Linguistics (which asks for at least 30 hours of teaching experience at application), MSc Educational Leadership, MEd Educational Studies and MSc Planning and Development (2.2).
English language requirement
The standard master's requirement is IELTS 6.0 overall with no component below 5.5. A UK-degree Top-up student taught in the UK is exempt from the IELTS requirement, because the academic standard applied is the UK standard. Queen's accepts 专升本 (top-up from a college diploma) applications and treats the undergraduate-stage record as the main evidence, with the prior college background used as reference.
Score-reduction rule and its exceptions
When your main course grades meet the admissions department's requirement, your total academic average may be lowered by 2 points to convert a conditional offer to unconditional. This does not apply to six health and life-science programmes: Bioinformatics and Computational Genomics, Cancer Medicine, Clinical Anatomy, Experimental Medicine, Global Health and Public Health.
The 2024 published requirements do not list any blocked study modes; they instead specify which alternative pathways are accepted, as shown above.
How to self-check before applying
- Find your institution in Queen's Tier 1 list, or confirm whether it falls in Tier 2 or Tier 3.
- Note the 2.1 or 2.2 requirement of your target programme.
- Read your required minimum from the tier table above.
- Check the IELTS 6.0 (5.5) rule, or confirm a UK-degree exemption.
- If your programme is one of the six excluded health programmes, expect the full average with no 2-point reduction.