Academic Calendar

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

Please note:

  • 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.

2026–2027 Academic Calendar

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

Semester/Term Begins Ends
Fall Semester Wednesday, September 9, 2026 Tuesday, December 22, 2026
Fall Term 1 Wednesday, September 9, 2026 Sunday, November 1, 2026
Fall Term 2 Monday, November 2, 2026 Tuesday, December 22, 2026
January Mini-Semester Monday, January 4, 2027 Sunday, January 24, 2027
Spring Semester Monday, January 25, 2027 Friday, May 14, 2027
Spring Term 1 Monday, January 25, 2027 Sunday, March 21, 2027
Spring Term 2 Monday, March 22, 2027 Friday, May 14, 2027
Summer Session Tuesday, June 1, 2027 Sunday, August 22, 2027
Summer Term 1 Monday, May 17, 2027 Sunday, July 11, 2027
Summer Term 2 Monday, July 12, 2027 Sunday, September 5, 2027

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 '26 Add/Drop Deadlines

Semester/Term Deadline
Fall Semester Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Fall Term 1 Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Fall Term 2 Sunday, November 8, 2026

Spring '27 Add/Drop Deadlines

Semester/Term Deadline
Spring Semester Sunday, January 31, 2027
Spring Term 1 Sunday, January 31, 2027
Spring Term 2 Sunday, March 28, 2027

Summer '27 Add/Drop Deadlines

Semester/Term Deadline
Summer Session Monday, June 7, 2027
Summer Term 1 Sunday, May 23, 2027
Summer Term 2 Sunday, July 18, 2027

Fall '26 Withdrawal Deadlines

Semester/Term Deadline
Fall Semester Wednesday, December 2, 2026
Fall Term 1 Sunday, October 18, 2026
Fall Term 2 Tuesday, December 8, 2026

Spring '27 Withdrawal Deadlines

Semester/Term Deadline
Spring Semester Friday, April 23, 2027
Spring Term 1 Sunday, March 7, 2027
Spring Term 2 Friday, April 30, 2027

Summer '27 Withdrawal Deadlines

Semester/Term Deadline
Summer Session Sunday, August 1, 2027
Summer Term 1 Sunday, June 27, 2027
Summer Term 2 Sunday, August 22, 2027

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 15, 2026 Friday, May 7, 2027
Reading Day(s) for undergraduate students N/A Saturday, May 8 - Sunday, May 9, 2027
Final examination period for undergraduates Wednesday, December 16 - Tuesday, December 22, 2026 Monday, May 10 - Friday, May 14, 2027
LA+D Departmental Juries and Critiques N/A Monday, May 10 - Friday, May 14, 2027

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

Fall '26 Grade Deadlines

Semester/Term Deadline
Fall Semester Wednesday, December 30, 2026
Fall Term 1 Sunday, November 8, 2026
Fall Term 2 Wednesday, December 30, 2026

Spring '27 Grade Deadlines

Semester/Term Deadline
January Mini-Semester Sunday, January 31, 2027
Spring Semester Friday, May 21, 2027
Spring Term 1 Sunday, March 28, 2027
Spring Term 2 Friday, May 21, 2027

Summer '27 Grade Deadlines

Semester/Term Deadline
Summer Session Sunday, August 29, 2027
Summer Term 1 Sunday, July 18, 2027
Summer Term 2 Sunday, September 12, 2027

September '26 Conferral

Event  Date
Intent Filing Deadline Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Grade/Completion Deadline Sunday, August 30, 2026
Conferral Tuesday, September 15, 2026

January '27 Conferral

Event  Date
Intent Filing Deadline Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Grade/Completion Deadline Wednesday, December 30, 2026
Conferral Friday, January 15, 2027

May '27 Conferral (Commencement)

Event  Date
Intent Filing Deadline Sunday, January 31, 2027
Grade/Completion Deadline (12:00 pm) Monday, May 17, 2027
Conferral/Commencement (tentative) Saturday, May 22, 2027

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

Fall '26

Event  Date(s)
Labor Day Monday, September 7, 2026
Indigenous Peoples' Day Monday, October 12, 2026
Veterans Day Wednesday, November 11, 2026
Student Thanksgiving Break 1 Wednesday, November 25 - Sunday, November 29, 2026
Student Winter Break 2 Thursday, December 24, 2026 - Sunday, January 3, 2027

1 Student Thanksgiving Break 2026: Administrative offices close at 12:00 pm on Wednesday, November 25, 2026.

2 Student Winter Break 2026: 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 '27

Event  Date(s)
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Monday, January 18, 2027
Spring Student Vacation Monday, March 15 - Sunday, March 21, 2027
Patriots Day Monday, April 19, 2027

Summer '27

Event  Date(s)
Memorial Day Monday, May 31, 2027
Juneteenth Friday, June 18, 2027
Independence Day Monday, July 5, 2027

Pre-registration dates for 2026-2027 have yet to be determined. Generally, fall pre-registration begins in early April, spring registration begins in early November, and summer registration begins in late March.

Fall '26 (Subject to change)

Event  Date
Graduate Students/Adult Learners/Rising Seniors Thursday, April 2, 2026
Rising Juniors Friday, April 3, 2026
Rising Sophomores Friday, April 3, 2026
First-Year Students Friday, April 3, 2026

Spring '27 (Subject to change)

Event  Date
Graduate Students/Adult Learners/Seniors TBD
Juniors TBD
Sophomores TBD
First-Year Students TBD

Summer '27 (Subject to change)

Event  Date
All Students TBD