UAL Term Dates 2026-2027: Important Dates and Deadlines

The University of the Arts London follows a three-term academic structure — Autumn, Spring, and Summer — across its six colleges: Central Saint Martins, London College of Fashion, London College of Communication, Chelsea College of Arts, Camberwell College of Arts, and Wimbledon College of Arts.

This page covers all UAL term dates for the 2026–2027 academic year in full, including undergraduate, postgraduate (12-month, 15-month, 2-year, and January start), pre-degree, UAL Online, and the temporary London College of Communication exception.

UAL Term Dates 2026–2027 at a Glance

The table below provides the core term dates for each student type. Full detail, including week counts, welcome week dates, and exceptions, follows in each dedicated section.

Note: LCC 15-month postgraduate students have separate term dates that differ from the standard UAL calendar. See the dedicated LCC section below.

The official UAL term dates PDF is available to download from arts.ac.uk/students/term-dates.

UAL Undergraduate Term Dates 2026–2027

UAL undergraduate term dates for 2026–2027 cover three terms across approximately 31 weeks of formal study, beginning with Welcome Week on Monday, September 21, 2026.

Autumn Term 2026 — Undergraduate

The UAL undergraduate Autumn term runs from Monday, September 28, 2026 to Friday, December 11, 2026, covering approximately 11 teaching weeks. Welcome Week begins on Monday, September 21, 2026 — one week before teaching commences.

Welcome Week is not a teaching week. It is a structured induction period that includes orientation events, the Arts Students’ Union (Arts SU) Welcome Fair, studio access sessions, and administrative enrolment activities. New undergraduate students are expected to arrive in London and complete all enrolment steps before Monday, September 28, 2026.

Key Autumn Term Dates — Undergraduate 2026

UAL is closed on all UK public bank holidays during term time. No bank holidays fall within the Autumn term window for 2026–2027, though students should confirm current dates via the UK government bank holidays page.

Spring Term 2027 — Undergraduate

The UAL undergraduate Spring term runs from Monday, January 11, 2027 to Friday, March 19, 2027, covering 10 weeks. Week 5 of Spring term is a designated academic break for undergraduate courses.

This is not a holiday. No timetabled teaching takes place during Week 5, but students are expected to continue independent project development, studio practice, and preparatory reading.

Week 5 of Spring term 2027 falls approximately in the second week of February 2027. This period functions as UAL’s equivalent of a reading week, though the university does not use that terminology officially.

The Spring term is a critical assessment-preparation period for most undergraduate programmes. Portfolio development, formative assessment submissions, and interim project reviews typically fall within this term.

Summer Term 2027 — Undergraduate

The UAL undergraduate Summer term runs from Monday, April 12, 2027 to Friday, June 18, 2027, covering 10 weeks. This is the most assessment-intensive term for undergraduate students, encompassing final project submissions, degree show preparation, and end-of-year exhibitions.

UAL graduation ceremonies for 2026–2027 graduates are scheduled for July 2027, following the end of Summer term on Friday, June 18, 2027. Confirmed ceremony dates and venues by college are published separately on the UAL graduation page at arts.ac.uk.

Good Friday and Easter Monday fall within or immediately before the Summer term window. UAL closes on both dates. Students should confirm the exact 2027 Easter dates via the official UK government bank holidays page.

UAL Postgraduate Term Dates 2026–2027

UAL postgraduate Welcome Week begins on Monday, September 14, 2026 — one week earlier than the undergraduate Welcome Week. Teaching for all September-start postgraduate programmes commences on Monday, September 21, 2026. This distinction is critical for postgraduate students planning travel, visa arrival, and accommodation.

The programme type determines which calendar applies. Postgraduate students at UAL follow one of four structures: 12-month full-time, 15-month full-time (with the LCC exception noted separately), 2-year extended full-time, or January start.

Postgraduate Full-Time 12-Month Term Dates 2026–2027

The 12-month postgraduate programme covers three terms, with a significantly extended Summer term that accommodates dissertation writing, major project completion, and final assessments.

The 23-week Summer term is the defining structural feature of the 12-month postgraduate calendar. This extended period reflects the research, production, and assessment demands of MA programmes at UAL.

It is substantially longer than the undergraduate Summer term, which ends on Friday, June 18, 2027 — a difference of approximately 13 weeks.

Welcome Week for 12-month postgraduate students begins on Monday, September 14, 2026.

Postgraduate Full-Time 15-Month Term Dates 2026–2027 (Excluding LCC)

The 15-month postgraduate programme spans four terms across two academic years. The dates below apply to all UAL colleges except London College of Communication, which operates under a temporary date variation. LCC 15-month PG students must refer to the dedicated LCC section below.

Welcome Week for 15-month postgraduate students begins on Monday, September 14, 2026.

Postgraduate Extended Full-Time 2-Year Term Dates 2026–2027

The 2-year extended postgraduate programme follows a modified calendar with a shorter Autumn term in 2026 compared to the 12-month and 15-month programmes.

