The UC Merced Academic Calendar 2025–2026 outlines all essential academic dates covering enrollment deadlines, registration periods, add/drop windows, tuition due dates, final exams, and official campus holidays.
Whether you’re a first-year student, transfer, or continuing Bobcat, knowing UC Merced’s important dates is key to staying on track.
UC Merced follows the University of California’s semester system, with two main academic terms and an optional summer session:
- Fall Semester (August – December): Includes 15 weeks of instruction + 1 week for final exams. It begins in late August and ends in mid-to-late December, with Thanksgiving Break and Veterans Day as key holidays.
- Spring Semester (January – May): Mirrors Fall with 15 weeks of classes + finals week. Starts mid-January (after Martin Luther King Jr. Day) and concludes in mid-May. Features a Spring Break around March.
- Summer Session(s) (May – August): Multiple options (Session A, B, or full session), ideal for accelerating degree progress, retaking courses, or earning credits over break.
Use the UC Merced academic calendar to stay on top of:
- First and last day of instruction
- Course add/drop and withdrawal deadlines
- Pass/No Pass grading option cutoffs
- Enrollment appointment periods via MyRegistration
- Fee payment deadlines to avoid late charges or disenrollment
- Final exam periods and reading days
- Official university-observed holidays
Whether you’re planning around Bobcat Day, preparing for midterms, or balancing a summer internship, the UC Merced term schedule ensures you’re always informed and prepared.
Stay synced with UC Merced’s official deadlines so you can focus on thriving academically to commencement.
Table of Contents
UC Merced Academic Calendar Fall 2025
The following are the important dates and deadlines for Fall 2025 from the UC Merced Academic Calendar 2025–2026.
- The Fall Semester begins on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.
- Fall instruction begins on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.
- The first Fall 8-week session runs from Wednesday, August 27, 2025, to Sunday, October 19, 2025.
- Labor Day is observed on Monday, September 1, 2025, and the university will be closed.
- The last day to add or drop courses for the Fall semester is Wednesday, September 17, 2025.
- The second Fall 8-week session runs from Monday, October 20, 2025, to Friday, December 12, 2025.
- Mid-semester grades are due by noon on Tuesday, October 21, 2025.
- The deadline to withdraw from a course for the Fall semester is Wednesday, November 5, 2025.
- Veterans Day is observed on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, and the university will be closed.
- Wednesday, November 26, 2025, is a non-instructional day.
- Thanksgiving Break will be observed from Thursday, November 27, to Friday, November 28, 2025.
- Fall instruction ends on Friday, December 12, 2025.
- Final exams for the Fall semester take place on Saturday, December 13, and from Monday, December 15, through Friday, December 19, 2025.
- The Fall Semester officially ends on Friday, December 19, 2025.
- The Graduate Fall Commencement Ceremony will be held on Friday, December 19, 2025.
- The Undergraduate Fall Commencement Ceremony will take place on Saturday, December 20, 2025.
- Final grades for the Fall semester are due by noon on Tuesday, December 23, 2025.
UC Merced Academic Calendar Spring 2026
The following are the important dates and deadlines for Spring 2026 from the UC Merced Academic Calendar 2025–2026.
- Registration for Spring 2026 courses takes place from Monday, November 3, to Friday, November 14, 2025.
- The Spring Semester begins on Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be observed on Monday, January 19, 2026.
- Spring instruction begins on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
- The last day to add or drop Spring courses is Monday, February 9, 2026.
- Presidents’ Day will be observed on Monday, February 16, 2026.
- Mid-semester grades for Spring are due by noon on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
- UC Merced Spring Break 2026 runs from Monday, March 23, to Thursday, March 26, 2026. Cesar Chavez Day will be observed on Friday, March 27, 2026.
- The deadline to withdraw from a Spring course is Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
- Fall 2026 course registration takes place from Monday, April 6, to Friday, April 17, 2026.
- Spring instruction ends on Friday, May 8, 2026.
- Final exams for the Spring semester are scheduled for Saturday, May 9, and from Monday, May 11, to Friday, May 15, 2026.
- The Spring Semester officially ends on Friday, May 15, 2026.
- The Graduate Spring Commencement Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 15, 2026.
- The Undergraduate Spring Commencement Ceremonies will take place on Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17, 2026.
- Final grades for the Spring semester are due by noon on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
UC Merced Academic Calendar Summer 2026
The following are the important dates and deadlines for Summer 2026 from the UC Merced Academic Calendar 2025–2026.
- Summer 2026 course registration occurs from Monday, February 23, to Friday, February 27, 2026.
- Memorial Day is observed on Monday, May 25, 2026.
- Summer Session A (First Six-Week Session) runs from Tuesday, May 26, to Thursday, July 2, 2026.
- Summer Session D (Twelve-Week Session) runs from Tuesday, May 26, to Friday, August 14, 2026.
- Summer Session B (Eight-Week Session) runs from Monday, June 22, to Friday, August 14, 2026.
- Juneteenth is observed on Friday, June 19, 2026.
- Summer Session C (Second Six-Week Session) runs from Monday, July 6, to Friday, August 14, 2026.
- Independence Day is observed on Friday, July 3, 2026.
For more on the UC Merced Academic Calendar 2025-2026 and to download the PDF, visit the University of California, Merced Calendar website.
