Academic calendar

Introducing the new Academic Calendar for 2026

Over the past year, many students have participated in co-design activities as we decided a new academic calendar for our University including surveys, focus groups and all-student forums. I'm pleased to announce that, based on your feedback, we’ve decided on a new academic calendar which will commence in 2026 and create greater flexibility and balance than ever before for our students.

To view the 2026 Academic Calendar, click here.

The new academic calendar, set to commence from 2026, will include:

  • Improved alignment in teaching terms: 
    There will be closer alignment between undergraduate and postgraduate teaching terms while maintaining the familiar semester-based structure. This means that Semester 1 and 2 will align with the commencement of Trimester 1 and Trimester 3. Trimesters and semesters will be 12 weeks in total, and terms will include take the need for a recess break into account.
  • Enhanced flexibility:
    In addition to providing better opportunities for students a 6-week winter term (plus exams) has been introduced between Semester one and Semester two. This will enable students to take an additional or catch-up on a course, engage with opportunities such as an industry placement or overseas study tours. Students can also take this opportunity to take an extended break between Semesters.
  • A balanced approach:
    The revised Academic Calendar provides students with the flexibility to take a break during their studies (if needed), take an additional course during the winter term (if your program allows), while also giving staff additional time for marking, preparation, and research.

As we move into the implementation phase of this project, we will continue to update staff and students and follow University governance processes to ensure a smooth transition. Regular updates will be provided as we progress toward this exciting calendar change from 2026.

No changes will occur to your current academic program in 2025.

Student FAQS

Question

Answer

The annual Law on the Beach program does not align with dates in the new Academic Calendar. Does this mean the program will no longer be offered?

Law on the Beach is great for our students, staff and the wider community.

We will continue to work on a solution with the School of Law and Justice directly, to ensure this important program continues.

How will this affect students who rely on government Centrelink support?

The change of the Academic Calendar will not affect students Centrelink or scholarship payments. As we progress through the implementation process, we will assess various funding sources.  The University will closely monitor these impacts throughout the transition and work collaboratively with students to provide the necessary advice and support.

Will Student Services and Amenities Fees (SSAF) or course fees change as a result of this?

Course and SSAF fees will not change based on the academic calendar changing. SSAF fees for students are calculated based on mode of study over the course of a year.  Fees are set for full-time students (regardless of the calendar), with a reduced amount for students studying less than a 0.75 load.

Will subjects be available on the same schedule? How will we map out the 3rd year of students’ degrees so they can decide which subjects to study now?

There will be no changes to students program plans and students will need to continue with their set program plan in the Academic Calendar from 2026. With the introduction of the winter teaching term, additional course offerings may be available. During the implementation phase, the project team will carefully evaluate which courses are best suited for inclusion in the winter term to maximise opportunities for students.

Will we be able to complete our degrees in the same amount of time, or will we be able to fast-track our degrees?

Students will be able to fast-track their degrees by using the winter teaching term, which will be offered between Semester 1 and 2. The winter term will be available as a 6 week teaching blocks. This term could be used as:

  • An option to take an additional or catch-up course
  • An opportunity to undertake an industry placement   course
  • Or provide students the flexibility to take a break   between studies to focus on other life commitments.

We will work with Course Coordinators and Schools to align courses that would best fit within the winter teaching term.

Does the new calendar mean less learning time for students?

In many cases, Week 13 is being used for independent study/catch-up within the current semester arrangements. For the few courses (approx. 20%) that currently utilise Week 13 for teaching, course coordinators will embed learnings into the 12 week semester.

How will the new calendar impact courses that are required for accreditation? Has this been taken into account for implementation?

We understand that many programs are accredited. Schools will work closely with their accreditation body throughout the implementation period to address any program changes.

How will the calendar impact student events? (ie: Orientation, Winter Ball etc).

While the Academic Calendar may change the timing of when Semester will start, the University is committed to ensuring that student engagement events continue. Key events, such as Winter Ball, may occur earlier or later than typically scheduled and we will work to determine these key dates as we progress.

Previous updates

Project approach

Following a preliminary consultation review in October 2023, engaging over 200 student and staff leaders, it became evident that our current academic calendar falls short of optimally achieving our University’s strategic goals. This realisation prompts us to explore the possibilities of an improved alternative academic calendar.

In April, we released a Discussion Paper, to commence Stage 1 of our review process. It delves into the critical issues and opportunities surrounding our existing and potential future academic calendar, and initiated a co-design process, inviting diverse perspectives and broad input from students, staff and community members to shape the options for our future academic calendar.

In August, we launched an options paper as part of phase 2 of this project. The options paper summarised the process to date, highlighting key themes from initial feedback, presenting the options considered, analysed, and subsequently prioritised.

Initial feedback revealed that no single option, including maintaining the current calendar, would fully meet the needs of our staff and students. This finding emphasised the importance of co-designing a calendar that offers flexibility for our diverse student body, and supports our staff and our community.

Throughout this project, students and staff have been provided opportunities for input and to participate in consultations for an Alternative Academic Calendar. This project has been broken into three Stages.

Stage 1: included an all-student survey launched at the end of April. This survey allowed us to gain deep insights into what matters most to students regarding various elements of the calendar, such as break timing, frequency of teaching terms, and study load.

Stage 2: introduced an Alternative Academic Calendar Options Paper. This document summarises the project’s progress to date, highlights key themes from initial staff and student feedback, presents two alternative academic calendar options being considered and why, and outlines the next steps in determining a future calendar. Consultation during this phase included dedicated staff consultation sessions, written feedback and all student surveys.

Stage 3 / implementation phase: The project team collated all feedback from the past two consultation phases. We’ve listened to our students and staff and proposed two options for consideration. Option A combines compulsory Semesters, with the addition of a flexible mid-year teaching term for undergraduates and retains the current trimesters for most postgraduates. Option B consists of three teaching terms, two of which are compulsory, providing all students with the flexibility to take at least one term off during the year. One of these options will proceed to implementation in 2026.

View a copy of option A and B.

Initial feedback revealed that no single option, including maintaining the current calendar, would fully meet the needs of everyone. This finding emphasises the importance of co-designing a calendar that offers flexibility for our diverse student body, and supports our staff and our community.

With the launch of the Options Paper a new round of staff and student consultations has begun. We are currently conducting student focus groups to explore how potential changes to the Academic Calendar might impact students’ study habits, work commitments, and personal lives. Additionally, we are running another all-student survey to ensure we gather a broad range of student perspectives.