Welcome Week for 2-year extended postgraduate students begins on Monday, September 14, 2026. Note that the Autumn term ends one week earlier than for 12-month and 15-month students — Friday, December 4, 2026 versus Friday, December 11, 2026.

Postgraduate January Start — Full-Time 2027

January-start full-time postgraduate students follow a single continuous study period from Monday, January 11, 2027 to Friday, December 3, 2027 — 45 weeks in total, inclusive of 2 weeks of vacation time.

This programme does not follow the standard three-term structure in the same way as September-start postgraduate courses. January-start students do not have the Autumn 2026 term and begin their programme mid-year.

This calendar is distinct from the standard UAL academic year and is not interchangeable with the September-start postgraduate calendar.

LCC Term Dates 2026–2027 — Important Exception for 15-Month Postgraduate Students

London College of Communication (LCC) 15-month postgraduate taught students have term dates that differ from the standard UAL calendar as a temporary measure during the college’s transition to a new building. This is the only college-level exception to the standard UAL term dates structure for 2026–2027.

Students on LCC 15-month postgraduate taught courses who apply the standard 15-month PG calendar to their planning will have incorrect dates for both Summer 2027 and Autumn 2027.

LCC 15-Month Postgraduate Term Dates 2026–2027 (Temporary Variation)

September 2026 to June 2027

From September 2026 to June 2027, LCC 15-month postgraduate taught students study in the current LCC building. The standard term structure applies for Autumn 2026 and Spring 2027. The final week of the Summer 2027 term — Monday, June 28, 2027 to Friday, July 2, 2027 — will be delivered online, not on-site.

Autumn 2027 — Final Term (New LCC Building)

The final term for LCC 15-month postgraduate students takes place in the new LCC building. This term runs from Sunday, October 4, 2027 to Thursday, December 17, 2027. This start date is later than the standard UAL 15-month postgraduate Autumn 2027 term, which begins on Monday, September 13, 2027 — a difference of approximately three weeks.

Students unsure whether this exception applies to their specific course should contact their LCC course administrator directly or refer to their course handbook.

UAL Pre-Degree and Foundation Term Dates 2026–2027

UAL pre-degree students follow a different academic calendar from undergraduate and postgraduate students. The UAL School of Pre-Degree Studies oversees these programmes.

The calendar below applies to Level 3 Foundation courses, International Introduction programmes, UAL Pre-Degree Online, and Level 4 Certificate HE courses — each of which has distinct start and end dates.

Applying the undergraduate calendar to a pre-degree programme will result in incorrect dates, particularly for the Autumn term start and the Spring term start.

Level 3 Foundation Courses — Term Dates 2026–2027

The following dates apply to the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, the International Introduction to the Study of Fashion, and the International Introduction to the Study of Design Media and Screen.

Level 3 Foundation students begin the Autumn term two weeks earlier than undergraduates — Monday, September 14, 2026 versus Monday, September 28, 2026.

Spring term also starts one week earlier, on Monday, January 4, 2027, compared to Monday, January 11, 2027 for undergraduates.

The Summer term ends on Friday, June 4, 2027, which is two weeks earlier than the undergraduate end date of Friday, June 18, 2027.

UAL Pre-Degree Online — Term Dates 2026–2027

The UAL Pre-Degree Online Autumn term begins on Monday, November 16, 2026 — significantly later than any other UAL programme.

This is the most important distinction for UAL Pre-Degree Online students: the Autumn term is approximately nine weeks shorter than the on-campus Level 3 Foundation Autumn term.

Spring term for the online pre-degree also ends later, on Thursday, March 25, 2027, compared to Friday, March 19, 2027 for all other student types.

Level 4 Cert HE — Term Dates 2026–2027

The following dates apply to the Cert HE Preparation for Design, Media and Screen and the International Preparation for Fashion (Cert HE).

Level 4 Cert HE term dates align with the standard undergraduate calendar, including the Week 5 academic break in Spring term. These students do not follow the earlier September 14, 2026 start date used by Level 3 Foundation courses.

UAL Online Term Dates and Teaching Blocks 2026–2027

UAL Online operates on a teaching block system, not the traditional three-term structure used by on-campus UAL programmes. There are three teaching blocks per year, starting in September, January, and May.

Break periods fall between each teaching block. UAL closes on UK public holiday dates, and student support teams are unavailable on those days.

This structure is fundamentally different from on-campus programmes. UAL Online students do not have Autumn, Spring, or Summer terms in the conventional sense.

UAL Online Teaching Blocks 2026–2027

UAL Online Assessment Submission Dates 2026–2027

Assessments at UAL Online are submitted in the final week of each teaching block. Exact submission dates are confirmed within each student’s unit on the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment). The submission windows below are when submission dates will ordinarily be set.

