Some universities have a one-week holiday between the lectures and the finals for the students to prepare better. The finals generally last for 2 weeks, and the winter break begins right after the end of the finals. Some universities offer make-up exams for those who couldn’t attend the finals, and they may take place during the winter break or during the summer holiday. The winter break is a holiday of two weeks but the duration of it can be longer as there is also a week of electing the courses between the break and the lectures. After the course electing week, the spring term begins towards the end of February. The same 14 weeks period takes place this semester as well before the finals. After another two weeks of the final examination, the summer holiday starts at about the beginning of June. While most universities follow this pattern, some universities start their autumn term later than the others, around the beginning of October, stretching the academic year well into July.

Highlights

  • Courses in autumn and spring.
  • A free summer most of the time.
  • Official winter breaks of two weeks that are in fact longer.
  • Free weeks before the final exams.
  • Usually a compatible calendar with other universities.

Most of your year is planned for you!

Each university in Turkey has three and a half weeks of lecturing period in one semester. Even though a glance on the academic calendar makes a student think that it is a packed calendar which can be overwhelming, they will see that the terms end in the blink of an eye. There are two semesters in an academic year, and each term has a final exam period outside of the lecturing time. While the academic calendar is prepared by the university authorities, the lecturers have the freedom in arranging their lectures within the calendar. For example, Turkey has seven national holidays during the study period between September and June, and the lecturer can have a make-up session for the course day that coincides with the holiday. 

Generally, all universities follow similar patterns for their academic calendars: courses start in the middle or towards the end of September, and the term lasts for 14 weeks. These 14 weeks are used for lectures and midterms, and they are followed by a finals week that can last two weeks. Winter break begins right after the finals which also lasts for two weeks. The spring term follows the winter break in the same pattern as the autumn, and the summer holiday begins roughly around June. Through such a calendar, you are able to see witness Turkey’s 3 seasons that cannot compete in their beauty as each is spectacular

Frequently Asked Question

When do the academic calendars begin in universities in Turkey?
The academic year begins in the middle of September, but some universities have a late start as far as October. The spring term generally begins towards the end of February.
When do the academic calendars end in universities in Turkey?
The academic year ends around June, but it is up to the university’s beginning of the academic year whether it ends at the beginning or towards the end of June.
How many terms do universities have in their academic calendars in Turkey?
The academic calendar is divided into two terms of equal length, the autumn semester and the spring semester.