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An academic term is a division of a school year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called 'terms', 'semesters', 'quarters', or 'trimesters', depending on the institution and the country.
A semester typically lasts between 15 and 18 weeks. Institutions often have two semesters (spring and autumn or fall) in an academic year, with the possibility of a summer semester as well. A quarter (or trimester) lasts between eight and 12 weeks, and there are typically three (autumn, winter and spring) per year, again with the possibility of a summer quarter. Given the etymology of semester and trimester, it is odd that academic institutions have three semesters, rather than three trimesters. In between term times the students are on school holiday.
A term associated with the academic term is the academic year. The Academic year is a period of time which schools, colleges and universities use to measure a quantity of study. Generally, in an academic year, a student must complete a set number of semester hours. Academic years vary from school to school and even from educational program to educational program at the same institution.
Australia and New Zealand
In most of Australia and New Zealand, the school year lasts from January to December, and is split into four terms. The exact dates vary from year to year, as well as between states, and for public and private school. In Tasmania, the school year is split in to three terms, the first one being the longest and including an extended Easter holiday.
Australian universities have two semesters a year, between February and November.
Brazil
In Brazil, schools open on the first two weeks of February, rarely on first Monday in March and ends in late November.
Canada
Generally in Canada, high schools run on a two-semster arrangement, starting in September running until June. There are a few school boards in Canada experimenting with a year schooling. Universities usually run from early September until the end of April or early May.
Czech Republic
In the elementary and high schools in the Czech Republic, the school year usually runs from 1st of September to 30th of June of the next year.
India
In the elementary and high schools in India the school year is usually from July to March, while in universities generally it is from July to April.
Japan
In Japan, almost all schools run a three-term school year. Most schools have a first term from April 1 to mid-July. The exact date of the beginning of the summer break and its duration vary across regions, but commonly the break lasts nearly two months. The break originated to avoid the heat in summer, so elementary and middle schools in Hokkaido tend to have a shorter summer break than the rest of Japan. A second term lasts from early September to late December with a winter break at the end of the year. The term is followed by a third term from early January to early March and a brief spring break lasting several weeks. The graduation ceremony occurs in March, and the enrollment ceremony in early April.
Some universities and colleges accept students in September to let those students from other semester systems enroll. A few colleges have begun experimenting with having two semesters instead of the traditional three with the break between two semesters in summer.
Thailand
There are two semesters in Thai academic year with an optional summer semester. From kindergarten to high school the first semester opens from mid May and continues until the end of September. The second semester lasts from November until end of February (or early March). The university academic year is slightly different, lasting from June to October and mid November to mid March.
United Kingdom
In the UK, an academic year — particularly in universities — usually runs from October of one year through to June or July of the following year, with the time split up into three terms. Most primary and secondary schools open on the first Monday of September and ends on the 2nd Friday of July.
Most schools run a three-term school year. They usually have a break half way through (half-term) and are structured as:
- Autumn term: September to December (half-term, October)
- Spring term: January to March (half-term, February)
- Summer term: April to July (half-term, June)
The time between the end of school and the start of the next academic year is known as the summer holiday or, as was the traditional length of the break, the six-week holiday. Some counties and schools have recently experimented with different school year arrangements with the general idea of having shorter blocks of both school and non-school time.
In Scotland, school begins in late August, and ends around late June, usually from the third Monday in August to the last Friday in June.
Most universities run 10-week Autumn, Spring and Summer terms, though some use different names or a semester system:
- Oxford: Michaelmas, Hilary, Trinity (8-week terms)
- Cambridge: Michaelmas, Lent, Easter (8-week terms)
- London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE): Michaelmas, Lent, Summer
- University College London (UCL): First, Second, Third
- King's College London: Autumn, Spring
- St Andrews: Martinmas, Candlemas
United States
In the United States, a school's academic year usually consists of a fall and spring semester. The year usually begins around Labor Day and depending on the school, ends in late May or by the middle of June generally lasting 180 days.
Generally the United States runs on a two-semester arrangement, although in some states (particularly western ones) three-term trimesters are the dominant method.
See also
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