The Durban University of Technology (DUT) approved its 2027 term dates and skeletal academic calendar in September 2026. Senate approved them on 2 September and Council ratified them on 19 September. DUT published the document on its website in October 2026. It covers the four terms, the registration windows, lecture periods, examinations and graduation ceremonies. This page puts the 2027 dates in plain language, as checked on 5 November 2026.
Terms and the start of the year
- University re-opens: Monday 4 January 2027
- Term 1: 8 February to 25 March 2027
- Term 2: 5 April to 18 June 2027
- Term 3: 12 July to 17 September 2027
- Term 4: 27 September to 17 December 2027
Terms 1 and 2 together form the first semester, and terms 3 and 4 form the second. Annual programmes run through all four terms.
Registration in 2027
- New and returning undergraduates: 11 January to 5 February 2027, four weeks
- Coursework master's students: 11 January to 5 February, with late registration from 8 to 19 February
- New full-research master's and doctoral students: 11 January to 30 July 2027
- Returning full-research students: 11 January to 5 February 2027
Lectures and examinations
- First semester lectures: 8 February to 25 May, 69 days
- Annual lectures: 8 February to 28 September, 137 days
- Second semester lectures: 12 July to 13 October, 62 days
- First semester main examinations: 31 May to 15 June, after a study period from 26 to 30 May
- Second semester main examinations: 19 October to 4 November, after a study period from 14 to 18 October
- Annual main examinations: 4 to 18 October
Supplementary examinations for the first semester run from 5 to 12 July, for annual modules from 15 to 19 November, and for the second semester from 24 November to 1 December 2027. DUT will not schedule an examination on Yom Kippur (11 October) or Diwali (28 October).
Results and graduation
DUT publishes first-semester main results on 2 July and second-semester main results on 30 November 2027. Autumn graduation runs in May: Midlands from 3 to 5 May and Durban from 10 to 20 May. Spring graduation in Durban takes place on 15 and 16 September. The university is closed from 20 to 31 December 2027.
How DUT works out its lecture days
The skeletal calendar comes with annexures that show how the dates were built. DUT plans for about fourteen weeks of lectures and practicals in each semester. It then subtracts the mid-semester vacation, a five-day study period for students and the examination days, and what remains is the number of lecture days. A second annexure lists public holidays and religious days, and a third gives the dates for changing modules or programmes after registration.
What this means for you
DUT's second semester has fewer lecture days than its first, at 62 against 69, so the pace is faster after the winter break. Register as soon as your window opens, and pay what your faculty requires so that your funder can confirm your place. Read how to apply to DUT, the DUT fees page and DUT bursaries next.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the DUT academic year start in 2027?
The university re-opens on 4 January, and Term 1 starts on 8 February 2027.
When does DUT registration run for undergraduates?
From 11 January to 5 February 2027.
When are the DUT second semester exams in 2027?
The main examinations run from 19 October to 4 November 2027.
When does DUT close at the end of 2027?
The university closes from 20 to 31 December 2027.