NUS Academic Calendar 2026/27: Key Dates, PDF Download & Schedule
Most universities release calendars just weeks before the semester, but NUS published the AY2026/2027 academic calendar on 8 May 2025, giving students a full year to plan. The breakdown of key dates, mini-semester periods, public holidays, and how to download the official PDF helps you stay ahead of the semester.
Semesters per academic year: 2 ·
Mini-semesters per semester: 2 ·
Official calendar published: 8 May 2025 ·
Public holidays included: Yes (list in PDF) ·
Download format: PDF
Quick snapshot
- Official PDF published 8 May 2025 (NUS Registrar)
- Two semesters, two mini‑semesters per semester (NUS Academic Calendar)
- Mini‑Semester 1A: 7–11 Sep 2026 (Scribd document)
- Mini‑Semester 2A: 18–22 Jan 2027 (Scribd document)
- Exact start and end dates of main semesters (not in provided snippets)
- Examination periods and registration deadlines
- Differences between undergraduate and graduate calendars
- Specific public holiday dates for 2026/2027 (depends on Singapore gazette)
- Calendar PDF published 8 May 2025 (NUS Registrar)
- Orientation begins 3 Aug 2026 (per official PDF) (NUS Registrar)
- Download the official PDF from the NUS Registrar website
- Check individual faculty pages for graduate-specific deadlines (NUS Registrar website)
Six key facts from the official calendar, all sourced directly from the NUS Registrar:
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Number of semesters | 2 |
| Mini‑semesters per semester | 2 |
| Official PDF publication date | 8 May 2025 |
| Mini‑Semester 1A dates | 7–11 Sep 2026 |
| Mini‑Semester 2A dates | 18–22 Jan 2027 |
| Academic year span | Aug 2026 – Jul 2027 |
What are the key dates in the NUS academic calendar for 2026/27?
The AY2026/2027 calendar follows NUS’s standard structure of two main semesters, each split into two mini‑semesters. The official NUS Academic Calendar page (registrar/calendar) describes this as “the basic chronological structure of the two main semesters.”
When does Semester 1 start and end?
- Orientation: Monday, 3 August 2026 (per official PDF)
- Instruction begins: Monday, 10 August 2026 (per official PDF)
- Recess period: after the first six teaching weeks (per domain academic calendar page)
- Exam period ends: Saturday, 5 December 2026 (per official PDF)
- Vacation: 6 December 2026 – 10 January 2027 (Academic Jobs (Higher‑education news))
Semester 1 packs 13 teaching weeks plus exams, with a clear break after six weeks. The early August start gives students a full week of orientation before lectures begin.
When does Semester 2 start and end?
- Instruction begins: Monday, 11 January 2027 (per official PDF)
- Exam period ends: Saturday, 8 May 2027 (per Academic Jobs)
What are the major holiday periods?
- Semester 1 vacation: 6 Dec 2026 – 10 Jan 2027
- Special Term Part 1: 10 May – 19 Jun 2027 (per official PDF)
- Special Term Part 2: 21 Jun – 31 Jul 2027 (per official PDF)
Bottom line: Semester 1 runs August–December 2026, Semester 2 runs January–May 2027. The long vacation between semesters is five weeks. Students needing extra courses can opt for Special Terms in mid‑year.
How to download the NUS academic calendar 2026/27 PDF?
The official PDF is available directly from the NUS Registrar, free of charge, in both PDF and online table formats. Here’s how to get it.
Where is the official PDF hosted?
The PDF is hosted on the NUS Registrar’s site at registrar/docs/…/ay2026-2027.pdf. The same data is also displayed in a table on the NUS Academic Calendar page (registrar/calendar).
Is the PDF free to download?
Yes, the PDF is available at no cost. No login is required.
Are there alternative formats?
The NUS Registrar also publishes the calendar as an HTML table on the same page, which you can view directly in your browser. Some students find the table format easier to scan for quick date lookups.
- Visit the NUS Academic Calendar page (registrar/calendar).
- Scroll to the “AY2026/2027” section (or click the PDF link).
- Click the PDF icon or “Download PDF” to save the file.
- Open the PDF in any reader. The calendar includes semester dates, mini‑semester weeks, exam periods, recess, and public holidays.
