Semester dates, Lecture times & Attendance

Semester Dates

• The academic year is divided into two teaching and examining blocks called semesters. 

• Each runs for 15 weeks: the first 12 weeks are occupied by teaching, the last three by examinations.  

• Each semester includes an Independent Study Week (also known as Reading Week) which is usually in Week 7 in semester 1 (Autumn Semester) and Week 12 in semester 2 (Spring Semester).

• Students are expected to be in attendance for the whole of each semester, excluding the Independent Study weeks that fall within semesters.

• Semester 1 is interrupted by the Christmas vacation, which falls between the twelve teaching weeks and the three examination weeks.

• Semester 2 is interrupted by the Easter vacation.  

An overview of semester dates  for each academic year can be found here.

Psychology programmes

The Psychology BSc (PSYU01) is a full-time 3 year course. 

The Psychology with Placement Year BSc (PSYU09) is a full-time 4 year course.  The third year is spent on placement away from the University.  Any student enrolled on the Psychology BSc (PSYU01) programme has the option to switch to PSYU09 if they can arrange a suitable placement during Level 2.  If you are interested then please email psy-employability@sheffield.ac.uk to find out more.

The Psychology with Foundation Year BSc (PSYU99) is a full-time 4 year course.  The first year (foundation year) is taught within the Department of Lifelong Learning and provides students with non-standard entry qualifications with a thorough and supportive academic preparation for progression onto the full-time Psychology BSc.

Attendance

All undergraduate courses in Psychology are full-time programmes. Therefore, throughout your teaching time with us:

• You are expected to be present in the University on weekdays during the whole of each semester, including the assessment periods at the end of each semester. 

• Contact hours may be scheduled any time between 9am and 6pm.

• Examinations may be scheduled for Saturdays in the assessment periods. 

• The University expects you to work for about 36 - 40 hours per week during semesters (classes, assignments, and private study), shared between the modules you are taking. 

• You are expected to attend all lectures, workshops, academic tutorials and personal tutorials except in the event of illness or for other legitimate reasons notified within 7 days of the missed class to the relevant level administrator. In case of small group tutorials (both academic and personal), it is also common courtesy to notify your tutor that you won't be attending the tutorial.

• Attendance at lectures is expected.  Attendance is recorded in most taught sessions as well as engagement with corresponding online work.  Completion of online work and attendance in tutorials and workshops is compulsory and will be monitored.  Persistent non-engagement will be reported to Faculty as Progress Concerns.

Submission of coursework for assessment is also compulsory (see the section on Coursework deadlines), and attendance at examinations is compulsory – failure to attend could result in disciplinary action as laid out in University regulations.