Michaelmas, Lent and Easter terms
Cambridge divides its academical year, which runs from 1 October to 30 September, into three terms: Michaelmas in the autumn, Lent in the winter, and Easter in the spring. Each term has published start and end dates, and inside each sits a shorter Full Term during which almost all teaching happens.
In practice
The distinction that confuses newcomers is Term versus Full Term. Term is the full administrative span; Full Term is the central teaching stretch when lectures, supervisions and examinations are concentrated. For Michaelmas 2026, Term starts on 1 October, Full Term runs from 6 October to 4 December, and Term ends on 19 December. The University publishes the same pattern for Lent and Easter, and the coming years are already listed on the University calendar, so accommodation and travel can be planned well ahead.
Why it matters to newcomers
Cambridge works at Full Term pace: short, intense eight-week bursts with vacations meant for independent work. If your partner, colleague or employee studies here, expect them to vanish into study during Full Term and reappear in the vacations. Business events aimed at students cluster inside Full Term; anything aimed at staff runs all year.
Related
- Tripos - the examinations the terms build towards
- Supervision - the weekly teaching inside Full Term
- Matriculation - the ceremony that opens the first Michaelmas
Source: University term dates and calendars.