Academic Calendar
Fall Semester 2023
All dates and deadlines (noted below) are for semester full-term courses. PLEASE NOTE: Part of Term Courses have different dates and deadlines that are posted on the Part of Term Courses web page.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Sunday - Saturday, August 13 - 19, 2023 | Orientation Week for New Students |
| Monday, August 14, 2023 | Fall Registration: Course Request Period begins for incoming undergraduate students |
| Thursday, August 17, 2023 | Deadline: Course Request Period ends for incoming undergraduate students at 12:00 p.m.
Fall Registration: Add/Drop Period begins for incoming graduate students at 5:00 p.m. Fall Registration: Add/Drop Period begins for incoming undergraduate students at 7:00 p.m. |
| Monday, August 21, 2023 | FIRST DAY OF CLASSES - START OF THE FALL SEMESTER
BEGINNING OF INSTRUCTION |
| Monday - Friday, August 21 - September 1, 2023 | Fall Registration Continues: Late Registration continues for undergraduate, graduate, and visiting students; Late Registration Fee increases to $125 |
| Friday, August 25, 2023 | Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit final grades to resolve "Incomplete" (INC) grades for courses taken in previous Spring semester
Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit final grades to resolve "Other" (OT) and "Incomplete" (INC) grades for courses taken in previous Summer semester |
| Friday, September 1, 2023 | Deadline: Last day to add courses online via ESTHER
Deadline: Last day to adjust variable credit for courses online via ESTHER Deadline: Last day to complete late registration online via ESTHER Deadline: Last day to convert a "Pass/Fail" to an earned letter grade for courses taken in previous Spring or Summer semester Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 100% refund of tuition and fees Deadline: Last day for tuition adjustment for part-time students |
| Monday, September 4, 2023 | LABOR DAY (HOLIDAY - NO SCHEDULED CLASSES) |
| Friday, September 8, 2023 | Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 70% refund of tuition |
| Friday, September 15, 2023 | Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 60% refund of tuition |
| Friday, September 22, 2023 | Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 50% refund of tuition |
| Friday, September 29, 2023 | Graduation Deadline: Last day for undergraduate-level students to submit an online Application for Degree for December (Fall) degree conferral with the Office of the Registrar via ESTHER
Graduation Deadline: Last day for graduate-level students to submit an online Application for Degree for December (Fall) degree conferral with the Office of the Registrar via ESTHER Graduation Deadline: Last day for graduate-level December (Fall) degree candidates to file the following applicable forms in the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (see GPS Forms page) for December (Fall) degree conferral:
Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 40% refund of tuition |
| Sunday, October 1, 2023 | Deadline: Last day to submit New Course Request Forms to the Academic Deans for SCRC review (for new courses in the upcoming Spring semester) |
| Friday, October 6, 2023 | Deadline: Last day to drop courses online via ESTHER (full-term courses)
Deadline: Last day to designate as "Audit" a course in which one is currently registered for credit (via Special Registration Form; Instructor Permission Required) Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit Mid-Semester Grades for first-year undergraduate students online via ESTHER Deadline: College course plans due to Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) for following Spring semester Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 30% refund of tuition |
| Monday - Tuesday, October 9 - 10, 2023 | MIDTERM RECESS (NO SCHEDULED CLASSES) |
| Friday, October 13, 2023 | Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 20% refund of tuition |
| Friday, October 20, 2023 | Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 10% refund of tuition |
| Wednesday, October 25, 2023 | Graduation Deadline: Last day for Rice faculty Official Certifiers to review, submit petitions, and certify undergraduate and graduate-level December (Fall) degree candidates via Degree Works |
| Friday, October 27, 2023 | Deadline: Last day to designate a full-term course status to "Pass/Fail" option
Graduation Deadline: Last day for undergraduate-level December (Fall) degree candidates to declare any additional major, minor or university certificates, if applicable Graduation Deadline: Last day for undergraduate-level students to submit an online Application for Degree for a May (Spring) degree conferral with the Office of the Registrar via ESTHER Spring Registration: Spring 2024 Course Schedule published to courses.rice.edu Spring Registration: Course Request Period begins for undergraduate students |
| Wednesday, November 1, 2023 | Advising Day to be held in the residential colleges from 11:30am-1:30pm. More information here. |
| Wednesday, November 8, 2023 | Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit textbook orders for upcoming Spring to 1545txt@follett.com |
| Friday, November 10, 2023 | Spring Registration: Course Request Period ends for undergraduate students at 5:00 p.m. |
| Monday, November 13, 2023 | Spring Registration: Spring Registration begins for currently enrolled graduate and undergraduate professional (BArch) students at 5:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday, November 15, 2023 | Spring Registration: Add/Drop Period begins for undergraduate students at 7:00 a.m. |
| Friday, November 17, 2023 | Deadline: Last day to register for the upcoming Spring semester without a $75 Late Registration Fee |
| Saturday, November 18, 2023 | Late Registration Begins: Continuing students that have not registered for any Spring classes are charged a $75 Late Registration Fee to add classes |
| Wednesday - Friday, November 22 - 24, 2023 | THANKSGIVING RECESS (HOLIDAY - NO SCHEDULED CLASSES) |
| Friday, December 1, 2023 | LAST DAY OF CLASSES |
| Friday, December 1, 2023 | Deadline: Last day to drop courses (for Fall undergraduate matriculants only) - students must go to the Office of the Registrar or submit the Special Registration Form to registrar@rice.edu by 4:00 p.m.
Graduation Deadline: Last day for graduate-level students to submit thesis in the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for December (Fall) degree conferral by 12:00 noon |
| Saturday, December 2 - 5, 2023 | Study Days (NO EXAMS) |
| Tuesday, December 5, 2023 | GRADUATION: December Commencement Ceremony (for Summer and Fall 2023 degree recipients). Please visit commencement.rice.edu for more information |
| Wednesday - Tuesday, December 6 - 12, 2023 | Final Examinations for all undergraduate courses |
| Friday, December 8, 2023 | Summer Registration: Registration for Summer 2024 begins for currently enrolled degree-seeking Rice undergraduate and graduate students via ESTHER
Applications: Visiting student application process opens for Summer 2024 |
| Tuesday, December 12, 2023 | END OF FALL SEMESTER |
| Wednesday, December 20, 2023 | Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit Final Grades for all students online via ESTHER |
| Friday, January 5, 2024 | GRADUATION: Degrees Awarded for December (Fall) degree recipients {with a degree conferral date of December 30, 2023} |