UTK Academic Calendar 2025‑2026: Important Dates

The UTK Academic Calendar 2025‑2026 is your go‑to resource for all key dates, enrollment and registration windows, tuition payment deadlines, course add/drop periods, campus holidays, final exam schedules, and Commencement ceremonies.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, operates a semester system.

• Fall Semester: Begins mid‑August, divided into two concurrent sessions (1st session: 7 weeks, 2nd session: 7 weeks), followed by a combined final exam week. Includes Labor Day, a short Fall Break, and Thanksgiving Recess before finals.
• Winter Mini‑Term: A two-week intensive session in early January, ideal for accelerated study or makeup courses, with its own add/drop and exam deadlines.
• Spring Semester: Starts in late January (after MLK Day) with two overlapping 7‑week sessions followed by a final exam week. Includes Spring Break and concludes in early May with Reading Day and Commencement ceremonies.
• May Mini‑Term & Summer Sessions: Offers multiple options: a two‑week May Mini, one 6‑week session, one 12‑week full session, and two additional 3‑week modules, each with its own registration, add/drop, holiday (Memorial and Juneteenth), and exam timelines.

Whether you’re planning your full-semester course load, fitting in a short-term intensive, or choosing the best summer block, the UTK Academic Calendar 2025‑2026 ensures every deadline from registration to graduation is front and center.

UTK Academic Calendar Fall 2025

1. Full and first session classes begin on Monday, August 18, 2025. It is the first day of classes.
2. Labor Day is observed on Monday, September 1, 2025; there are no classes on this date.
3. The first session ends on Friday, October 3, 2025.
4. UTK Fall Break, during which no classes are held, occurs from Monday, October 6, 2025, to Tuesday, October 7, 2025.
5. The second session begins on Wednesday, October 8, 2025.
6. Election Day falls on Tuesday, November 4, 2025; classes do not meet on this day.
7. The second session ends on Tuesday, November 25, 2025.
8. Thanksgiving Recess, with no classes, runs from Wednesday, November 26, 2025, to Friday, November 28, 2025.
9. The full session ends on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.
10. Study Day, with no classes or exams, is held on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.
11. Final examinations are conducted from Thursday, December 4, 2025, to Wednesday, December 10, 2025.
12. Graduate hooding and Commencement ceremonies take place on Friday, December 12, 2025.
13. The official degree conferral date, which appears on the transcript, is Saturday, December 13, 2025.

UTK Academic Calendar Winter 2026

1. Winter Mini-Term classes begin on Monday, January 5, 2026.
2. Winter Mini-Term classes end on Friday, January 16, 2026.
3. There is no commencement ceremony for the Winter Mini-Term, according to the UTK Academic Calendar.

UTK Academic Calendar Spring 2026

1. Full and first session classes begin on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
2. The first session ends on Friday, March 6, 2026.
3. UTK Spring Break 2026, with no classes, is observed from Monday, March 9, 2026, to Friday, March 13, 2026.
4. The second session begins on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
5. Easter Recess, during which no classes are held, runs from Thursday, April 2, 2026, to Friday, April 3, 2026.
6. Full and second session classes end on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
7. Study Day, with no classes or exams, is observed on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
8. Final examinations take place from Friday, May 8, 2026, to Thursday, May 14, 2026.
9. Graduate hooding and Commencement ceremonies are held from Friday, May 15, 2026, to Monday, May 18, 2026 (exact dates announced later).
10. The official degree conferral date is Saturday, May 16, 2026.

UTK Academic Calendar Summer 2026

1. The May Mini Term begins on Friday, May 15, 2026.
2. Memorial Day is observed on Monday, May 25, 2026; there are no classes on this holiday.
3. The first summer session begins on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
4. The May Mini Term ends on Friday, May 29, 2026.
5. Juneteenth is observed on Friday, June 19, 2026; there are no classes on this holiday.
6. The full summer session begins on Monday, June 22, 2026.
7. The first summer session ends on Wednesday, July 1, 2026.
8. Independence Day is observed with no classes on Thursday, July 2, 2026, and Friday, July 3, 2026.
9. The second summer session begins on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
10. The third summer session begins on Monday, July 13, 2026, and ends on Friday, July 24, 2026.
11. The full and second summer sessions conclude on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
12. The official degree conferral date for the summer term is Saturday, August 15, 2026.
13. There is no commencement ceremony for the summer term.

For more on the UTK Academic Calendar 2025-2026, visit the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Calendar website.