Semester dates 2020/21
Semester and vacation dates for the 2020/21 year are given below.
Undergraduate students
| Semester 1 | 14th September 2020- 21st December 2020 |
| Christmas vacation | 22nd December 2020 - 10th January 2021 |
| Semester 2 | 11th January 2021 - 2nd April 2021 |
| Spring vacation | 3rd April 2021 - 18th April 2021 |
| Semester 2 resumes | 19th April 2021 - 21st May 2021 |
| Summer vacation | 22nd May 2021 - 19th September 2021 |
Postgraduate taught students
Students on full-time postgraduate taught programmes usually study for a full calendar year.
| Semester 1 | 14th September 2020- 21st December 2020 |
| Christmas vacation | 22nd December 2020 - 10th January 2021 |
| Semester 2 | 11th January 2021 - 2nd April 2021 |
| Spring vacation | 3rd April 2021 - 18th April 2021 |
| Semester 2 resumes | 19th April 2021 - 31st August 2021 |
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