Academic Calendar
Fall Semester 2028

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 11, 2028 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 13 - 19, 2028 Orientation Week for New Students
Monday, August 14, 2028 Fall Registration: Course Request Period begins for new (incoming) undergraduate students
Thursday, August 17, 2028 Deadline: Course Request Period ends for new (incoming) undergraduate students at 1:00 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 8:00 p.m.
Friday, August 18, 2028 Fall Registration: Add/Drop Period re-opens for continuing undergraduate, undergraduate professional (BArch), and graduate students at 8:00 a.m.
Monday, August 21, 2028 FIRST DAY OF CLASSES - START OF THE FALL SEMESTER
BEGINNING OF INSTRUCTION
Monday - Friday, August 21 - September 1, 2028 Fall Registration Continues: Late Registration continues for undergraduate, graduate, and visiting students; Late Registration Fee increases to $125
Friday, August 25, 2028 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, 2028 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 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, 2028 LABOR DAY (HOLIDAY - NO SCHEDULED CLASSES)
Friday, September 8, 2028 Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 70% refund of tuition
Friday, September 15, 2028 Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 60% refund of tuition
Friday, September 22, 2028 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
Friday, September 29, 2028 Deadline: Last day to submit New Course Request Forms to the Academic Deans for SCRC review (for new courses in the upcoming Spring semester)
Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 40% refund of tuition
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
Friday, October 6, 2028 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 p.m.
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, 2028 MIDTERM RECESS (NO SCHEDULED CLASSES)
Friday, October 13, 2028 Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 20% refund of tuition
Friday, October 20, 2028 Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 10% refund of tuition
Wednesday, October 25, 2028 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, 2028

Deadline: Last day to designate a (full-term) course status to "Pass/Fail" online via ESTHER

Spring Registration: Spring 2029 Course Schedule published to courses.rice.edu

Spring Registration: Course Request Period begins for undergraduate students

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 May (Spring) degree conferral with the Office of the Registrar via ESTHER
Monday, November 6, 2028 Advising Day with Divisional Advisors to be held in the residential colleges from 11:45am-1:15pm. More information here.
Monday - Friday, November 6 - 10, 2028 Advising Weeks with departmental advising sessions. More information here
Wednesday, November 8, 2028 Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit textbook orders for upcoming Spring to 1545txt@follett.com
Friday, November 10, 2028 Spring Registration: Course Request Period ends for undergraduate students at 5:00 p.m.
Monday, November 13, 2028 Spring Registration: Spring Registration begins for currently enrolled graduate and undergraduate professional (BArch) students at 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 15, 2028 Spring Registration: Add/Drop Period begins for undergraduate students at 7:00 a.m.
Friday, November 17, 2028 Deadline: Last day to register for the upcoming Spring semester without a $75 Late Registration Fee
Saturday, November 18, 2028 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, 2028 THANKSGIVING RECESS (HOLIDAY - NO SCHEDULED CLASSES)
Friday, December 1, 2028 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 1, 2028 LAST DAY OF CLASSES
END OF INSTRUCTION
Saturday - Tuesday, December 2 - 5, 2028 Study Days (NO EXAMS)
Monday, December 4, 2028 GRADUATION: December Commencement Ceremony (for Summer and Fall 2028 degree recipients). Please visit commencement.rice.edu for more information.
Wednesday - Tuesday, December 6 - 12, 2028 Final Examinations for all undergraduate courses
Tuesday, December 12, 2028 END OF THE FALL SEMESTER
Friday, December 15, 2028 Summer Registration: Course Registration for Summer 2029 begins for currently enrolled degree-seeking Rice undergraduate and graduate students online via ESTHER
Applications: Visiting student application process opens for Summer 2029
Tuesday, December 19, 2028 Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit Final Grades for all students online via ESTHER by 5:00 p.m.
Graduation Deadline: Last day for undergraduate and graduate-level December (Fall) degree candidates to submit non-Rice final transcript for transfer credit for December (Fall) degree conferral, if applicable
Monday, January 1, 2029 Graduation Deadline: Last day for undergraduate-level December (Fall) degree candidates to convert a "Pass/Fail" to an earned letter grade for courses taken in Fall semester
Friday, January 5, 2029 GRADUATION: Degrees Awarded for December (Fall) degree recipients
{with a degree conferral date of December 30, 2028}