Semester dates
The University has two semesters per year – autumn and spring – each 20 weeks long and divided into four quartiles. There are no official breaks during the semesters, except for public holidays. Always check your schedule, as your studies may have different dates.
Semester dates and quartiles
The University of Gothenburg has two semesters per year – an autumn semester and a spring semester – each 20 weeks long. There is no official summer semester, but freestanding courses may be offered between the end of the spring semester and the start of the autumn semester.
The autumn semester always begins on a Monday in late August or early September, and the spring semester follows directly after. Each semester is divided into four study periods, known as quartiles. Many courses follow the quartile start and end dates – knowing them makes it easier to plan your studies.
Semester dates
- Autumn 2026: 31 August–17 January
- Spring 2027: 18 January–6 June
- Autumn 2027: 30 August–16 January
- Spring 2028: 17 January–4 June
Remember to check your schedule – your studies may have different dates.
Quartiles, autumn semester 2026
- Quartile 1: 31 August – 30 September
- Quartile 2: 1 October – 3 November
- Quartile 3: 4 November – 7 December
- Quartile 4: 8 December – 17 January
Quartiles, spring semester 2027
- Quartile 1: 18 January – 18 February
- Quartile 2: 19 February – 29 March
- Quartile 3: 30 March – 2 May
- Quartile 4: 3 May – 6 June
Exceptions to semester dates
Some courses and programs have semester dates that differ from the standard ones. This may be for specific reasons, in which case the faculty or department has applied for an exemption.
An education is considered non-standard if it starts or ends outside the set semester dates – but this does not apply to freestanding summer courses or summer course packages.
Breaks during the semesters
There are no official breaks during the semesters, except for public holidays. However, most programs and courses do not schedule teaching around Christmas, New Year's and Easter.
Always check your schedule – that's where you'll find when you have teaching.
Holidays in Sweden
If you are new to Sweden, note that Swedish public holidays may differ from those in your home country. You can find a full list of Swedish public holidays on Sweden's central bank's website.