Semester dates 2021/22
Semester and vacation dates for the 2021/22 year are given below.
Undergraduate students
| Semester 1 | 13th September 2021- 21st December 2021 |
| Christmas vacation | 22nd December 2021 - 16th January 2022 |
| Semester 2 | 17th January 2022 - 8th April 2022 |
| Spring vacation | 11th April 2022 - 22nd April 2022 |
| Semester 2 resumes | 25th April 2022 - 27th May 2022 |
| Summer vacation | 30th May 2022 - 19th September 2022 |
Postgraduate taught students
Students on full-time postgraduate taught programmes usually study for a full calendar year.
| Semester 1 | 13th September 2021- 21st December 2021 |
| Christmas vacation | 22nd December 2021 - 16th January 2022 |
| Semester 2 | 17th January 2022 - 8th April 2022 |
| Spring vacation | 11th April 2022 - 22nd April 2022 |
| Semester 2 resumes | 25th April 2022 - 31st August 2022 |
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 8 weeks as holiday in any given year of their studies