Academic Calendar

Select a topic to expand and display relevant dates. 

For official administrative staff holidays, please visit Human Resources' University Holidays calendar. 

The final exam period applies to lecture-based undergraduate courses. This includes IAHIS courses (Art History). Undergraduates should check with course faculty to confirm if their course is included.

Graduate courses continue until the end of the semester.

Important Reminder for May 2026 graduates:
For course sections ending after May 11, grades for graduating students must be submitted no later than noon (12 p.m.) on Wednesday, May 13. Failure to submit on time may prevent students from receiving their degree and accurate Latin Honors for baccalaureate degrees.
 

2025–2026 Academic Calendar

Calendar content is subject to change. Please revisit the calendar before finalizing any plans.

Semester/Term Begins Ends
Fall Semester Wednesday, September 3, 2025 Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Fall Term 1 Wednesday, September 3, 2025 Sunday, October 26, 2025
Fall Term 2 Monday, October 27, 2025 Wednesday, December 17, 2025
January Mini-Semester Friday, January 2, 2026 Sunday, January 25, 2026
Spring Semester Monday, January 26, 2026 Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Spring Term 1 Monday, January 26, 2026 Sunday, March 22, 2026
Spring Term 2 Monday, March 23, 2026 Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Summer Session Monday, June 1, 2026 Sunday, August 23, 2026
Summer Term 1 Monday, May 18, 2026 Sunday, July 12, 2026
Summer Term 2 Monday, July 13, 2026 Sunday, September 6, 2026

Courses with six or fewer class meetings, J-term courses, travel study courses, workshops (including MTEL workshops), and conferences must be added or dropped prior to the start date. Once the start date has passed, there is no refund.

Fall '25 Add/Drop Deadlines

Semester/Term Deadline
Fall Semester Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Fall Term 1 Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Fall Term 2 Sunday, November 2, 2025

Spring '26 Add/Drop Deadlines

Semester/Term Deadline
Spring Semester Sunday, February 1, 2026
Spring Term 1 Sunday, February 1, 2026
Spring Term 2 Sunday, March 29, 2026

Summer '26 Add/Drop Deadlines

Semester/Term Deadline
Summer Session Sunday, June 7, 2026
Summer Term 1 Sunday, May 24, 2026
Summer Term 2 Sunday, July 19, 2026

Fall '25 Withdrawal Deadlines

Semester/Term Deadline
Fall Semester Wednesday, November 26, 2025
Fall Term 1 Sunday, October 12, 2025
Fall Term 2 Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Spring '26 Withdrawal Deadlines

Semester/Term Deadline
Spring Semester Monday, April 20, 2026
Spring Term 1 Sunday, March 8, 2026
Spring Term 2 Sunday, May 3, 2026

Summer '26 Withdrawal Deadlines

Semester/Term Deadline
Summer Session Sunday, August 2, 2026
Summer Term 1 Sunday, June 28, 2026
Summer Term 2 Sunday, August 23, 2026

Please note: Fall semester LA+D studio art courses continue through the undergraduate final exam period.

Event  Fall Date(s) Spring Date(s)
Classes end for undergraduate students (Includes LA+D Art History) Tuesday, December 9, 2025 Monday, May 4, 2026
Reading Day(s) for undergraduate students Wednesday, December 10, 2025 Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Final examination period for undergraduate students Thursday, December 11 - Wednesday, December 17, 2025 Wednesday, May 6 - Tuesday, May 12, 2026
LA+D departmental juries and critiques N/A Wednesday, May 6 - Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Consult "Graduation/Degree Conferral Dates" for grade deadlines for graduating students.

Fall '25 Grade Deadlines

Semester/Term Deadline
Fall Semester Saturday, December 27, 2025
Fall Term 1 Sunday, November 2, 2025
Fall Term 2 Saturday, December 27, 2025

Spring '26 Grade Deadlines

Semester/Term Deadline
January Mini-Semester Sunday, February 1, 2026
Spring Semester Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Spring Term 1 Sunday, March 29, 2026
Spring Term 2 Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Summer '26 Grade Deadlines

Semester/Term Deadline
Summer Session Sunday, August 30, 2026
Summer Term 1 Sunday, July 19, 2026
Summer Term 2 Sunday, September 13, 2026

September '25 Conferral

Event  Date
Intent Filing Deadline Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Grade/Completion Deadline Sunday, August 31, 2025
Conferral Monday, September 15, 2025

January '26 Conferral

Event  Date
Intent Filing Deadline Monday, September 15, 2025
Grade/Completion Deadline Saturday, December 27, 2025
Conferral Thursday, January 15, 2026

May '26 Conferral (Commencement)

For course sections ending after May 11, grades for graduating students must be submitted no later than noon (12 p.m.) on Wednesday, May 13.

Failure to submit on time may prevent students from receiving their degree and accurate Latin Honors for baccalaureate degrees.

Event  Date
Intent Filing Deadline Saturday, January 31, 2026
Grade/Completion Deadline (12:00 pm) Monday, May 11, 2026
Conferral/Commencement Saturday, May 16, 2026

For official administrative staff holidays, please visit Human Resources' University Holidays calendar.

Fall '25

Event Date(s)
Labor Day Monday, September 1, 2025
Indigenous Peoples' Day Monday, October 13, 2025
Veterans Day Tuesday, November 11, 2025
Student Thanksgiving Break 1 Wednesday, November 26 - Sunday, November 30, 2025 1
Student Winter Break 2 Thursday, December 18 - Thursday, January 1, 2026 2

1 Student Thanksgiving Break 2025: Administrative offices close at 12:00 pm on Wednesday, November 26, 2025.

2 Student Winter Break 2025: Administrative staff winter break often begins 1-3 business days after student winter break. Employees should consult the Human Resources University Holidays calendar for official staff holidays at: https://lesley.edu/faculty-staff/human-resources/university-holidays).

Spring '26

Event  Date(s)
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Monday, January 19, 2026
Spring Student Vacation Monday, March 16 - Sunday, March 22, 2026
Patriots Day Monday, April 20, 2026

Summer '26

Event  Date(s)
Memorial Day Monday, May 25, 2026
Juneteenth Friday, June 19, 2026
Independence Day Friday, July 3, 2026 (Observed)

Fall '25 (Subject to change)

Event  Date
Graduate Students/Adult Learners/Rising Seniors Monday, April 7, 2025
Rising Juniors Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Rising Sophomores Wednesday, April 9, 2025
First-Year Students Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Spring '26 (Subject to change)

Event  Date
Graduate Students/Adult Learners/Seniors Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Juniors Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Sophomores Wednesday, November 5, 2025
First-Year Students Thursday, November 6, 2025

Summer '26 (Subject to change)

Event  Date
All Students Tuesday, March 24, 2026