Academic Calendar
Fall Semester 2025

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
Friday, August 15, 2025 Fall Registration: Add/Drop Period for continuing undergraduate, undergraduate professional (BArch), and graduate students pauses at 5:00 p.m. to allow for O-Week Registration
Sunday - Saturday, August 17 - 23, 2025 Orientation Week for New Students
Monday, August 18, 2025 Fall Registration: Course Request Period begins for incoming undergraduate students
Thursday, August 21, 2025 Deadline: Course Request Period ends for incoming undergraduate students at 12:00 p.m.
Fall Registration: Course Registration begins for new (incoming) undergraduate professional (BArch) and graduate students at 5:00 p.m.
Fall Registration: Add/Drop Period begins for incoming undergraduate students at 7:00 p.m.
Friday, August 22, 2025 Fall Registration: Add/Drop Period re-opens for continuing undergraduate, undergraduate professional (BArch), and graduate students at 8:00 a.m.
Monday, August 25, 2025 FIRST DAY OF CLASSES - START OF THE FALL SEMESTER
BEGINNING OF INSTRUCTION
Monday - Friday, August 25 - September 5, 2025 Fall Registration Continues: Late Registration continues for undergraduate, graduate, and visiting students; Late Registration Fee increases to $125
Friday, August 29, 2025 Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit final grades to resolve "Incomplete" (INC) grades for courses taken in the previous Spring semester
Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit final grades to resolve "Other" (OT) and "Incomplete" (INC) grades for courses taken in the previous Summer semester
Monday, September 1, 2025 LABOR DAY (HOLIDAY - NO SCHEDULED CLASSES)
Friday, September 5, 2025 Deadline: Last day to add (full-term) 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 the 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
Friday, September 12, 2025 Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 70% refund of tuition
Friday, September 19, 2025 Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 60% refund of tuition
Friday, September 26, 2025 Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 50% refund of tuition
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
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 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 3, 2025 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:
  • Thesis Master's Candidacy Petition Form
  • Non-Thesis Master's Petition for Certification Form
  • Candidacy Master's Degree Form
  • Doctoral Candidacy Petition Form

Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 40% refund of tuition
Friday, October 10, 2025 Deadline: Last day to drop (full-term) courses online via ESTHER
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 by 5:00 pm
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 13 - 14, 2025 MIDTERM RECESS (NO SCHEDULED CLASSES)
Friday, October 17, 2025 Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 20% refund of tuition
Friday, October 24, 2025 Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 10% refund of tuition
Wednesday, October 29, 2025 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 31, 2025 Deadline: Last day to designate a (full-term) course to "Pass/Fail" online via ESTHER
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 Application for Degree for May (Spring) degree conferral with the Office of the Registrar via ESTHER
Spring Registration: Spring 2026 Course Schedule published to courses.rice.edu
Spring Registration: Course Request Period begins for undergraduate students
Wednesday, November 12, 2025 Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit textbook orders for upcoming Spring to 1545txt@follett.com
Friday, November 14, 2025 Spring Registration: Course Request Period ends for undergraduate students at 5:00 p.m.
Monday, November 17, 2025 Spring Registration: Spring Registration begins for currently enrolled graduate and undergraduate professional (BArch) students at 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 Spring Registration: Add/Drop Period begins for undergraduate students at 7:00 a.m.
Friday, November 21, 2025 Deadline: Last day to register for the upcoming Spring semester without a $75 Late Registration Fee
Saturday, November 22, 2025 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 26 - 28, 2025 THANKSGIVING RECESS (HOLIDAY - NO SCHEDULED CLASSES)
Friday, December 5, 2025 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
Friday, December 5, 2025 LAST DAY OF CLASSES
END OF INSTRUCTION
Saturday - Tuesday, December 6 - 9, 2025 Study Days (NO EXAMS)
Tuesday, December 9, 2025 GRADUATION: December Commencement Ceremony (for Summer and Fall 2025 degree recipients). For information, please visit commencement.rice.edu
Wednesday - Tuesday, December 10 - 16, 2025 Final Examinations for all undergraduate courses
Tuesday, December 16, 2025 END OF THE FALL SEMESTER
Friday, December 19, 2025 Summer Registration: Registration for Summer 2026 begins for currently enrolled degree-seeking Rice undergraduate and graduate students via ESTHER
Applications: Visiting student application process opens for Summer 2026
Wednesday, December 23, 2025 Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit Final Grades for all students online via ESTHER
Friday, January 9, 2026 GRADUATION: Degrees Awarded for December (Fall) degree recipients
{with a degree conferral date of December 30, 2025}