Universiteit Leiden

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Student website Physics (MSc)

Academic calendar

The academic year officially commences on 1 September and ends on 31 August. Take a look how the year is organised and on which days the university is closed.

Academic calendar

Exception

The academic calendar does not apply to LUMC and LUC. See your faculty or study programme tab for details. 

Exam periods

  • 13 October - 2 November 2025
  • 8 December - 1 February 2025/2026
  • 9 March - 5 April 2026
  • 18 May - 26 June 2026

Exceptions

The exam period for your faculty might be different. See your faculty or study programme tab for details. 

Closure dates

The university is closed on the following public holidays and certain days adjoining public holidays and you will not have classes or exams.

  • 3 October - Relief of Leiden
  • 24 December
  • 25 and 26 December - Christmas Day and Boxing Day
  • 28 till 31 December
  • 2 January
  • 3 April - Good Friday
  • 5 and 6 April - Easter Sunday and Monday
  • 27 April - King's Day
  • 5 May - Liberation Day
  • 14 May - Ascension Day
  • 15 May
  • 24 and 25 May - Whit Sunday and Monday

Calendar 2026-2027

Academic Calendar 2026-2027

Calendar 2026-2027

  From Until
Move-In Days 15 August 2026 16 August 2026
LUC Introduction Week 17 August 2026 21 August 2026
Semester 1    
Block 1 24 August 2026 16 October 2026
Reading Week 12 October 2026 16 October 2026
Autumn break 19 October 2026 23 October 2026
Block 2  26 October 2026 18 December 2026
Reading Week 14 December 2026 18 December 2026
Winter break 21 December 2026 29 January 2027
Semester 2    
Block 3 1 February 2027 26 March 2027
Reading Week 22 March 2027 26 March 2027
Spring break 29 March 2027 2 April 2027
Block 4 5 April 2027 4 June 2027
Reading Week 31 May 2027 4 June 2027
Summer break 7 June 2027  
Important Dates
15-16 August 2026 Move-In Days
17-21 August 2026 Introduction Week
24 August 2026 Classes Start at LUC
31 August 2026 Opening Academic Year Leiden University
15 September 2026 Prince's Day (State Opening of Parliament)
26 September 2026 Dies Natalis LUC The Hague
3 October 2026 Relief of Leiden ("Leidens Ontzet")
19-24 October 2026 Autumn Break
on or around 26 November 2026 Cleveringa Lecture 
21 December 2026 - 29 January 2027  Winter Break 
1 February 2027  Start of Second Semester
8 February 2027  Dies Natalis Leiden University 
29 March 2027 - 2 April 2027  Spring Break

26 March 2027 

Good Friday - Academic Floors are closed

28 and 29 March 2027  Easter Monday - Academic Floors are closed
27 April 2027  King's Day - Academic Floors are closed
4 May 2027  Remembrance Day
5 May 2027  Liberation Day
6-7 May 2027  (Day after) Ascension Day - Academic Floors are closed
16-17 May 2027  Whitsun (Monday) - Academic Floors are closed
7 June 2027  Start summer break

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. 

Please note: 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 language courses, which meet three times per week. Classes are scheduled in such a way that overlap is minimal and maximal choices are offered to our students.

For reference, you can find last year's academic calendar here:

Calendar 2025-2026

Academic Calendar 2025-2026
  From Until
Move-In Days 16 August 2025 17 August 2025
LUC Introduction Week 18 August 2025 22 August 2025
Semester 1    
Block 1 25 August 2025 17 October 2025
Reading Week 13 October 2025 17 October 2025
Autumn break 20 October 2025 25 October 2025
Block 2  27 October 2025 19 December 2025
Reading Week 15 December 2025 19 December 2025
Winter break 22 December 2025 1 February 2026
Semester 2    
Block 3 2 February 2026 27 March 2026
Reading Week 23 March 2026 27 March 2026
Spring break 30 March 2026 3 April 2026
Block 4 6 April 2026 5 June 2026
Reading Week 1 June 2026 5 June 2026
Summer break 8 June 2026  
Important dates
16-17 August 2025 Move-In Days
20-25 August 2025 Introduction Week
28 August 2025 Classes Start at LUC
1 September 2025 Opening Academic Year Leiden University
16 September 2025 Prince's Day (State Opening of Parliament)
27 September 2025 Dies Natalis LUC The Hague
3 October 2025 Relief of Leiden
20-25 October 2025 Autumn Break
26 November 2025 Cleveringa Lecture 
22 December 2025 - 31 January 2026 Winter Break 
2 February 2026 Start of Second Semester
9 February 2026 Dies Natalis Leiden University 
30 March 2026 - 3 April 2026 Spring Break

3 April 2026

Good Friday - Academic Floors are closed

6 April 2026 Easter Monday - Academic Floors are closed
27 April 2026 King's Day - Academic Floors are closed
4 May 2026 Remembrance Day
5 May 2026 Liberation Day
14-15 May 2026 (Day after) Ascension Day - Academic Floors are closed
24-25 May 2026 Whitsun (Monday) - Academic Floors are closed
8 June 2026 Start summer break
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