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:
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} |