VCU Academic Calendar 2025‑2026: Important Dates

The VCU Academic Calendar 2025‑2026 is your one‑stop guide for every essential date and deadline from VCU enrollment and registration windows, tuition payment due dates, and course add/drop periods to campus holidays and final exam schedules.

By consulting the Virginia Commonwealth University academic calendar, Rams can lock in VCU term dates, navigate the VCU exam schedule, monitor VCU registration deadlines, and never miss the last day to withdraw without a “W”, ensuring smooth academic and financial planning at VCU.

Virginia Commonwealth University operates on a traditional semester system:

• Fall Semester: A 15‑week term (14 instructional weeks + one finals week), starting in late August and concluding just before the winter break.
• Spring Semester: Mirrors Fall with 15 weeks of instruction plus finals, kicking off after Martin Luther King Jr. Day and wrapping up in early May with a mid‑semester Spring Break.
• Summer Sessions: Flexible options—Summer A (6 weeks), Summer B (6 weeks), and the Full Summer Session (12 weeks), each with its own registration, add/drop, and fee‑payment deadlines for accelerated study or catch‑up courses.

Keep the VCU Academic Calendar 2025‑2026 front and center so you can focus on thriving both in the lecture hall and across the Monroe Park campus.

VCU Academic Calendar Fall 2025

1. New international student orientation begins on Wednesday, August 13, 2025.
2. New graduate student orientation and New Student Convocation occur on Monday, August 18, 2025.
3. VCU Fall 2025 classes begin on Tuesday, August 19, 2025. It is the first day of classes. MCV campus students should follow their departmental schedule.
4. The add/drop and late registration period runs from Tuesday, August 19, 2025, through Monday, August 25, 2025.
5. Faculty Convocation is held on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.
6. Progress reports for undergraduate students in need of academic support are due between Tuesday, August 26, 2025, and Monday, September 15, 2025.
7. The deadline for dean/departmental offices to submit all approved undergraduate change of major requests effective for the fall 2025 semester is Wednesday, August 27, 2025.
8. The deadline for students to provide advance written notification to instructors of intent to observe religious holidays is Friday, August 29, 2025.
9. The University is closed on Monday, September 1, 2025, for Labor Day.
10. The last day for degree candidates to submit graduation applications for December degrees is Friday, September 5, 2025.
11. September Miniterm classes begin on Monday, September 8, 2025; the last day to add or drop September Miniterm classes is Tuesday, September 9, 2025.
12. Fall Miniterm classes begin on Monday, September 22, 2025; the last day to add or drop Fall Miniterm classes is Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
13. September Miniterm classes end on Friday, October 10, 2025; this is also the last day to withdraw from September Miniterm classes or choose the Pass/Fail option.
14. A reading day with no classes held on the Monroe Park campus occurs on Friday, October 17, 2025.
15. Midterm grades are due on Friday, October 17, 2025.
16. October Miniterm classes begin on Monday, October 20, 2025; the last day to add or drop October Miniterm classes is Tuesday, October 21, 2025.
17. Spring semester advance registration begins on Tuesday, October 28, 2025.
18. The last day to withdraw from a full-semester course with a mark of “W” on both campuses is Friday, October 31, 2025.
19. The deadline to request the Pass/Fail option for courses is Friday, October 31, 2025.
20. The University is closed on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.
21. The University is open and classes are in session on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, in observance of Veterans Day.
22. Fall Miniterm classes end on Friday, November 14, 2025; this is also the last day to withdraw from Fall Miniterm classes or choose the Pass/Fail option.
23. October Miniterm classes end on Friday, November 21, 2025; this is also the last day to withdraw from October Miniterm classes or choose the Pass/Fail option.
24. VCU Fall break 2025, with no classes held on the Monroe Park campus, runs from Monday, November 24, 2025, through Sunday, November 30, 2025 (University offices are open November 24-26).
25. The University closes at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, and remains closed through Sunday, November 30, 2025; MCV campus students should follow their departmental schedule.
26. The last day to defend a thesis or dissertation for graduate students planning to graduate in Fall 2025 is Friday, November 28, 2025; students should check with their graduate program director regarding internal submission deadlines.
27. Classes end for the MCV campus on Friday, December 5, 2025.
28. The last day for grades of incomplete from the spring semester or summer sessions to be converted is Monday, December 8, 2025.
29. Classes end for the Monroe Park Campus on Monday, December 8, 2025.
30. Final examinations for the MCV campus are held from Monday, December 8, 2025, through Friday, December 12, 2025.
31. Final examinations for the Monroe Park campus are held from Tuesday, December 9, 2025, through Tuesday, December 16, 2025.
32. December School and Departmental commencement ceremonies occur from Thursday, December 11, 2025, through Sunday, December 14, 2025.
33. The final deadline to submit all materials for the thesis/dissertation to the Graduate School is Friday, December 12, 2025, including the ETD form, upload to VCU Scholars Compass, and the Survey of Earned Doctorates (for Ph.D. students only).
34. The December universitywide commencement ceremony is held on Saturday, December 13, 2025.
35. Final grades are due by 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Thursday, December 18, 2025, using Faculty eServices.
36. The official date for certifying December diplomas is Saturday, December 20, 2025.
37. The University is closed from Monday, December 22, 2025, through Friday, January 2, 2026.
38. Holiday intersession classes begin on Saturday, December 27, 2025.
39. The deadline for students to provide advance written notification to instructors of intent to observe religious holidays during the holiday intersession is Tuesday, December 30, 2025.

