The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) calls its calendar "sessional dates." The Registrar publishes a week-by-week table for each year, and the 2027 table is now on its website. UKZN teaches in two semesters, and its dates cover the Howard College, Westville and Pietermaritzburg campuses. The School of Education and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences have their own tabs. This page summarises the main-campus dates, checked on 5 November 2026.
Before the first semester
- University opens: Monday 4 January 2027
- Remote online registration for first-time entering students, with orientation: 1 to 6 February 2027
- Deadline to pay the minimum fee needed for registration: Friday 5 February 2027
First semester
- Lectures start: Monday 8 February 2027
- Easter vacation and student mid-term break: 26 March to 5 April 2027
- Lectures end for modules with sit-down examinations: Tuesday 18 May 2027
- Main examinations: from Monday 24 May to Tuesday 8 June 2027
- Supplementary examinations: 17 to 24 June 2027
- First semester ends for all students: Thursday 24 June 2027
- Residences vacated by 16:00: 25 June 2027
Winter vacation and second semester
- Winter vacation: 25 June to 18 July 2027
- Second semester starts: Monday 19 July 2027
- Student mid-term break: 18 to 26 September 2027
- Main examinations: 1 to 16 November 2027
- Supplementary examinations: 23 to 30 November 2027
- Second semester ends for all students: Tuesday 30 November 2027
- Residences vacated by 16:00: Wednesday 1 December 2027
Teaching days and study leave
For modules with sit-down examinations, UKZN counts 64 teaching days in the first semester and 66 in the second. It also gives five days of study leave and fourteen days of main examinations, followed by seven days of supplementary examinations. Modules taught online, or assessed through continuous assessment, keep going after lectures end for the others, so some students finish their semester later than their classmates.
Admin dates inside the table
The Registrar's table is long because it also lists administrative deadlines. Undergraduate students who need to apply for readmission into the second semester must submit their applications by Friday 25 June 2027. The table also lists a deadline for withdrawing from a module in each semester, and a date for applying for re-marks after the examinations. A dedicated online Parents Day is pencilled in for Saturday 30 January 2027, although UKZN marks it as to be confirmed. Read the full table on the Registrar's page if one of these deadlines affects you.
Other campuses and schools
The School of Education runs its first semester from 8 February to 24 June, with an Easter vacation from 26 March to 5 April and a winter vacation from 25 June to 18 July. Its second semester runs from 19 July to 30 November. The School of Medicine and School of Health Sciences publish separate dates, so applicants for those programmes should read their own tab.
How to use the dates
Pay attention to the registration and minimum-fee dates, because late payment can hold up your registration. Residence students must leave by the dates above. See how to apply to UKZN, the UKZN fees page and UKZN bursaries for the funding side.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the UKZN first semester start in 2027?
Lectures start on Monday 8 February 2027.
When is the UKZN winter vacation in 2027?
From 25 June to 18 July 2027, and the second semester starts on 19 July.
When does the UKZN 2027 year end?
The second semester ends for all students on 30 November 2027.
Do all UKZN schools use the same dates?
No. Education and Medicine and Health Sciences have their own tabs on the Registrar's page.