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:
|
| 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
|
| Saturday, May 10, 2025 | GRADUATION: Rice University's 112th Commencement
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:
|
| 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 |