What is the Difference Between Term and Semester?

The terms "term" and "semester" are both used to describe the duration or time period of sessions in an educational institution, but they have some differences:

• Term: This is a generic word used to describe the duration of an academic calendar. It is more commonly used in Britain. The length of a term depends on the number of terms that a school offers courses. There could be two or even four terms in a college in a single year.
• Semester: This is a more specific word that refers to a period of six months. In the academic context, a semester is one of the two main periods into which the academic year is divided. The duration of a semester is typically 15 to 18 weeks. The word "semester" is more common in the US educational system.

Some schools also use other systems, such as trimesters (three terms per year) or quarters (four terms per year). In these cases, a "term" refers to one quarter or one trimester, respectively.

Comparative Table: Term vs Semester

The main difference between a term and a semester lies in their duration and how they are used in different educational systems. Here is a table comparing the two:

In summary, a term is a more general term used to describe the duration of an academic session, while a semester is a specific term referring to a half-year or six-month period. Terms are more commonly used in British educational institutions, whereas semesters are more common in US educational institutions. The duration of a term may vary, and some schools may have multiple terms in a single year, while semesters typically last for six months and there are usually two in a year.