Semester dates 2019/20
Semester and vacation dates for the 2019/20 year are given below.
Undergraduate students
| Semester 1 | 16 September 2019 - 20 December 2019 |
| Christmas vacation | 23 December 2019 - 10 January 2020 |
| Semester 2 | 13 January 2020 - 03 April 2020 |
| Spring vacation | 06 April 2020 - 17 April 2020 |
| Semester 2 resumes | 20 April 2020 - 22 May 2020 |
| Summer vacation | 25 May 2020 - 18 September 2020 |
Postgraduate taught students
Students on full-time postgraduate taught programmes usually study for a full calendar year.
| Semester 1 | 16 September 2019 - 20 December 2019 |
| Christmas vacation | 23 December 2019 - 10 January 2020 |
| Semester 2 | 13 January 2020 - 03 April 2020 |
| Spring vacation | 06 April 2020 - 17 April 2020 |
| Semester 2 resumes | 25 May 2020 - 18 September 2020 |
Research Postgraduate Students
Postgraduate research (e.g. PhD) students do not have standard defined vacation periods. A student can request leave from their studies in the form of a holiday based on their own research timescales. This period does not usually exceed 60 days in any one period and is only granted if it does not interrupt their ability to complete their studies within the statutory period.
The University of Edinburgh does not stipulate fixed periods of annual leave allowance for postgraduate research students. It is normally expected that a student takes no more than 6 weeks as holiday in any given year of their studies.