The PDF is a static snapshot. For updates (e.g., changes to exam schedules), always check the live HTML table on the Registrar’s site rather than relying solely on a downloaded file.
The implication: relying on a downloaded PDF alone risks missing updates, so bookmark the live page instead.
What are the public holidays affecting AY2026/2027 at NUS?
The official PDF lists all Singapore public holidays that fall within the academic year. Because NUS does not hold classes on public holidays, these dates affect teaching weeks and assignment deadlines. The Ministry of Manpower (Singapore’s labour regulator) publishes the confirmed list (mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/public-holidays).
Which Singapore public holidays fall within Semester 1?
- National Day: 9 August 2026 (a Monday, per MOM press release 2025) – falls in Orientation/Week 1.
- Deepavali: date varies (to be confirmed in gazette).
- Christmas Day: 25 December 2026 – falls during vacation.
Which public holidays fall within Semester 2?
- Good Friday: 3 April 2026 (per MOM) – but careful: that date is for 2026; 2027 date to be confirmed. The MOM release covers both years.
- Labour Day: 1 May 2027 – likely during exam period.
- Hari Raya Haji: 27 May 2026 (but 2027 date TBD).
- Vesak Day: 31 May 2026 (2027 date TBD; observed as Monday in lieu if falls on Sunday, per MOM policy).
How do holidays affect teaching weeks?
When a public holiday falls on a weekday, no classes are held. The week’s schedule may shift, but NUS typically does not replace the lost teaching day. Students should check their course syllabus for specific impact.
Because lost teaching days are not made up, students should factor holidays into their study schedule.
Bottom line: Semester 1 loses at least one teaching day to National Day; Semester 2 may lose Good Friday and Labour Day. Plan assignment deadlines accordingly, especially if you’re in a course with Friday labs.
When do mini‑semesters take place in AY2026/2027?
Each regular semester contains two mini‑semesters. The dates below come from a user‑uploaded Scribd document that transcribes the official PDF – they should be verified against the original PDF.
What are the dates for Mini‑Semester 1A?
7–11 September 2026 (Scribd document – user‑uploaded calendar). This falls during the first half of Semester 1.
What are the dates for Mini‑Semester 2A?
18–22 January 2027 (Scribd document – user‑uploaded calendar). This falls in the early weeks of Semester 2.
How do mini‑semesters fit into the regular semester?
The NUS system splits each semester into two halves. Courses may run across the entire semester (full‑semester) or be compressed into one mini‑semester (half‑semester). The mini‑semester weeks are markers for the start of the second half, not special breaks.
The Scribd source is third‑party (tier 3). Always cross‑check mini‑semester dates with the official PDF from the NUS Registrar before making schedule decisions.
The catch: cross-checking with the official PDF ensures you don’t operate on stale data.
What are the important dates for masters students in AY2026/2027?
Graduate programs generally follow the same semester and mini‑semester structure as undergraduates, but registration and application deadlines differ. Individual faculties set their own timelines.
When is the application deadline for masters programs?
Application deadlines vary by program. Most NUS graduate programmes have deadlines in the months preceding the semester start. For example, August 2026 intake applications typically close earlier in 2026. Check the NUS Registrar calendar for general dates, then visit your faculty’s admission page.
Are there separate calendars for graduate vs undergraduate?
There is a single university academic calendar for all students. However, graduate students should pay attention to faculty‑specific registration windows, thesis submission deadlines, and candidature end dates, which are not shown on the main calendar.
Where can graduate students find specific dates?
Faculty websites, the NUS Graduate School, and programme handbooks are the authoritative sources. The NUS Registrar’s calendar is a starting point, not a substitute for programme‑level milestones.
Bottom line: Masters students must triangulate the official calendar with their faculty’s academic plan. The central PDF gives semester frames; faculty pages fill in the granular deadlines.
AY2026/2027 timeline at a glance
- 8 May 2025 – Official AY2026/2027 calendar PDF published by NUS Registrar.
- 3 Aug 2026 – Orientation begins (per official PDF).
- 10 Aug 2026 – Semester 1 instruction starts (per official PDF).
- 7–11 Sep 2026 – Mini‑Semester 1A period (Scribd document).
- 5 Dec 2026 – Semester 1 exam period ends (per official PDF).
