Undergraduate/Postgraduate taught students:
If you are an undergraduate or postgraduate taught student, you are not expected to be absent from teaching sessions during term-time for the purpose of holiday/tourist travel, cultural or religious events that can be observed in the UK, or social occasions (e.g. weddings). You do not need to apply for authorised absence during vacation time if your programme follows the standard University vacation calendar. You are also not required to apply for authorised absence if you will be absent over a weekend only. However, authorised absence is required if you travel during reading week.
If you are on a twelve month full-time Masters programme and will be working on your dissertation/research project over the summer you must apply for authorised absence if you require an absence during this time, even if it is during the University summer vacation period. Whilst you will not normally have any teaching sessions scheduled, you are required to be academically engaged on a full time basis. We would therefore not expect absence for the purpose of holiday to be taken during this time.
If you are on a twenty four month full-time Masters programme, you do not need to apply for authorised absence during the summer vacation period between year one and year two. In your second year, if you will be working on your dissertation/research project over the summer you must apply for authorised absence if you wish to take holiday during this time, even if it is during the University summer vacation period.
Postgraduate research students:
If you are a postgraduate research student, then yes, you are permitted to take authorised absence for the purpose of holiday. University term dates vacation periods do not apply to postgraduate research students, therefore any period of holiday must be covered by an authorised absence. Postgraduate researchers may, with the prior agreement of their supervisor, take up to eight weeks holiday in each academic year, including public holidays.
The eight weeks permitted is equivalent to 40 days (8 weeks x 5 days). This is based on weekdays, not working days; it excludes weekends but includes any University closed days and bank holidays. Please note that this is calculated on a pro-rata basis where a student's registration is for less than an academic year (i.e those who start part way through an academic year). An academic year for Postgraduate research students runs from 1 October to 30 September the following year.