Starting in September 2025, SOAS will transition to a two-semester academic calendar, moving away from the current three-term system.
In the new calendar, each semester will consist of a 10-week teaching period followed by a reading week. Every semester will include a dedicated period for learning and assessments, meaning there will be two assessment periods each year—one in January and one in May—along with a reassessment period in August.
How Will This Impact Students Starting at SOAS in September 2025?
Key Benefits:
- Streamlining alternative assessment arrangements to reduce administrative burdens for both students and staff, ensuring fair assessments for all students.
- Helping to prevent delays in grade reporting and transcript processing.
- Providing spring semester students with an additional week for orientation activities, allowing them more time to adjust to life in London before their courses begin.
Academic Year 2025-2026
Fall 2025 - Students Attending Only the Fall Semester
- Students enrolled in courses without exams will be expected to submit their coursework online, as in previous years.
- Students enrolled in courses with January exams will be given an alternative assessment (coursework), which can be submitted online.
- Since the last day of classes will be Friday, December 12, 2025, students who need to return home before the winter break can do so while submitting assignments online.
- Students choosing to live in Dinwiddy Hall will be offered housing contracts from Sunday, September 21, 2025 – Sunday, January 11, 2026.
Spring 2026 - Students Attending Only the Spring Semester
- Students will still be required to take in-person exams during the May assessment period.
- SOAS Study Abroad will host a mandatory week-long orientation from Monday, January 12, 2026 – Friday, January 16, 2026, before classes officially begin on Monday, January 19, 2026.
- Dinwiddy Hall housing contracts for spring students will run from Sunday, January 11, 2026 – Sunday, June 14, 2026.
Year-Long Study Abroad Students (2025-2026)
- Students will complete assessments in the same format as SOAS degree-seeking students, without alternative assessments.
SOAS departments are finalizing course offerings for the 2025-2026 academic year, and updates will be posted on our website as soon as they are confirmed.
Academic Year 2026-2027
Starting in September 2026, all fall semester-only students will be required to take their January exams remotely using a secure online examination platform. This platform will account for time zone differences and necessary accommodations for students abroad.
Any student who needs to take a reassessment exam in August will also be required to complete it online. Students taking courses with coursework-based assessments will continue to submit their assignments through Moodle.