Assessment results are released in two stages. Provisional Results are preliminary grades issued shortly after assessments are completed, before the next unit begins.

They are subject to review and not yet final. Ratified Results are the official, permanently confirmed grades, released after teaching has started on the next unit.

Ratified results are used for progression, graduation, and qualification purposes. Students receive email notification when grades are published and can view them in the UAL Portal.

UAL Online Unit Selection and Payment Deadlines 2026–2027

UAL Online Enrolment Deadlines 2026–2027

Students can view confirmed unit start dates through the UAL Online Student Centre. Grades are accessible via the UAL Portal at ualportal.arts.ac.uk.

Does UAL Have a Reading Week?

UAL does not formally designate a reading week, but undergraduate students have a designated academic break in Week 5 of the Spring term. For 2026–2027, this falls in approximately the second week of February 2027. No timetabled teaching takes place during this week. Students are expected to continue independent study, studio practice, and project development.

This academic break also applies to Level 4 Cert HE students in Spring term 2027.

Postgraduate students on 12-month, 15-month, and 2-year extended programmes do not have the same mid-term break. Their schedules are more continuous — particularly 12-month postgraduate students, whose Summer term runs from Monday, April 12, 2027 to Friday, September 17, 2027 with no equivalent mid-block break.

UAL Online students do not have a reading week within teaching blocks. Structured break periods occur between blocks, not within them.

UAL Bank Holidays and University Closure Dates 2026–2027

UAL closes on all UK public bank holidays. Staff and student support teams are unavailable on these dates, and this applies to both on-campus programmes and UAL Online.

The following UK bank holidays fall within or adjacent to UAL term time for 2026–2027:

Students should confirm exact 2027 bank holiday dates via the official UK government bank holidays page at gov.uk/bank-holidays, as dates are subject to government announcement.

UAL Term Dates by College — Are They All the Same?

For the vast majority of students, UAL term dates are identical across all six colleges. The standard undergraduate and postgraduate calendars published on arts.ac.uk apply to Central Saint Martins (CSM), London College of Fashion (LCF), London College of Communication (LCC), Chelsea College of Arts, Camberwell College of Arts, and Wimbledon College of Arts.

The LCC Exception

The only significant college-level exception is London College of Communication for 15-month postgraduate taught courses. All other programmes at LCC, including undergraduate and 12-month postgraduate, follow the standard UAL calendar. The LCC exception is temporary and specific to the building transition period. Full details are provided in the LCC section above.

Course-Level Variations

Some short courses, professional development programmes, and specialist modules within individual UAL colleges may operate on schedules that differ from the standard academic calendar. These are not published on the central UAL term dates page. Students on these programmes should confirm dates through their course handbook or college course administrator.

For standard BA (Hons), MA, and Foundation programmes, the dates in this guide apply regardless of which UAL college the student attends.

UAL Study Abroad Term Dates 2026–2027

Study abroad students at UAL — including those on the UAL Integrated Programme and through partner institutions such as Cornell, Arcadia, and SAF — typically follow slightly different dates from direct-enrol students. Mandatory orientation weeks and programme-specific induction requirements affect arrival timelines.

Autumn Semester Study Abroad 2026

The Autumn semester for study abroad students generally runs from mid-September 2026 to early December 2026. Students are typically required to arrive in London during the second week of September 2026 at the latest, in advance of orientation. This predates even the postgraduate Welcome Week beginning Monday, September 14, 2026.

Spring Semester Study Abroad 2027

The Spring semester generally runs from mid-January 2027 to late April or mid-June 2027, depending on the partner programme structure. Application deadlines and fee payment deadlines are published separately on the UAL Study Abroad dates and deadlines page at arts.ac.uk/study-at-ual/study-abroad/dates-deadlines-and-fees.

Study abroad students can join programmes at Central Saint Martins, London College of Communication, and London College of Fashion on bespoke 13-week semester programmes or 3–8 week summer programmes. Confirmed 2026–2027 application deadlines and programme fees are available on the official UAL Study Abroad page.

Frequently Asked Questions About UAL Term Dates 2026–2027

How to Stay Organised Around UAL Term Dates

The personalised student timetable — including specific lecture times, studio sessions, and seminar slots — is accessible through the UAL student portal at ualportal.arts.ac.uk.

This timetable is distinct from the academic calendar and is not published in the same location as term dates.

UAL Online students find their unit-specific assessment submission dates within each unit in the VLE, not on the central term dates page.

Submission dates are confirmed per unit and may vary. Students should check the VLE at the start of each teaching block.

The Arts Students’ Union (Arts SU) website and official social channels publish Welcome Fair dates, college-specific student events, and supplementary academic information that complements the official term calendar.

The UAL course handbook is the definitive document for any programme-specific variation from the dates on this page.

Students with queries about dates that apply to their specific course should contact their course administrator or academic advisor directly.

UAL communicates key date updates and reminders through official email and the student portal throughout the academic year.