UNN Academic Calendar 2025/2026 – Full Breakdown: The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has officially released the 2025/2026 Academic Calendar, and as usual, many students want to understand what each date really means and how it will affect their resumption, lectures, exams, and general academic activities. After going through the full timetable, I decided to break everything down in a simple way that anyone can understand better.
So let us go through it step by step.
First Semester 2025/2026 Academic Session
November 2025: Beginning of the Session
The first sign that a new academic year is starting at UNN appears on Monday, 24th November 2025, when the registration portal officially opens for freshmen. This date is very important because it marks the beginning of all activities for new students. Two days later, on Wednesday, 26th November, the Senate sits for its meeting, which normally finalizes all pending academic decisions for the session.
December 2025: Freshmen Resume, Orientation Starts
By Monday, 1st December 2025, new students arrive on campus and settle into their hostels. Shortly after that, on Monday, 8th December, returning students are also allowed to start registering online. This gradual arrangement helps to reduce congestion.
Orientation programs follow immediately:
- 9th December – Department orientation
- 10th December – Faculty orientation
- 11th December – University-wide orientation
At this point, new students begin to understand how UNN works, how to locate their departments, and how to settle into academic life. Still in December, 3rd MBBS examinations begin on the 15th, and by 22nd December, Christmas break officially begins for everyone.
January 2026: School Fully Reopens
January is usually a busy month in UNN. Christmas break ends on Friday, 2nd January, and that same day old students return to the hostels. MBBS and BDS examinations continue heavily this January.
Lectures for both old and new students start by Monday, 5th January, which means everyone must be back on campus by then. Freshers and returning students should take note because UNN does not joke with attendance.
Freshmen registration ends by Friday, 30th January, and matriculation comes up the next day on Saturday, 31st January. This is the official welcome ceremony that transforms new students into full Lions and Lionesses.
February & March 2026: Normal Academic Flow
February is quite calm, except for the Senate meeting on the 25th. March, however, is when things start getting serious. On Friday, 27th March, lectures officially end for the semester. This means students have approximately 11 to 12 weeks of lectures before entering revision week.
Immediately after that, revision week begins on Monday, 30th March, giving students time to prepare for the exam period.
April 2026: Full Examination Month
April is one of the busiest months in the UNN first semester calendar. DVM lectures end by 3rd April, and revisions for them run till the 11th.
From 13th April, departmental examinations begin across the university. PharmD and DVM also begin their first semester exams the same period. By 20th April, inter-faculty and interdisciplinary examinations start, which usually involve GST and other multi-departmental courses.
By Friday, 17th April, most departmental exams end.
May 2026: End of First Semester
The semester officially ends on Saturday, 2nd May 2026, and students vacate the campus. After this, UNN goes into Convocation activities from the 4th to the 10th of May. This period is usually lecture-free and filled with ceremonies for graduating students.
Second Semester 2025/2026 Academic Session
May 2026: Resumption and Registration
Immediately after convocation, the second semester begins. Registration opens Monday, 11th May, and lectures start on Monday, 18th May. Late registration ends by the end of the month.
June & July 2026: Mid-Semester Activities
June is when departments are expected to submit first semester results and hold board meetings. Students’ Week comes up from 29th June to 5th July, and this entire week is lecture-free.
DVM final year exams begin on 20th July while the Senate continues its monthly meetings.
August 2026: End of Lectures and Revision
Second semester lectures come to an end on 14th August, and revision begins on 17th August. DVM exams start the same day. With this, the semester gradually approaches examinations and final assessments.
September 2026: Main Examination Month
September is the full examination period.
Departmental exams run from 31st August to 4th September
DVM exams end 5th September
Inter-faculty exams start 7th September and end 18th September
By Saturday, 19th September, the academic session officially ends, and students vacate campus. PharmD begins their exams on the 21st, while Senate meeting follows on the 30th.
October & November 2026: Final-Year Result Processing
October is dedicated to:
- Founder’s Day
- Submission of second semester results
- Faculty board meetings
- Processing of final-year results
By November, Heads of Departments and Faculty Boards finish checking results, and on 25th November, Senate gives the final approval for graduating students.
2026 Sandwich Programme Calendar
UNN also included the Sandwich timetable. Students resume on 11th July 2026, lectures begin on the 20th, matriculation holds on 28th August, and the entire programme ends on 26th September 2026, after exams.
Summary of the UNN Academic Weeks
Here is a simple summary:
Regular Students: 34 weeks
DVM: 32 weeks
PharmD: 38 weeks
Sandwich: 10 weeks
Each programme has its own structure based on lecture duration, revision weeks, and examinations.
Final Thoughts
The UNN 2025/2026 Academic Calendar is well-structured and shows that the university wants a smooth academic year with minimal disruption. As long as students pay attention to these dates and plan their semester very well, the session will be easier to navigate.
You can Download the UNN Academic Calendar of Events – 2025-2026 Session by CLICK HERE
