Academic calendar
The academic year officially commences on 1 September and ends on 31 August. On national holidays and compulsory closure dates, the university is closed and no lectures take place.
Academic calendar
The academic calendar applies to the whole university and to all study programmes, with the exception of medicine.
- Academic calendar 2019-2020
- Academic calendar 2020-2021
- Academic calendar 2021-2022
- Academic calendar 2022-2023
Public holidays
The university is closed on the following public holidays.
- Good Friday
- Easter Sunday and Monday
- King's Day (the day upon which King's Day is celebrated nationally)
- Liberation Day: 5 May
- Ascension Day
- Whit Sunday and Monday
- 3 October (Relief of Leiden)
- Christmas Day and Boxing Day
Compulsory closures
The university is also closed on the 'compulsory closure' dates listed below.
| Year | Days |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Friday 14 May Monday 27 December Tuesday 28 December Wednesday 29 December Thursday 30 December Friday 31 December |
| 2022 | Friday 27 May Tuesday 27 December Wednesday 28 December Thursday 29 December Friday 30 December |
Academic Calendar
The LUC The Hague academic year consists of two semesters, each divided into two blocks. A block spans an eight week period: seven weeks of intensive teaching followed by a reading week in which there are typically no contact hours. The reading week can, for example, be used to hand in essays, take-home exams or prepare for the next block.
It is important to keep in mind that the LUC The Hague academic year differs slightly from the annual calender of Leiden University.
Structure of the Academic Year
The LUC curriculum is taken over a period of three years, consisting of two semesters of two eight week blocks each. In the first year some courses are offered at semester length because of didactical principles allowing you to acquire new skills more gradually.
Each course meets twice per week (two times two hours), exceptions to this rule are some of the Global Challenges courses in the first year which have an additional two hour lecture each week (six hours per week in total), and language courses which also meet three times per week. Classes are scheduled in such a way that overlap is minimal and maximal choices are offered to our students.
Calendar 2020 - 2021
| From | Until | |
| Moving Day | 14 August 2020 | |
| LUC Introduction Week | 17 August 2020 | 21 August 2020 |
| Semester 1 | ||
| Block 1 | 24 August 2020 | 16 October 2020 |
| Reading Week | 12 October 2020 | 16 October 2020 |
| Autumn break | 19 October 2020 | 23 October 2020 |
| Block 2 | 26 October 2020 | 18 December 2020 |
| Reading Week | 14 December 2020 | 18 December 2020 |
| Winter break | 21 December 2020 | 29 January 2021 |
| Semester 2 | ||
| Block 3 | 01 February 2021 | 26 March 2021 |
| Reading Week | 22 March 2021 | 26 March 2021 |
| Spring break | 29 March 2021 | 02 April 2021 |
| Block 4 | 06 April 2021 | 09 June 2021 |
| Reading Week | 07 June 2021 | 09 June 2021 |
| Start summer break | 10 June 2021 | 20 August 2021 |
| 14 August 2020 | Moving Day | |
|
15-21 August 2020 |
LUC The Hague Introduction Week* |
|
|
24 August 2020 |
Start Academic Year LUC The Hague |
|
|
31 August 2020 |
Opening Academic Year Leiden University |
|
|
29 September |
Dies Natalis LUC The Hague |
|
|
3 October |
Relief of Leiden - The College Building is closed |
|
|
26 November |
Cleveringa lecture - No classes between 15:00 - 18:00 |
|
|
25 Dec.-1 Jan. |
Christmas break – The College Building is closed |
|
|
18 Dec.-29 Jan. |
Winter Break |
|
|
TBC |
New Year's Toast |
|
|
1 February |
Start of Second Semester |
|
|
TBC |
Winter Graduation |
|
|
8 February |
Dies Natalis Leiden University – No classes between 13:00-17:00 |
|
|
2 April |
Good Friday – The College Building is closed |
|
|
5 April |
Easter Monday – The College Building is closed |
|
|
27 April |
King’s Day – The College Building is closed |
|
|
5 May |
Liberation Day |
|
|
13-14 May |
Ascension Weekend - College building is closed |
|
| 24 May |
Whit Monday – College Building is closed |
|
|
Date TBA |
Dies Fatalis |
|
|
9 July |
Summer Graduation |
* Please note that the Introduction Week is mandatory for first year students.
Calendar 2021- 2022
| From | Until | |
| Moving Day | 20 August 2021 | 22 August 2021 |
| LUC Introduction Week | 23 August 2021 | 27 August 2021 |
| Semester 1 | ||
| Block 1 | 30 August 2021 | 22 October 2021 |
| Reading Week | 18 October 2021 | 22 October 2021 |
| Autumn break | 25 October 2021 | 29 October 2021 |
| Block 2 | 1 November 2021 | 24 December 2021 |
| Reading Week | 20 December 2021 | 24 December 2021 |
| Winter break | 27 December 2021 | 4 February 2022 |
| Semester 2 | ||
| Block 3 | 07 February 2022 | 1 April 2022 |
| Reading Week | 28 March 2022 | 01 April 2022 |
| Spring break | 04 April 2022 | 08 April 2022 |
| Block 4 | 11 April 2022 | 14 June 2022 |
| Reading Week | 08 June 2022 | 14 June 2022 |
| Start summer break | 17 June 2022 | 20 August 2022 |
| 20-22 August 2021 | Moving Days | |
|
23-27 August 2021 |
LUC The Hague Introduction Week* |
|
|
30 August 2020 |
Start Academic Year LUC The Hague |
|
|
06 Aeptember 2021 |
Opening Academic Year Leiden University |
|
|
29 September |
Dies Natalis LUC The Hague |
|
|
3 October |
Relief of Leiden is on a Sunday, so its celebrated on Monday - The College Building is closed on October 4 |
|
|
26 November |
Cleveringa lecture - No classes between 15:00 - 18:00 |
|
|
25 Dec.-1 Jan. |
Christmas break – The College Building is closed |
|
|
27 Dec.-4 Feb. |
Winter Break |
|
|
7 February |
Start of Second Semester |
|
|
8 February |
Dies Natalis Leiden University – No classes between 13:00-17:00 |
|
|
15 April |
Good Friday – The College Building is closed |
|
|
18 April |
Easter Monday – The College Building is closed |
|
|
27 April |
King’s Day – The College Building is closed |
|
|
5 May |
Liberation Day |
|
|
26-27 May |
Ascension Weekend - College building is closed |
|
| 6 June |
Whit Monday – College Building is closed |
|
|
Date TBA |
Dies Fatalis |
|
|
8 July |
Summer Graduation |
* Please note that the Introduction Week is mandatory for first year students.