The University Year in Durham: Terms, Freshers and Graduation

More than almost any city its size, Durham lives by the university calendar. Knowing the shape of the academic year explains why the place can feel so different from one month to the next.

Three terms

Durham University's year is divided into three terms: Michaelmas in the autumn, Epiphany in the winter, and Easter in the summer. Michaelmas and Epiphany each run around ten weeks and Easter about nine, and all three start on a Monday. As a rough guide, Michaelmas runs from early October to mid-December, Epiphany from early January to mid-March, and Easter from around mid-April to mid-June, though the exact dates change every year, so always check the university's official term-dates page.

Freshers and the start of the year

The year really begins with Welcome Week, still widely known as Freshers' Week, when new students arrive in late September ahead of the start of teaching in early October. Colleges give each new student an arrival slot, usually on the weekend beforehand, and the week is a whirl of introductions, college events and settling in before lectures start.

Exams, then quiet

Easter term ends in mid-June, after the exam period, and most students then leave for the long summer vacation until October. This is when Durham is at its quietest: the bars empty, the riverside paths belong to residents again, and the city catches its breath.

Graduation in the cathedral

Durham's graduation ceremonies, called Congregation, are held inside Durham Cathedral, which must be one of the most spectacular places in the country to collect a degree. There are two rounds each year, a large Summer Congregation over several days in early July and a smaller Winter Congregation in January. Summer Congregation is a major event for the city, with thousands of graduates and their families filling the peninsula in gowns and finery. If you are visiting in early July, expect the centre to be busy and celebratory.

For the wider picture of student life here, see our student's guide to Durham.