Student Guide

Resources for every step of your graduate education

Academic Calendar

Calendar information is also available on the Registrar's website.

NOTE: The deadline for taking a fall or spring half-semester course Pass/Fail or for R credit is the Friday of the fourth week of the course. A half-semester course must be dropped within the first two weeks of the course.

Fall 2020

SEPTEMBER

1	Tuesday. Deadline for students to apply for the MA degree (both freestanding and en-route) to be awarded in October.
2	Wednesday. GSAS Orientation (virtual) for entering students in Arts and Sciences graduate programs.
4	Friday. Last day for doctoral candidates to distribute in the Summer 2020 term.
7	Monday. Labor Day. University holiday.
8	Tuesday. First day of classes for full-term fall courses and Fall A courses.
8–11	Tuesday–Friday. Late registration and change of program.
11	Friday. Last day to add Fall A courses.
14–18	Monday–Friday. Late registration and change of program.
18	Friday. End of change of program period. Fall courses officially dropped by this date do not incur tuition charges.
22	Tuesday. Last day to drop Fall A courses. Courses dropped by this deadline are charged at full tuition but do not appear on a student's transcript.
30	Wednesday. Last day to enroll in, or request a waiver of, the Student Medical Insurance Plan.

OCTOBER

1	Thursday. Last day for doctoral students to submit the Application for Child-Care Subsidy.
8	Thursday Last day to drop full-term fall courses courses. Courses dropped by this deadline are charged at full tuition but do not appear on a student's transcript. Last day to exercise Pass/Fail option for a Fall A course. Last day to file to take a Fall A course for R credit. Note: Decisions to take a particular course Pass/Fail or for R credit are not reversible after this date.
9	Friday. Last day for the department to submit the MPhil application for October degree conferral.
10	Saturday. Last day for the doctoral candidate to deposit the dissertation for October degree conferral.
20–23	Tuesday–Friday. Study days and final exams for Fall A courses.
21	Wednesday. October degrees conferred.
26	Monday. First day of Fall B courses.

NOVEMBER

1	Sunday. Deadline for students to apply for the MA degree (both freestanding and en-route) to be awarded in February.
2	Monday. Academic holiday. University offices are open, but classes are not in session.
3	Tuesday. Election Day. University holiday.
9	Monday. Last day to drop Fall B courses. Courses dropped by this deadline are charged at full tuition but do not appear on a student's transcript.
16–20	Monday–Friday. Advance registration for full-term spring courses, Spring A courses, and Spring B courses.
19	Thursday Last day to exercise Pass/Fail option for a full-term fall course or a Fall B course. Last day to file to take a full-term fall course or Fall B course for R credit. Note: Decisions to take a particular course Pass/Fail or for R credit are not reversible after this date.
25–27	Wednesday–Friday. Thanksgiving holidays. University holidays 11/26 and 11/27.

DECEMBER

1	Tuesday Deadline for students to apply for the MA degree (both freestanding and en-route) to be awarded in April. Last day for students returning in Spring 2021 to submit the Return from a Leave of Absence form.
TBA	Monday–Friday. Advance registration for Spring 2020.
14	Monday Last day of classes for the fall term. Last day to withdraw from or take a leave of absence effective in the Fall 2020 semester.
15	Tuesday. Last day for doctoral students who became parents since October 1 to submit the Application for Child-Care Subsidy.
15–16	Tuesday–Wednesday. Study days for full-term fall courses and Fall B courses.
17–23	Thursday–Wednesday. Final examinations for full-term fall courses and Fall B courses.
23	Wednesday. Fall term ends.
24–1/8	Tuesday, December 24 through Friday, January 8. Winter holidays.
30	Wednesday. Deadline for students with grades of IN or CP from the Spring 2020 or Summer 2020 terms to submit outstanding work. Departments and instructors may set an earlier deadline, which supersedes the GSAS deadline.

Spring 2021

JANUARY

TBA	Registration for the Spring 2020 term. Students who register after these dates must pay a late fee.
8	Friday. Last day for doctoral candidates to distribute in the Fall 2020 semester.
11	Monday. First day of classes for full-term spring courses and Spring A courses.
11–15	Monday–Friday. Late registration and change of program.
15	Friday. Last day to add Spring A courses.
18	Monday. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. University holiday.
19–22	Tuesday–Friday. Late registration and change of program.
22	Friday End of change of program period. Spring courses officially dropped by this date do not incur tuition charges. Last day for the department to submit the MPhil application for February degree conferral.
25	Monday. Last day to drop Spring A courses. Courses dropped by this deadline are charged at full tuition but do not appear on a student's transcript.
29	Friday. Last day for the department to submit the MPhil application for February degree conferral.

FEBRUARY

5	Friday. Last day for the doctoral candidate to deposit the dissertation for February degree conferral.
8	Monday Last day to exercise Pass/Fail option for Spring A courses. Last day to file to take a Spring A course for R credit. Note: Decisions to take a particular course Pass/Fail or for R credit are not reversible after this date.
10	Wednesday. February degrees conferred.
15	Monday. Last day to enroll in, or request a waiver of, the Student Medical Insurance Plan (for new students or students returning from a leave of absence in Spring 2020 only).
16	Tuesday. Last day to drop full-term spring courses. Courses dropped by this deadline are charged at full tuition but do not appear on a student's transcript.
23–26	Tuesday–Friday. Study days and final exams for Spring A courses.

MARCH

1	Monday. Last day for doctoral students who became parents since December 15 to submit the Application for Child-Care Subsidy.
1–5	Monday–Friday. Spring break.
8	Monday. First day of classes for Spring B courses.
18	Thursday Last day to exercise Pass/Fail option for a full-term spring course or Spring B course. Last day to file to take a full-term spring course or Spring B course for R credit. Note: Decisions to take a particular course Pass/Fail or for R credit are not reversible after this date.
22	Monday. Last day to drop Spring B courses. Courses dropped by this deadline are charged at full tuition but do not appear on a student's transcript.

APRIL

TBA	Submission deadline for the MA Graduation Ceremonies Participation Petition (only for October 2021 graduates).
2	Friday. Last day for the doctoral candidate to deposit the dissertation for April degree conferral and have their name appear in the Convocation Booklet.
5	Monday Last day to exercise Pass/Fail option for a Spring B course. Last day to file to take a Spring B course for R credit. Note: Decisions to take a particular course Pass/Fail or for R credit are not reversible after this date.
9	Friday. Last day for the department to submit the MPhil application for April degree conferral.
15	Thursday. Last day of classes for the spring term.
16–19	Friday–Monday. Study days for full-term spring courses and Spring B courses.
20–23	Tuesday–Friday. Final exams for full-term spring courses and Spring B courses.
26	Monday. Spring term ends.
26–30	Monday–Friday. Class Day and University Commencement Week (specific dates to be announced).
30	Friday. Last day for doctoral candidates to distribute in the Spring 2021 semester.