Howard Academic Calendar 2026-2027: Important Dates

The Howard academic calendar 2026-2027 provides undergraduate, graduate, and professional students with the essential operational schedule needed to navigate the school year at The Mecca.

Whether you are an incoming freshman arriving for Bison Week orientation or a senior monitoring final degree clearance deadlines, following the official Howard University academic calendar 2026-2027 guidelines ensures you meet vital course registration appointment windows, 100% tuition refund add/drop cutoffs, and university recesses without penalty.

Howard University operates on a traditional semester-based academic structure consisting of Fall and Spring terms, alongside flexible Summer sessions.

Primary semesters feature approximately 15 weeks of active instruction, followed by a dedicated reading period and a final examination week.

To maintain full-time undergraduate standing for financial aid, institutional scholarships, and campus housing, students register for 12 to 18 credit hours per semester, aiming for 15 credits per term to complete degree requirements within four years.

Course management, registration adjustments, and grade tracking are administered through the BisonHub student portal.

Key academic milestones and treasured campus traditions set the tempo for the full 2026–2027 year. For the Fall 2026 term, Bison Week orientation runs from August 10–14, leading directly into the start of classes on Monday, August 17, 2026.

Highlights of the Fall schedule include Opening Convocation (September 18), Homecoming Week (October 11–18, 2026), Thanksgiving Recess (November 26–29), and final exams from December 7–11, 2026.

Spring 2027 classes officially resume on Monday, January 11, 2027.

The Spring term incorporates Charter Day Convocation on March 5, followed immediately by Howard University spring break 2027, which is scheduled for March 6–14, 2027 (during which classes are suspended and university offices observe spring recess).

Spring semester concludes with final exams in early May, leading into Commencement on May 8, 2027.

Use the structured sections below to review complete add/drop refund deadlines via BisonHub, pass/fail filing cutoffs, official holiday campus closures, and final exam timetables for the full academic year.

Howard Academic Calendar Fall 2026

1. BISON WEEK, including orientation, academic advisement, and course registration for all new undergraduate students, is held from Monday, August 10, 2026, to Friday, August 14, 2026.
2. The late registration period for continuing students is held from Monday, August 10, 2026, to Friday, September 4, 2026. A $175 late registration fee is assessed.
3. Howard Fall 2026 classes start on Monday, August 17, 2026. It is the first day of classes.
4. The deadline for receipt of approved applications for Intra-University Transfer for Fall 2026 in the Office of the Registrar is Friday, August 21, 2026.
5. The last day to register for Fall 2026 and the deadline for a 100% tuition and fee refund is Friday, September 4, 2026. Students may add or drop a course without receiving a “W” grade, change sections, change from credit to audit or audit to credit, or withdraw from the university for a full refund by completing the required withdrawal process through BisonHub.
6. Labor Day is observed on Monday, September 7, 2026. The university is closed.
7. The deadline for instructors to verify course participation in BisonHub for Fall 2026 is Friday, September 11, 2026.
8. The Fall 2026 Graduation Application becomes available through BisonHub for prospective candidates on Monday, September 14, 2026.
9. Opening Convocation is held on Friday, September 18, 2026, at 11:00 A.M. in Cramton Auditorium. Classes are suspended from 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.
10. The deadline to withdraw from the university to receive a 50% tuition and fee refund is Friday, September 18, 2026.
11. The Preliminary Enrollment Census Date is Friday, October 2, 2026.
12. The deadline for instructors to submit Interim/Midterm Grades in BisonHub for Fall 2026 is Friday, October 9, 2026.
13. Howard University Homecoming Week 2026 is held from Sunday, October 11, 2026, to Sunday, October 18, 2026.
14. Mental Health Day is observed on Monday, October 12, 2026. The university is closed.
15. The Final Enrollment Census Date is Friday, October 16, 2026.
16. The deadline to withdraw from the university to receive a 25% tuition and fee refund is Friday, October 23, 2026.
17. The Senior Comprehensive Examination for College of Arts and Sciences (COAS) prospective graduates is held on Saturday, November 7, 2026.
18. Veterans Day is observed on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. The university is closed.
19. The last day to withdraw from a Fall 2026 course and complete a total withdrawal from the university without a refund is Friday, November 13, 2026. This is also the deadline for prospective Fall 2026 graduates to apply for graduation through BisonHub.
20. Classes and university services are suspended at noon on Wednesday, November 25, 2026. Formal classes end for Fall 2026, and the deadline to clear Spring 2026 and Summer 2026 incomplete grades is November 25, 2026.
21. Howard Thanksgiving Break 2026 is observed from Thursday, November 26, 2026, to Sunday, November 29, 2026. The university is closed.
22. The Reading Period is held from Monday, November 30, 2026, to Wednesday, December 2, 2026.
23. The deadline for instructors to submit Grade Changes in BisonHub for removal of Spring 2026 and Summer 2026 incomplete grades is Wednesday, December 2, 2026.
24. Departmental Examinations are held from Thursday, December 3, 2026, to Friday, December 4, 2026.
25. Final Examinations are held from Monday, December 7, 2026, to Friday, December 11, 2026.
26. The Fall Semester ends, and the official graduation date for Fall 2026 degree recipients is Wednesday, December 16, 2026.
27. The university is closed for Winter Recess from Thursday, December 17, 2026, to Sunday, January 3, 2027.

