Academic calendar
Academic calendar 2026/27
Academic calendar
| 2026/27 | Start date | End date |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome Week | 21 September 2026 | 25 September 2026 |
| Semester 1 | 28 September 2026 | 17 January 2027 |
| Reading Week | 2 November 2026 | 8 November 2026 |
| Revision and assessments | 4 January 2027 | 15 January 2027 |
| Semester 2 | 18 January 2027 | 30 May 2027 |
| Reading Week | 22 February 2027 | 28 February 2027 |
| Revision and assessments | 26 April 2027 | 28 May 2027 |
| Summer Dissertation period (PGT students only) | 31 May 2027 | 17 September 2027 |
Break periods
| 2026/27 | Start date | End date |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas | 14 December 2026 | 3 January 2027 |
| Easter | 22 March 2027 | 11 April 2027 |
| Summer (except for PGT and PGR Students) | 31 May 2027 | 17 September 2027 |
University closure days (incl. Bank Holidays)
| 2026/27 | Closure days |
|---|---|
| Thursday 24 December | Closure day |
| Friday 25 December | Christmas Day (Bank Holiday) |
| Monday 28 December | Boxing Day (Substitute Bank Holiday) |
| Tuesday 29 December | Closure day |
| Wednesday 30 December | Closure day |
| Thursday 31 December | Closure day |
| Friday 01 January | New Year’s Day (Bank Holiday) |
| Thursday 25 March | Closure day |
| Friday 26 March | Good Friday (Bank Holiday) |
| Monday 29 March | Easter Monday (Bank Holiday) |
Academic calendar 2027/28
Academic calendar
| 2027/28 | Start date | End date |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome Week | 20 September 2027 | 24 September 2027 |
| Semester 1 | 27 September 2027 | 16 January 2028 |
| Reading Week | 1 November 2027 | 7 November 2027 |
| Revision and assessments | 3 January 2028 | 14 January 2028 |
| Semester 2 | 17 January 2028 | 28 May 2028 |
| Reading Week | 21 February 2028 | 27 February 2028 |
| Revision and assessments | 24 April 2028 | 26 May 2028 |
Break periods
| 2027/28 | Start date | End date |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas | 13 December 2027 | 2 January 2028 |
| Easter | 3 April 2028 | 23 April 2028 |
University closure days (incl. Bank Holidays)
| 2027/28 | Closure days |
|---|---|
| Friday 24 December | Closure day |
| Monday 27 December | Christmas Day (Substitute Bank Holiday) |
| Tuesday 28 December | Boxing Day (Substitute Bank Holiday) |
| Wednesday 29 December | Closure day |
| Thursday 30 December | Closure day |
| Friday 31 December | Closure day |
| Monday 03 January | New Year’s Day (Substitute Bank Holiday) |
| Thursday 13 April | Closure day |
| Friday 14 April | Good Friday (Bank Holiday) |
| Monday 17 April | Easter Monday (Bank Holiday) |
Postgraduate and research dates
Postgraduate taught students
Masters students are expected to work on their dissertation throughout the summer – for these students, the period between the end of semester 2 and the programme end date is not classed as a vacation and is considered term time.
Postgraduate research students
Research degrees at SOAS are continuous, year-long programmes. Enrolment runs from the first day of the academic session in September until the day before the next academic session begins the following September.
While the school refers to academic semesters and calendar years for administrative purposes, research students are expected to engage in their studies throughout the entire academic year. This includes the summer period, which is considered an active and integral part of your research programme, regardless of the taught course academic calendar.