Intercalation, also known as intermission or interruption, in the context of university administration, is a period when a

student A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution. In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or elementa ...

is allowed to officially take time away from studying for an academic degree. When a

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...

or similar institution allows a student to intercalate, it is usually for one of the following reasons: * on medical or compassionate grounds, so that the student can take a break from his or her studies and return later.Guidance from the University of Hull on compassionate or medical intercalation
* to allow the student to gain work experience in a field related to his or her field of study.Guidance from the University of Warwick on an intercalated year in industry
* for medical, dental and veterinary students in the UK, to allow the student to pursue a separate but related research degree (normally for one year) and then return to the main medical, dental or veterinary degree.

References

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