Howard Academic Calendar Spring 2027

1. Registration for senior students opens on Monday, October 26, 2026.
2. Registration for junior students opens on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
3. Registration for sophomore students opens on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.
4. Registration for freshman and unclassified students opens on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
5. Registration for graduate students opens on Friday, October 30, 2026.
6. Orientation, academic advisement, and course registration are held on Thursday, January 7, 2027.
7. The late registration period for continuing students is held from Thursday, January 7, 2027, to Friday, January 29, 2027. A $175 late registration fee is assessed for all new registrations.
8. Howard University classes begin for Spring 2027 on Monday, January 11, 2027.
9. The deadline for receipt of approved applications for Intra-University Transfer for Spring 2027 in the Office of the Registrar is Friday, January 15, 2027.
10. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed on Monday, January 18, 2027. The university is closed.
11. The deadline for receipt of Fall 2026 Graduation Recommendations in the Office of the Registrar is Friday, January 22, 2027.
12. The last day to register for Spring 2027 and the deadline for a 100% tuition and fee refund is Friday, January 29, 2027.
13. The deadline for instructors to verify course participation in BisonHub for Spring 2027 classes is Monday, February 1, 2027.
14. The Spring 2027 Graduation Application becomes available through BisonHub for prospective candidates on Monday, February 8, 2027.
15. The Preliminary Enrollment Census Date and the deadline to withdraw for a 50% tuition and fee refund are Friday, February 12, 2027.
16. Presidents’ Day is observed on Monday, February 15, 2027. The university is closed.
17. Summer 2027 registration begins for continuing students through BisonHub on Monday, March 1, 2027.
18. Charter Day Convocation is held on Friday, March 5, 2027, at 11:00 A.M. in Cramton Auditorium. Classes are suspended from 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.
19. The deadline for instructors to submit Interim/Midterm Grades through BisonHub and the deadline to withdraw for a 25% tuition and fee refund are both Friday, March 5, 2027.
20. Howard Spring Break 2027 is observed from Saturday, March 6, 2027, to Sunday, March 14, 2027. The university is closed.
21. The Final Enrollment Census Date is Friday, March 12, 2027.
22. Senior Comprehensive Examinations for College of Arts and Sciences prospective graduates are held on Saturday, March 27, 2027.
23. Mental Health Day is observed on Friday, April 2, 2027. The university is closed.
24. The last day to withdraw from a Spring 2027 course or complete a total withdrawal from the university without a refund is Friday, April 9, 2027. This is also the deadline for prospective Spring 2027 graduates to apply for graduation through BisonHub.
25. Final Examinations for prospective Spring 2027 graduates are held from Tuesday, April 20, 2027, to Thursday, April 22, 2027.
26. Classes end on Monday, April 26, 2027. This is also the deadline for instructors to submit grades for Spring 2027 prospective graduates and for students to clear Fall 2026 incomplete grades.
27. The Reading Period is held from Tuesday, April 27, 2027, to Wednesday, April 28, 2027.
28. The deadline for instructors to submit Grade Changes in BisonHub for removal of Fall 2026 incomplete grades is Wednesday, April 28, 2027.
29. Departmental Examinations are held from Thursday, April 29, 2027, to Friday, April 30, 2027.
30. Final Examinations are held from Monday, May 3, 2027, to Friday, May 7, 2027.
31. The Spring 2027 Semester ends on Friday, May 7, 2027.
32. Commencement is held on Saturday, May 8, 2027, at 10:00 A.M. in the Upper Quadrangle on the Main Campus. This is the official graduation date for all Spring 2027 degree recipients.
33. The deadline for receipt of Spring 2027 Graduation Recommendations in the Office of the Registrar is Friday, May 28, 2027.

For more on the Howard Academic Calendar 2026-2027, visit the Howard University calendar website.