Wellesley Academic Calendar 2026-2027: Important Dates

Wellesley academic calendar 2026-2027 provides the official schedule of instructional start dates, registration access periods, add/drop deadlines, campus traditions, and examination periods for students and faculty at Wellesley College.

Wellesley College operates on a rigorous semester-based academic calendar divided into two primary 13-to-14-week instructional terms: the Fall Semester (running early September through mid-December) and the Spring Semester (spanning late January through mid-May).

The curriculum is structured around Wellesley units, where one standard course unit is equivalent to four semester credit hours.

Full-time undergraduate students typically enroll in 4 units per semester to maintain steady momentum toward fulfilling the 32-unit bachelor’s degree requirement.

Between primary terms in January, the college hosts an intensive 3-week Wintersession alongside multi-week summer courses, enabling students to participate in specialized workshops, complete research, or fulfill prerequisite requirements.

This comprehensive overview outlines essential administrative checkpoints and enrollment milestones across the entire academic cycle.

You will find verified timelines for advance course registration in Workday, cross-registration filing deadlines with partner institutions (such as MIT, Babson, and Olin), the official add/drop cutoffs, Credit/Noncredit grading option deadlines, and final course withdrawal dates.

In addition to classroom instruction schedules, this guide highlights key institutional recesses—including Labor Day, Fall Break, Thanksgiving break, winter recess, and the official spring break—as well as milestone campus events like the Tanner Conference and the Ruhlman Conference.

Wellesley Academic Calendar Fall 2026

1. Entering international student move-in takes place on Friday, August 21, 2026.
2. Entering international student orientation runs from Saturday, August 22, 2026, through Tuesday, August 25, 2026, concluding at noon on Tuesday.
3. Entering domestic student move-in takes place on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
4. New student orientation runs from Wednesday, August 26, 2026, through Saturday, August 29, 2026.
5. Returning student move-in starts at 9:00 AM, and first-year student course registration occurs from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM on Friday, August 28, 2026.
6. Fall classes start on August 31, 2026.
7. Fall 2026 registration reopens at 8:00 AM Eastern Time, and the deadline to submit Spring and Summer 2026 incomplete work to instructors is 4:00 PM on Monday, August 31, 2026.
8. Convocation takes place on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
9. The deadline to complete make-up exams for Spring or Summer courses with a temporary incomplete grade is Friday, September 4, 2026.
10. There are no classes on Monday, September 7, 2026, in observance of Labor Day.
11. Final grades for Spring and Summer temporary incompletes are due from instructors at 12:00 PM, and the Fall course add deadline is 4:00 PM on Friday, September 11, 2026.
12. The credit/noncredit grading option deadline and the Fall course drop deadline both occur at 4:00 PM on Friday, September 25, 2026.
13. There are no classes on Monday, October 12, 2026, in observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
14. Fall Break takes place with no classes held on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. Classes resume on Wednesday, October 14, 2026.
15. October 2026 degrees are conferred on Friday, October 23, 2026.
16. Friends and Family Weekend takes place from Friday, October 23, 2026, through Sunday, October 25, 2026.
17. The Tanner Conference takes place, with no classes held on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
18. Spring 2027 registration runs from Tuesday, November 10, 2026, through Friday, November 13, 2026.
19. Thanksgiving Break takes place with no classes held from Wednesday, November 25, 2026, through Friday, November 27, 2026.
20. Lake Day make-up day occurs; the Fall course withdrawal deadline is 4:00 PM, and classes end on Wednesday, December 9, 2026.
21. The reading period runs from Thursday, December 10, 2026, through Sunday, December 13, 2026.
22. Final examinations begin on Monday, December 14, 2026.
23. Final examinations end, and final papers are due at 4:00 PM on Thursday, December 17, 2026.
24. Residence halls close at 12:00 PM on Friday, December 18, 2026.

Wellesley Academic Calendar Spring 2027

1. There are no classes on Friday, January 1, 2027, in observance of New Year’s Day.
2. Winter session begins on Monday, January 4, 2027.
3. Fall grades are due from instructors at 12:00 PM; Fall grades become available to students in Workday at 4:00 PM, and the deadline to add a Wintersession course is 4:00 PM on Monday, January 4, 2027.
4. The deadline to drop a Wintersession course and the deadline to declare credit/noncredit grading for Wintersession courses occur at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, January 5, 2027.
5. There are no classes on Monday, January 18, 2027, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
6. Wintersession ends, and the deadline to withdraw from a Wintersession course is 4:00 PM on Thursday, January 21, 2027.
7. The January 2027 degree conferral date is Friday, January 22, 2027.
8. Residence halls open at 9:00 AM on Saturday, January 23, 2027.
9. Spring classes start, Spring 2027 registration reopens at 8:00 AM, and the deadline to submit Fall and Winter incomplete work to instructors is 4:00 PM on Monday, January 25, 2027.
10. Winter session grades are due from instructors at 12:00 PM; Winter session grades become available in Workday at 4:00 PM, and the deadline to complete make-up exams for Fall or Winter courses with temporary incomplete grades falls on Friday, January 29, 2027.
11. Final grades for Fall and Winter temporary incompletes are due from instructors at 12:00 PM, and the Spring course add deadline is 4:00 PM on Friday, February 5, 2027.
12. The senior deadline to add or drop a major or minor is Friday, February 12, 2027.
13. There are no classes on Monday, February 15, 2027, in observance of Presidents’ Day.
14. Classes follow a Monday schedule on Tuesday, February 16, 2027.
15. The Spring course drop deadline and the credit/noncredit grading option deadline both occur at 4:00 PM on Friday, February 19, 2027.
16. Spring Break takes place with no classes held from Monday, March 22, 2027, through Friday, March 26, 2027.
17. Classes resume on Monday, March 29, 2027.
18. Honors theses are due at 12:00 PM on Friday, April 9, 2027.
19. The Ruhlman Conference takes place, with no classes held on Wednesday, April 14, 2027.
20. There are no classes on Monday, April 19, 2027, in observance of Patriots’ Day.
21. Spring classes end, and the Spring course withdrawal deadline is 4:00 PM on Wednesday, May 5, 2027.
22. The reading period runs from Thursday, May 6, 2027, through Sunday, May 9, 2027.
23. Final examinations begin on Monday, May 10, 2027.
24. Final examinations end, and final papers are due at 4:00 PM on Thursday, May 13, 2027.
25. Residence halls close at 12:00 PM on Friday, May 14, 2027.
26. Senior grades are due from instructors at 12:00 PM, and Spring grades become available in Workday at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, May 18, 2027.
27. Commencement takes place, and residence halls close to graduating seniors at 5:00 PM on Friday, May 21, 2027.
28. Final Spring grades for non-graduating students are due from instructors at 12:00 PM on Wednesday, May 26, 2027.
29. The college observes Memorial Day with no classes held on Monday, May 31, 2027.

For more on the Wellesley College Academic Calendar 2026-2027, visit the Wellesley College Office of the Registrar website.