Queen Margaret University

Founded in 1875, the Edinburgh School of Cookery was created to improve women's education and career opportunities and to improve health by improving the diets of ordinary people.

From its beginnings, the university has always focused on contributing in practical ways to improving the quality of human life and serving the community.

Today, inspired by its history and the great tradition of Scottish education, Queen Margaret has developed into a modern university which prepares graduates for useful careers and equips them with the skills which will help them make a real difference to society. Its teaching and research are designed to enhance the social and economic well-being of the communities it serves – within Scotland, the UK and internationally.

Location and Transport

Relocated to a new purpose-built university campus on the southeast side of Edinburgh in 2007. Its modern campus is right next to Musselburgh train station (6-minute train journey to the centre of Edinburgh).

Vibrant modern academic village with high-tech buildings and attractive landscaped spaces, featuring an innovative learning resource centre, modern student residences, students' union building, indoor sports facilities and all weather surfaces. The academic building features high quality specialist facilities including practical research laboratories, a nursing simulation suite, and working speech, audiology and podiatry clinics.

The University, which has over 6,000 students and more than 470 staff, is divided into two schools: the School of Arts, Social Sciences and Management and the School of Health Sciences.

Lecturing staff are actively engaged in ongoing research and collaborative work with external agencies, businesses and academics from other institutions. In the past few years our researchers have secured an increasing number of prestigious research grants from the UK Research Councils including the AHRC, ESRC and EPSRC and have also received funding from the Chief Scientist Office, NHS, central and local government, charities and industry. We are also very active in knowledge exchange work.

Our research and knowledge exchange work helps ensure that teaching is up-to-date and relevant, benefiting from the latest thinking and developments in the field.

QMU’s robust arrangements for securing academic standards and for enhancing the quality of the student experience were confirmed through its achievement of the highest level of judgement, i.e. 'Effective' in the Enhancement-led Institutional Review conducted by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (2013).

Research Standards

QMU is dedicated to improving the quality of life and building the evidence-base for policy and inter-professional practice through interdisciplinary research and society relevant knowledge exchange.

The value of our interdisciplinary work is measured by its impact and the social usefulness, practicality and applicability of its outcomes.

We are committed to the two-way interaction and exchange of knowledge between business, public and third sector organisations.

The vitality of our research culture and the importance of researcher development promotes synergy between teaching, research, knowledge exchange and third stream activity to achieve maximum benefit.

Our research in Media and Communication and Linguistics is recognised as being internationally excellent.

In 2013, QMU was awarded and retained the HR Excellence in Research Award in support of the career development of researchers.

QMU is focused on making a difference through its research and knowledge exchange and has particular strengths in support small and medium sized food and drink businesses.

QMU specialist research centres include the Clinical Audiiology, Speech and Language (CASL) Research Centre; Centre for Dialogue; the Institute for International Health and Development; the International Centre for the Study of Planned Events.

Academic Strengths

Queen Margaret University has academic flagship areas in Health and Rehabilitation, Sustainable Business, and Creativity and Culture.

Within these flagship areas, the University provides highly relevant professional education and research that informs policy and practice in health, performing arts, media and social science, and business, enterprise and management.

 QMU’s Health and Rehabilitation flagship area is underpinned by a portfolio of health courses - the University has the widest range of allied health professional courses of any university in Scotland.

Within the area of health and rehabilitation, flagships include food and nutrition, speech and hearing sciences, international nursing education and rehabilitation science.

The University’s work in Health and Rehabilitation has a global reach, not least through its Institute for International Health and Development (IIHD). Focused on the social determinants of health in globally and locally marginalised populations, IIHD provides post-graduate education, research and technical assistance to development agencies and governments.

An excellent reputation for healthcare courses, particularly with an international reputation for excellence in the area of speech & language therapy.

In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, 40% of our research in Communication, Cultural & Media Studies and 40% in Speech & Language Sciences was rated as being of international excellence.

 Established three academic flagship areas - health and rehabilitation, sustainable business, and culture and creativity - as a focus for future investment and development.

Our student numbers of buoyant.

In 2011 QMU became the first university in the UK to offer a UK degree delivered face-to-face in Nepal.

QMU’s focus on continuous improvement is reflected in year-on-year improvement in the National Student Survey score for student satisfaction overall from 78% to 83%.

In 2012 QMU’s Division of Business, Enterprise and Management launched Scotland’s first condensed Business Management honours degree. The three-year BA (Hons) degree started in September 2012.

IApex Hotels and QMU have a live centre of hospitality excellence. The initiative is providing QMU students on the BA (Hons) International Hospitality & Tourism Management Degree with an enhanced level of practical experience at the Apex European Hotel, Edinburgh.

In order to continue offering students the opportunity for broaden their horizons, QMU has initiated new exchange agreements with universities in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

93.8 of QMU graduates find employment or go on to further training within 6 months of graduating.

Winner of Outstanding Leadership and Management Team category of the Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards 2012.

In 2013 QMU became the first HE institution in the east of Scotland to host the Children’s University.

Shortlisted for collaborative partnership with Propeller Multimedia Ltd, a specialist speech software company, at the Interface Excellence Awards; named as one of the greenest universities in Scotland by the People & Planet Green League 2013.

QMU Student Services Team awarded the Matrix Quality Standard which assesses and measures the quality of advice and support services offered to individual students.

Student Facilities

The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) is a one-stop shop for the learning, teaching and research needs of students.

The LRC has 1,000 study spaces, most with IT. Its flexible modern learning spaces include social, group, quiet, silent and individual study areas.

In 2013, QMU’s Student Services team celebrating its achievement of the Matrix quality standard. Matrix, which is a national quality framework, promotes the delivery of high quality information, advice and guidance.

QMU is the first University in Scotland to have a Business Gateway located on campus. Run by East Lothian Council, part of the Gateway’s focus is on encouraging students and new graduates to develop as entrepreneurs.

In 2012, the Third Sector Internship Scheme, led by QMU, The Open University in Scotland and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, helped more than 120 university students provide invaluable support to over 100 community groups, charities, social enterprises and voluntary organisations. Students, who took up a variety of paid internship positions across Scotland, had the opportunity to develop their skills and employability whilst making a meaningful contribution to a third sector organisation.