VCU Academic Calendar Spring 2026

1. The University is closed from Monday, December 22, 2025, through Friday, January 2, 2026.
2. Holiday intersession classes end on Friday, January 9, 2026.
3. VCU Spring 2026 classes begin on Monday, January 12, 2026; MCV campus students should follow their departmental schedule.
4. The add/drop and late registration period runs from Monday, January 12, 2026, through Sunday, January 18, 2026.
5. The University is closed on Monday, January 19, 2026, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
6. The deadline for dean/departmental offices to submit all approved undergraduate change of major requests effective for the spring 2026 semester is Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
7. Progress reports for undergraduate students in need of academic support are due between Tuesday, January 20, 2026, and Monday, February 9, 2026.
8. The last day for degree candidates to submit graduation applications for May degrees is Friday, January 23, 2026.
9. The deadline for students to provide advance written notification to instructors of intent to observe religious holidays is Friday, January 23, 2026.
10. February Miniterm classes begin on Monday, February 2, 2026; the last day to add or drop February Miniterm classes is Tuesday, February 3, 2026.
11. Summer semester advance registration begins on Tuesday, February 10, 2026.
12. Spring Miniterm classes begin on Monday, February 16, 2026; the last day to add or drop Spring Miniterm classes is Tuesday, February 17, 2026.
13. February Miniterm classes end on Friday, March 6, 2026; this is also the last day to withdraw from February Miniterm classes or choose the Pass/Fail option.
14. VCU Spring break 2026 for both campuses runs from Sunday, March 8, 2026, through Sunday, March 15, 2026.
15. March Miniterm classes begin on Monday, March 16, 2026; the last day to add or drop March Miniterm classes is Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
16. Midterm grades are due on Friday, March 20, 2026.
17. Fall semester advance registration begins on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.
18. The deadline to request the Pass/Fail option for courses is Friday, April 3, 2026.
19. The last day to withdraw from a full-semester course with a mark of “W” on both campuses is Friday, April 3, 2026.
20. Spring Miniterm classes end on Friday, April 17, 2026; this is also the last day to withdraw from Spring Miniterm classes or choose the Pass/Fail option.
21. March Miniterm classes end on Friday, April 17, 2026; this is also the last day to withdraw from March Miniterm classes or choose the Pass/Fail option.
22. The last day to defend a thesis or dissertation for graduate students planning to graduate in Spring 2026 is Friday, April 24, 2026; students should check with their graduate program director regarding internal submission deadlines.
23. Classes end for the Monroe Park campus on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
24. A reading day for the Monroe Park campus occurs on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.
25. Final examinations for the Monroe Park campus are held from Thursday, April 30, 2026, through Thursday, May 7, 2026.
26. Classes end for the MCV campus on Friday, May 1, 2026.
27. The last day for grades of incomplete from the fall semester to be converted is Saturday, May 2, 2026.
28. Final examinations for the MCV campus are held from Monday, May 4, 2026, through Friday, May 8, 2026.
29. May School and Departmental commencement ceremonies will occur from Thursday, May 7, 2026, through Sunday, May 10, 2026.
30. The final deadline to submit all materials for the thesis/dissertation to the Graduate School is Friday, May 8, 2026, including the ETD form, upload to VCU Scholars Compass, and the Survey of Earned Doctorates (for Ph.D. students only).
31. The May universitywide commencement ceremony is held on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
32. Final grades are due by 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, using Faculty eServices.
33. The official date for certifying May diplomas is Saturday, May 16, 2026.

For more on the VCU Academic Calendar 2025-2026, visit the Virginia Commonwealth University Calendar website.