Kieran McNulty and Edmund Heaphy
The fifth QS University Rankings by Subject, released today, place Trinity in the top 50 universities in the world for five subjects areas – in English, Politics, History, Biology and Modern Languages.
While English Language and Literature has fallen seven places, from 25 to 32, it is still Trinity’s highest ranked subject. Politics & International Studies has risen 13 places to 33, and History has risen nine places to 39, while Biological Sciences enters the top 50 for the first time, at 48.
Rising and Falling
| Subject | 2014 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 25 | 32 | –7 |
| Politics | 46 | 33 | +13 |
| History | 48 | 39 | +9 |
| Biology | 51–100 | 48 | Enters Top 50 |
| Modern Languages | 42 | 49 | –7 |
| Chemistry | 101–150 | 51–100 | Enters Top 100 |
| Computer Science | 101–150 | 51–100 | Enters Top 100 |
| Education | 101–150 | 51–100 | Enters Top 100 |
| Geography | 51–100 | 51–100 | Top 100 |
| Law | 51–100 | 51–100 | Top 100 |
| Medicine | 51–100 | 51–100 | Top 100 |
| Pharmacy | 51–100 | 51–100 | Top 100 |
| Philosophy | 101–150 | 51–100 | Enters Top 100 |
| Psychology | 51–100 | 51–100 | Top 100 |
| Accounting & Finance | 51–100 | 101–150 | Leaves Top 100 |
| Business & Management | – | 101–150 | Top 150 |
| Economics | 51–100 | 101–150 | Leaves Top 100 |
| Sociology | 101–150 | 101–150 | Top 150 |
| Linguistics | 101–150 | 101–150 | Top 150 |
| Civil Engineering | 151–200 | 151–200 | Top 200 |
| Electrical Engineering | 151–200 | 151–200 | Top 200 |
| Environmental Science | 101–150 | 151–200 | Leaves Top 150 |
| Mathematics | – | 151–200 | Enters Top 200 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 151–200 | 151–200 | Top 200 |
| Physics & Astronomy | 101–150 | 151–200 | Leaves Top 150 |
Chemistry, Computer Science & Information Systems, Education and Philosophy all re-enter the top 100 this year, after falling out of it over the past two years. In 2011, Trinity was ranked 36th in the world for Chemistry.
Geography, Law, Medicine, Pharmacy & Pharmacology, and Psychology all remain in the top 100. Accounting & Finance and Business both have left the top 100, while Physics & Astronomy, a subject that was ranked 49th in 2011, falls out of the top 150. Mathematics, which has only ranked on the list once before, enters the top 200.
Overall, these results once again place Trinity as Ireland’s leading university. Three other Irish universities feature in the top 50, with University College Cork placing 49th for Pharmacy & Pharmacology. University College Dublin is placed 40th for Veterinary Science and 45th for Development Studies. The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) is a new entrant and is placed in the top 100 institutions for Art and Design, a new subject in the rankings.
Commenting on the rankings, the Dean and Vice President of Research, Professor Vinny Cahill, said: “This achievement is a testimony to our globally competitive research and to our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of teaching. Trinity’s strong performance in these subjects reflects the quality students that Trinity attracts and the commitment of its staff to their education. It is particularly important that employers as well as academics were consulted for these rankings, demonstrating how well-regarded Trinity graduates are by employers worldwide.”
Worldwide, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ranks first in 11 subjects, while Harvard ranks first in 10. The next best institution in terms of top subjects are University of California, Davis and Oxford University, both with two top subjects.
In September, in its overall top university rankings, QS ranked Trinity 71st in the world.
QS states that the expert opinions of 85,062 academics and 41,910 employers informed the results, alongside the analysis of 17.3 million research papers and over 100 million citations.
Photo by Lisa Nally for The University Times
