Harvard Academic Calendar 2026‑2027: Important Dates

The Harvard Academic Calendar 2026‑2027 is your central hub for every crucial deadline from enrollment and course registration windows, tuition payment due dates, and add/drop cut‑offs, to university holidays and final exam periods.

The Harvard University academic calendar helps students plan around Harvard term dates, lock in their course selection during Registration Period, and never miss the last day to withdraw without “W” or the start of Summer School.

Harvard College and the School of Arts & Sciences operate on a two‑semester system:

• Fall Semester (mid‑September to mid‑December; roughly 14 weeks of instruction + a one‑week Reading Period and finals)
• Spring Semester (mid‑January to early May; 14 instructional weeks + one Reading Period and finals)

Harvard Extension School and Harvard Summer School run Summer Sessions (June through August) with multiple accelerated modules ideal for makeup courses or accelerated study.

Harvard’s terms are governed by NECHE accreditation rules requiring at least 62 instructional days per term, with a minimum of 12 Mondays, 12 Tuesdays, etc., resulting in an approximate 15‑week semester (14 instructional weeks plus Reading Period and finals).

Fall term starts the week of Labor Day: if Labor Day falls later, classes begin the Wednesday before (on a Monday schedule); if earlier, they start the Tuesday after.

For continuing Griffin GSAS students, fall term officially begins on July 1. The Reading Period is flexibly 5–7 days, and the exam period spans about 9 days (excluding Sundays), ending before winter move‑out and never on a Monday.

Spring term kicks off on the fourth Monday of January, concluding roughly 18 weeks later with Thursday Commencement.

Whether you’re mapping out your full 15‑week semester, scheduling around variable holidays like Veterans Day and Thanksgiving, or planning GSAS summer work, the Harvard Academic Calendar 2026‑2027 is your authoritative guide to every date and deadline.

Harvard Academic Calendar Spring 2027

1. Course registration begins Wednesday, November 4, 2026.
2. Course registration deadline is Wednesday, November 18, 2026.
3. Check-in deadline for all students is Monday, January 25, 2027.
4. Spring term begins Monday, January 25, 2027.
5. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is Monday, January 18, 2027. The university is closed.
6. Presidents’ Day is Monday, February 15, 2027. The university is closed.
7. Harvard Spring Break 2027 begins Saturday, March 13, 2027, and ends Sunday, March 21, 2027.
8. The last day of spring classes is Wednesday, April 28, 2027.
9. Reading period begins Thursday, April 29, 2027, and ends Wednesday, May 5, 2027.
10. Spring term final examinations begin Thursday, May 6, 2027, and end Saturday, May 15, 2027.
11. Harvard University Commencement is Thursday, May 27, 2027.
12. Memorial Day is Monday, May 31, 2027. The university is closed.
13. Juneteenth is Friday, June 18, 2027 (observed).
14. Summer school begins Monday, June 21, 2027.
15. Independence Day is Monday, July 5, 2027 (observed).
16. Summer school ends Friday, August 6, 2027.

For more on the Harvard Academic Calendar, visit the Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences Registrar’s Office, which is part of the FAS Office of Student Services, serving Harvard College, Harvard Griffin GSAS, and SEAS.