Undergraduate/Postgraduate taught students:
If you are an undergraduate or postgraduate taught student you are expected to be on campus throughout the published semester dates, including assessment support weeks and assessment weeks.
Authorised absence will not be approved 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).
If your programme follows the standard University vacation calendar you can travel during vacation periods without applying for an authorised absence. However, the University will not approve an authorised absence for you to leave the UK prior to the start of a vacation period.
If you are on a full-time Masters programme, and will be working on your dissertation/research project over the summer, you are required to be academically engaged on a full-time basis, despite not normally having any teaching sessions scheduled. We would therefore not expect absence for the purpose of holiday to be taken during this time.
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.