What Is a Semester?

A semester is one of the main teaching periods in a college year. In the most common US model, the academic year has two semesters, fall and spring, each about 15 to 16 weeks long with an exam period at the end. The word comes from Latin for six months, and it is used in many countries, including Germany, Australia and parts of Asia.

How semesters work

A full-time student takes around four to six courses each semester, or 12 to 18 credit hours. A bachelor's degree of 120 credits therefore takes about eight semesters at 15 credits each. Semesters usually include a midterm period and a final exam week, with breaks such as fall recess and spring break.

Many colleges also offer a summer session, and some have a short winter term or intersession, which can be used to catch up or get ahead.

Compared with other systems

Semester courses cover material more slowly than quarter courses, and students take fewer courses at once. Credit values differ, so when transferring between systems, a quarter credit is worth two thirds of a semester credit.

Practical notes

Semesters let you build relationships with instructors and spread work over a longer period, though a bad start can be hard to fix. Tuition and aid are usually calculated per semester, so check deadlines in the academic calendar.

Outside the US, "semester" may be used with different lengths and starts, and UK universities mostly use terms or two semesters of about 12 weeks.

Related terms

See quarter system, trimester, academic calendar, credit hour and summer session.