Academic Calendar
Spring 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
Monday, January 13, 2025 FIRST DAY OF CLASSES - START OF THE SPRING SEMESTER
BEGINNING OF INSTRUCTION
Monday - Friday, January 13 - 24, 2025 Spring Registration Continues: Late Registration continues for undergraduate, graduate, and visiting students; Late Registration Fee increases to $125
Friday, January 17, 2025 Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit final grades to resolve "Other" (OT) grades for courses taken in the previous Fall semester
Monday, January 20, 2025 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY (HOLIDAY - NO SCHEDULED CLASSES)
Friday, January 24, 2025 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 the previous Fall semester
Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit final grades to resolve "Incomplete" (INC) grades for courses taken in the previous Fall 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
Graduation Deadline: Last day for graduate-level students to submit an online Application for Degree for May (Spring) degree conferral with the Office of the Registrar via ESTHER
Friday, January 31, 2025 Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 70% refund of tuition
Friday, February 7, 2025 Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 60% refund of tuition
Thursday - Friday, February 13 - 14, 2025 SPRING RECESS (NO SCHEDULED CLASSES)
Friday, February 14, 2025 Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 50% refund of tuition
Wednesday, February 19, 2025 Graduation Deadline: Last day for Rice faculty Official Certifiers to review, submit petitions, and certify undergraduate and graduate-level May (Spring) degree candidates via Degree Works
Friday, February 21, 2025 Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 40% refund of tuition
Friday, February 28, 2025 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 by 5:00 pm
Deadline: College course plans due to the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) for the following Fall semester
Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit textbook orders for upcoming Summer to 1545txt@follett.com
Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 30% refund of tuition
Graduation Deadline: Last day for graduate-level May (Spring) degree candidates to file the following applicable forms in the Office of the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (see GPS Forms page) for May (Spring) degree conferral:
  • Thesis Master's Candidacy Petition Form
  • Non-Thesis Master's Petition Form
  • Candidacy Master's Degree Form
  • Doctoral Candidacy Petition Form
Saturday, March 1, 2025 Deadline: Last day to submit New Course Request Forms to the Academic Deans for SCRC review (for new courses in the upcoming Fall semester)
Friday, March 7, 2025 Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 20% refund of tuition
Friday, March 14, 2025 Deadline: Last day for second-year undergraduate students to formally declare their official major - students must bring the signed Declaration of Major Form to the Office of the Registrar, or submit the form to registrar@rice.edu by 4:00 p.m.
Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 10% refund of tuition
Saturday - Sunday, March 15 - 23, 2025 SPRING BREAK (NO SCHEDULED CLASSES)
Friday, March 28, 2025 Deadline: Last day to designate a (full-term) course status to "Pass/Fail" online via ESTHER
Deadline: Last day to drop courses (for 1st year, 2nd semester (previous 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 undergraduate-level May (Spring) degree candidates to declare any additional major, minor, or university certificates, if applicable
Fall Registration: Fall 2025 Course Schedule published to courses.rice.edu
Fall Registration: Course Request Period begins for undergraduate students
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit textbook orders for upcoming Fall to 1545txt@follett.com
Friday, April 11, 2025 Fall Registration: Course Request Period ends for undergraduate students at 5:00 p.m.
Monday, April 14, 2025 Fall Registration: Course Registration begins for currently enrolled undergraduate professional (BArch) and graduate students at 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 16, 2025 Fall Registration: Add/Drop Period begins for undergraduate students at 7:00 a.m.
Friday, April 18, 2025 Deadline: Last day to register for the upcoming Fall semester without a $75 Late Registration Fee
Saturday, April 19, 2025 Late Registration Begins: Continuing students that have not registered for any Fall classes are charged a $75 Late Registration Fee to add classes
Friday, April 25, 2025 LAST DAY OF CLASSES
END OF INSTRUCTION
Friday, April 25, 2025

Deadline: Last day to drop courses (for Spring 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 May (Spring) degree conferral by 12:00 noon
Saturday - Tuesday, April 26 - 29, 2025 Study Days (NO EXAMS)
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 Graduation Deadline: Last day for academic departments to submit to the Provost's Office (c/o the Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry) their proposed list of undergraduate-level degree candidates to receive the university honor of Distinction in Research and Creative Work
Wednesday - Tuesday, April 30 - May 6, 2025 Final Examinations for all undergraduate courses
Tuesday, May 6, 2025 END OF THE SPRING SEMESTER
Friday, May 9, 2025 GRADUATION: Rice University's 112th Commencement
  • Jones School (MBA) Commencement Ceremony
    Tudor Fieldhouse (Afternoon)
Saturday, May 10, 2025 GRADUATION: Rice University's 112th Commencement
  • Doctoral Commencement Ceremony
    Tudor Fieldhouse (Morning)
  • Advanced Degree Commencement Ceremony
    Tudor Fieldhouse (Afternoon)
  • Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony
    Rice Football Stadium (Evening)

Please visit commencement.rice.edu for more information

Wednesday, May 14, 2025 Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit Spring semester final grades for all students online via ESTHER by 5:00 p.m.
Friday, May 16, 2025 Deadline: (May Degree Candidates only) Last day to convert a "Pass/Fail" to an earned letter grade for courses taken in Spring semester
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 GRADUATION: Degrees Awarded for May (Spring) degree recipients
{with a degree conferral date of May 10, 2025}
Friday, June 13, 2025 Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit final grades to resolve "Other" (OT) grades for courses taken in the previous Spring semester
Friday, July 4, 2025 Graduation Deadline: Last day for all undergraduate-level students to submit an online Application for Degree for an August (Summer) 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 August (Summer) degree conferral with the Office of the Registrar via ESTHER
Graduation Deadline: Last day for graduate-level August (Summer) degree candidates to file the following applicable forms in the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (see GPS Forms page) for August (Summer) 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
Wednesday, July 30, 2025 Graduation Deadline: Last day for Rice faculty Official Certifiers to review, submit petitions, and certify undergraduate and graduate-level May (Spring) degree candidates via Degree Works
Friday, August 15, 2025 Graduation Deadline: Last day for graduate-level students to submit thesis in the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for August (Summer) degree conferral by 12:00 noon

Graduation Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit final grades to resolve “Incomplete” (INC) grades for courses taken in the previous Spring semester (for Summer degree candidates)


Fall Registration: Add/Drop Period for Continuing Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional, and Graduate Students pauses at 5:00 p.m. to allow for O-Week Registration

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