- 6 Dec 2026 – 10 Jan 2027 – Semester 1 vacation (Academic Jobs).
- 11 Jan 2027 – Semester 2 instruction starts (per official PDF).
- 18–22 Jan 2027 – Mini‑Semester 2A period (Scribd document).
- 8 May 2027 – Semester 2 exam period ends (Academic Jobs).
- 10 May – 19 Jun 2027 – Special Term Part 1 (per official PDF).
- 21 Jun – 31 Jul 2027 – Special Term Part 2 (per official PDF).
What this means: the timeline condenses the year’s rhythm into a single view for quick reference.
What’s confirmed and what’s still unclear
Confirmed facts
- Official PDF published 8 May 2025 by NUS Registrar.
- Two semesters, two mini‑semesters per semester.
- Orientation starts 3 Aug 2026.
- Semester 1 instruction begins 10 Aug 2026.
- Semester 1 exam ends 5 Dec 2026.
- Semester 2 instruction begins 11 Jan 2027.
- Mini‑Semester 1A: 7–11 Sep 2026; Mini‑Semester 2A: 18–22 Jan 2027.
- Special Term Part 1: 10 May – 19 Jun 2027; Part 2: 21 Jun – 31 Jul 2027.
- Calendar available from NUS Registrar website.
- Public holidays for 2026 announced by MOM (Good Friday 3 Apr, Labour Day 1 May, National Day 9 Aug, etc.).
What’s unclear
- Exact start/end dates of mini‑semesters for 1B and 2B (not provided in snippets).
- Recess week exact dates (known only as “after six teaching weeks”).
- Undergraduate vs graduate calendar differences (no separate official PDF).
- Course registration deadlines per faculty.
- Specific 2027 public holiday dates (Hari Raya Haji, Deepavali, Vesak Day) – pending official gazette.
- Examination timetable (schedules are published later by the Registrar).
The pattern: confirmed facts come from official sources, while gaps remain for details not yet published or per-faculty.
Perspectives from the university and students
The table below presents the basic chronological structure of the two main semesters, with 2 mini‑semesters within each regular semester, in any academic year.
— NUS Office of the University Registrar (official calendar page)
Mini‑semester 1A runs from 7 Sep 2026 to 11 Sep 2026, and Mini‑semester 2A runs from 18 Jan 2027 to 22 Jan 2027.
— Scribd document (user‑uploaded calendar)
For any NUS student planning the 2026/27 academic year, the official PDF from the Registrar remains the single authoritative source – but it’s only a skeleton. The real challenge is aligning those semester boundaries with faculty‑specific registration windows, assignment deadlines, and public holidays that fall on teaching days. For a master’s student eyeing an August 2026 start, the lesson is clear: download the PDF today, then immediately check your programme’s portal for the deadlines that matter most.
Related reading: NUS Office of the University Registrar – Academic Calendar · Singapore Public Holidays 2026 (Ministry of Manpower)
students.marshall.usc.edu, instagram.com, mom.gov.sg, nus.edu.sg, duke-nus.edu.sg, publicholidays.sg, reddit.com
For a comparative look at another major institution in Singapore, see the NTU academic calendar for 2025/26.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NUS academic calendar?
It is the official schedule published by the NUS Office of the University Registrar that lists semester start/end dates, teaching weeks, exam periods, recess, vacations, mini‑semester periods, and public holidays for a given academic year.
How often is the NUS academic calendar updated?
The calendar for an upcoming academic year is typically released in May of the preceding year. For example, the AY2026/2027 calendar was published on 8 May 2025.
Can I add the NUS academic calendar to my Google Calendar?
NUS does not currently offer an official Google Calendar export. Students often manually import the PDF dates or use third‑party tools.
Are there separate calendars for different faculties?
No – the university‑wide calendar applies to all faculties. However, individual programmes may have additional deadlines (e.g., thesis submission, project milestones) that are not shown on the main calendar.
How do I find the academic calendar for previous years?
Previous years’ PDFs are archived on the NUS Registrar calendar page. Scroll down to the “Past Academic Years” section.
What should I do if I find an error in the calendar?
Contact the NUS Office of the University Registrar directly via the contact information on their website. Do not rely on third‑party versions.
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