The Coventry University academic teaching year is composed of three 16 week-long teaching blocks, running from early October to mid January, mid January to early May and early May to late August. Typically the academic year starts in the September of a calendar year but it can also start at other times as well. Some course follow different academic years e.g. NHS courses. Please check with your school.
Teaching blocks are composed of teaching, study break and assessment / examination weeks; dates of these may vary according to which programme you are enrolled on. Some undergraduate and postgraduate courses operate a “semester style” of delivery composed of 11 teaching, 2 assessment and 3 study weeks per single teaching block. Other courses operate a “long-thin style” delivery, composed of e.g. 24 teaching, 2-4 assessment and 6 study weeks per double teaching block.
You will be advised of the dates during the admissions process or by your Faculty/School once you are here.
Term and semester dates 2018/19
Semesterised undergraduate courses (all faculties)
| Semesterised postgraduate courses (all faculties) |
| |
Start (new students) |
Start (returning students) |
Study break |
End of semester |
| Semester 1 |
24 September 2018 |
1 October 2018 |
17 December 2018 to 4 January 2019 |
19 January 2019 |
| Semester 2 |
21 January 2019 |
6 April to 26 April 2019 |
11 May 2019** |
| Semester 3 |
13 May 2019 |
29 July to 16 August 2019 |
21 September 2019 |
**No exams on Bank Holiday Monday 6 May 2019.
Further information
There is no formal teaching during the study breaks. Staff and students can use these for holiday, study and assessment or preparation. Note that there are no study break weeks in November or February.
Autumn dates include the welcome or induction week for new students. Returning students start one week later.
Summer dates include years where the teaching block commences immediately after Easter Sunday. In these cases, the date given for the start of term is the first day the University opens after the holiday period.
The dates given refer to weeks running Monday to Friday (inclusive) but may differ when public holidays mean that the University is closed. The stated dates may be subject to alteration in the light of any subsequent developments affecting the academic year as a result of government policy or other considerations.