Working Hours and Eligibility
Information about how many hours you can work each week in term time and vacation periods and working on campus after you graduate
How many hours can I work each week?
Most students can work a maximum of 20 hours per week in term time and a maximum of 48 hours per week outside of term time. The expandable sections below show the weekly maximum working hours for most students, but this can vary depending on your personal circumstances.
Undergraduate (including Integrated Masters)
| Autumn and Spring term | 20 hours |
| Winter and Spring vacation | 48 hours |
| Summer term | 20 hours |
| Summer vacation | 48 hours |
| Programme completion | 48 hours |
| Eligibility end date |
Soonest of either:
|
Postgraduate Taught (1 Year)
| Autumn and Spring term | 20 hours |
| Winter and Spring vacation | 48 hours |
| Summer term | 20 hours |
| Summer vacation | 20 hours |
| Programme completion | 48 hours |
| Eligibility end date |
Soonest of either:
|
Postgraduate Taught (2 Year programme - Year 2 of 2)
| Autumn and Spring term | 20 hours |
| Winter and Spring vacation | 48 hours |
| Summer term | 20 hours |
| Summer vacation | 20 hours |
| Programme completion | 48 hours |
| Eligibility end date |
Soonest of either:
|
Postgraduate Research
| Autumn and Spring term | 20 hours |
| Winter and Spring vacation | 20 hours |
| Summer term | 20 hours |
| Summer vacation | 20 hours |
| Programme completion | 48 hours |
| Eligibility end date |
Soonest of either:
|
Part-time degree programmes
| Autumn and Spring term | 48 hours |
| Winter and Spring vacation | 48 hours |
| Summer term | 48 hours |
| Summer vacation | 48 hours |
| Programme completion | 48 hours |
| Eligibility end date |
Soonest of either:
|
How can I check my term dates?
Term dates for standard degree programme are available on the University Regulations web page.
Some degree programmes have non-standard term dates such as Medical and Dentistry degree programmes.
Check with your school office for the term dates for your degree programme. Please note if your vacation period starts on a weekend you will be eligible to work full time from the following Monday.
Showing no/reduced available working hours
You must be registered as a student for the academic year in which the work is planned. Ensure you register on Student Portal as soon as you can to make sure that you will have available hours in the Manage Student Work app.
You may have existing work assignments booked in the Manage Student Work app which will reduce your hours available. You should contact your manager or the department you are working for if you wish to change your allocated hours.
If you have withdrawn from your studies you cannot continue to work as a student and working hours will not be available to assign for you in the Manage Student Work app.
If you have checked these details but still have questions about your available hours, please email seoc@ncl.ac.uk
Working on a student visa
Your visa status will show if you are allowed to work during your studies and any restrictions. Most visas will allow up to 20 hours per week work in term time, and full time work outside of term time, in line with the university policy for student workers. You cannot work more hours than allowed under your visa conditions or beyond the expiry of your visa.
If you have applied for your new visa and still await the outcome, please email seoc@ncl.ac.uk with your Unique Application Reference for advice. Once you receive your new visa please email seoc@ncl.ac.uk
It is your responsibility to ensure that you do not work more than that allowed under your visa conditions, including unpaid work and any work off campus.
When can I work full time?
Most students can work a maximum of 48 hours per week outside of term time. The sections above show the weekly maximum working hours for most students, but this can vary depending on your personal circumstances.
Undergraduate students can work full time once your student record is updated to show that you have successfully completed. The app will update to allow full time hours up until 31 October following graduation.
Students without visa restrictions can work full time when their status shows that they have taken an interruption of studies.
Postgraduate Taught students in their final year are in term time during the summer vacation and so can work a maximum of 20 hours per week during this time. Once your student record is updated to show that you have successfully completed, the app will update to allow full time hours up until 31 January following graduation.
If there is a gap between the student record update and you having handed in your dissertation, then you may be able to work full time. Please contact your school office to ask them to email seoc@ncl.ac.uk with confirmation that your studies are complete.
When can I work full time (Postgraduate Research)?
Student visa holders are limited to a maximum of 20 hours per week until your student record is updated to show that you have successfully completed your degree programme after submission of your hardbound thesis.
Students without visa restrictions, can work full time when their status updates to ‘Under Examination’.
If you are a student without visa restrictions you may be able to work full time if you submit a holiday request which is approved by your school. Holidays are requested by completing a ‘Student Notice of Absence form’ (on Student Portal) and selecting ‘holiday’ as the reason for absence. You can read the Policy for Holiday Entitlement for Postgraduate Research Students.
Under examination (Postgraduate Research)
If you are a Postgraduate Research student who is under examination and want to work on campus, you must be registered for the current academic year before work can be allocated. You will need to email the Research Student Support team at rssteam@newcastle.ac.uk who can check your details and register you for the year (if applicable).