University of Pretoria Academic Calendar

The University of Pretoria (UP) publishes a main-dates calendar for each year, and the 2027 version is marked "Amended" on the UP calendar server. UP teaches in quarters, and it groups them into two semesters. Some modules run for a quarter, some for a semester and some for the whole year, so the calendar shows both. This page summarises the 2027 main dates, as checked on 5 November 2026.

Start of the year

• Academic year starts: 4 January 2027, when online registration for senior students opens
• Welcome Day: 30 January 2027, with the closing date for new first-year registration
• First-year orientation: 1 to 5 February 2027
• Lectures begin: 8 February 2027, for the first quarter and the first semester
• Last day of registration for the first semester: 19 February 2027

First semester

• First quarter ends: 5 April 2027
• Second quarter starts: 6 April 2027
• March recess: 21 to 29 March 2027
• Lectures end for the semester: 26 May 2027
• Examinations: 29 May to 17 June 2027
• Supplementary examinations: 21 to 26 June 2027
• July recess: 27 June to 18 July 2027

Second semester

• Lectures start: 19 July 2027, for the third quarter and the second semester
• Third quarter ends: 6 September 2027
• Fourth quarter starts: 7 September 2027
• September recess: 16 to 26 September 2027
• Lectures end: 4 November 2027
• Examinations: 6 to 24 November 2027
• Supplementary examinations: 29 November to 4 December 2027
• End of the academic year: 4 December 2027

Winter school, graduation and other dates

UP runs a Summer School from 4 to 16 January and a Winter School from 28 June to 10 July. Autumn graduation runs from 28 April to 28 May, and spring graduation from 30 August to 3 September. The university closes at 10:00 on 23 December 2027.

Test weeks and cooling-off periods

UP schedules test weeks in March, April and May for the first semester, and in August and October for the second. During test weeks and examinations it bans non-academic student activities, which it calls a cooling-off period. Plan society events and sport around those weeks.

Quarters, semesters and year modules

Each quarter is about seven to eight weeks long. The first quarter ends on 5 April and the third on 6 September, while the second and fourth quarters end together with the semesters, on 26 May and 4 November. A quarter module finishes at the end of its quarter, a semester module runs for two quarters, and a year module runs through both semesters. This means that not every module of yours is assessed at the same time, and your assessment dates depend on which pattern each module follows. Check your module codes on the faculty timetable so you know which pattern applies to each module, and keep that in mind when a funder asks for results.

Planning tips

Register before the closing dates, because UP does not allow registration for a quarter or semester after the first two weeks of lectures. If you are applying, see how to apply to UP, the UP fees page and UP bursaries. The calendar says it may be amended, so check it again before major commitments.