Undergraduate students
E.g. BSc, BA, and integrated undergraduate courses such as MPharm and Meng
Find out your term dates.
For Medicine, you will need to check your on the BSMS page.
You can work up to 20 hours per week during the term dates listed in the term dates page.
You can usually work full-time during the winter vacation, Easter vacation and summer vacation as well as when you have completed your course at the end of your final year.
However, in situations where you have an extension to hand in dates over the usual vacation period, or where you are required by the exam board to resubmit work (e.g. over the summer resit period) you will revert to being on term-time during the relevant resit period. You should seek advice from the International Student Advisers if you are unsure whether or not you are considered to be on term time. It is your responsibility to tell your employer if there is a change to your study pattern meaning you can no longer work full-time (for example if you need to undertake resits)
PGDip and PGCert students
Term dates do not apply in the same way as for undergraduate students. If you are studying a PGDip or PGCert rather than a full Masters – usually 6 to 9 months in duration, you will only be permitted to work 20 hours per week for the full duration of your course as during the winter and Easter vacations you are expected to be working on assignments or have other academic expectations.
Masters students
Term dates do not apply in the same way as for undergraduate students and will also vary depending on the course and cohort you are on. In most cases you cannot work more than 20 hours per week during the university vacations.
Students on a one academic year masters starting in September and ending the following September or October
You are considered to be on ‘term-time for the duration of your course. This is because although your taught modules will generally be delivered within the term dates, during university vacations over winter, Easter and summer you are generally expected to be undertaking reading, working on assignments or your dissertation, and as such for work purposes are considered to be on term time for the full duration of your course. This means that you may only work full-time/more than 20 hours per week once you have handed in your final project/dissertation and all outstanding assignments and your official end date has passed.
Students on a two year taught masters course starting in September and including a placement or placements
You should contact us for advice on your right to work more than 20 hours per week as this depends on your study pattern, including when your work placement takes place and when you are expected to start and submit your dissertation.
Students on a one academic year masters course starting in January/February and ending in April/June the following calendar year
During the Easter and winter vacations you are considered to be on term time, as you are expected to be working on assignments, or undertaking reading.
During the summer vacation (roughly halfway through your course) you are considered to be outside of term time/on vacation and you may therefore work more than 20 hours per week during this period, providing you do not have outstanding work to submit or referral work.
Phd students
Normal term dates do not apply to you and you are generally restricted to working 20 hours per week for the full duration of your course.
The only exceptions are during periods of agreed annual leave from your course and after your viva as below:
- If you pass unconditionally you can work full-time for the period your visa is still valid
- If you need to undertake corrections, you will only be able to work 20 hours per week until you have submitted your corrections and final bound thesis.