Academic Calendar
Fall Semester 2027
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 13, 2027 | 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 15 - 21, 2027 | Orientation Week for New Students |
| Monday, August 16, 2027 | Fall Registration: Course Request Period begins for new (incoming) undergraduate students |
| Thursday, August 19, 2027 | 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 20, 2027 | Fall Registration: Add/Drop Period re-opens for continuing undergraduate, undergraduate professional (BArch), and graduate students at 8:00 a.m. |
| Monday, August 23, 2027 | FIRST DAY OF CLASSES - START OF THE FALL SEMESTER
BEGINNING OF INSTRUCTION |
| Monday - Friday, August 23 - September 3, 2027 | Fall Registration Continues: Late Registration continues for undergraduate, graduate, and visiting students; Late Registration Fee increases to $125 |
| Friday, August 27, 2027 | 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 3, 2027 | 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 6, 2027 | LABOR DAY (HOLIDAY - NO SCHEDULED CLASSES) |
| Friday, September 10, 2027 | Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 70% refund of tuition |
| Friday, September 17, 2027 | Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 60% refund of tuition |
| Friday, September 24, 2027 | 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, October 1, 2027 | 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:
|
| Friday, October 8, 2027 | 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 11 - 12, 2027 | MIDTERM RECESS (NO SCHEDULED CLASSES) |
| Friday, October 15, 2027 | Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 20% refund of tuition |
| Friday, October 22, 2027 | Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 10% refund of tuition |
| Wednesday, October 27, 2027 | 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 29, 2027 |
Deadline: Last day to designate a (full-term) course status to "Pass/Fail" online via ESTHER Spring Registration: Spring 2028 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 8, 2027 | Advising Day with Divisional Advisors to be held in the residential colleges from 11:45am-1:15pm. More information here. |
| Monday - Friday, November 8 - 12, 2027 | Advising Weeks with departmental advising sessions. More information here |
| Wednesday, November 10, 2027 | Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit textbook orders for upcoming Spring to 1545txt@follett.com |
| Friday, November 12, 2027 | Spring Registration: Course Request Period ends for undergraduate students at 5:00 p.m. |
| Monday, November 15, 2027 | Spring Registration: Spring Registration begins for currently enrolled graduate and undergraduate professional (BArch) students at 5:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday, November 17, 2027 | Spring Registration: Add/Drop Period begins for undergraduate students at 7:00 a.m. |
| Friday, November 19, 2027 | Deadline: Last day to register for the upcoming Spring semester without a $75 Late Registration Fee |
| Saturday, November 20, 2027 | 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 24 - 26, 2027 | THANKSGIVING RECESS (HOLIDAY - NO SCHEDULED CLASSES) |
| Friday, December 3, 2027 | 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 3, 2027 | LAST DAY OF CLASSES END OF INSTRUCTION |
| Saturday - Tuesday, December 4 - 7, 2027 | Study Days (NO EXAMS) |
| Monday, December 6, 2027 | GRADUATION: December Commencement Ceremony (for Summer and Fall 2027 degree recipients). Please visit commencement.rice.edu for more information. |
| Wednesday - Tuesday, December 8 - 14, 2027 | Final Examinations for all undergraduate courses |
| Tuesday, December 14, 2027 | END OF THE FALL SEMESTER |
| Friday, December 17, 2027 | Summer Registration: Course Registration for Summer 2028 begins for currently enrolled degree-seeking Rice undergraduate and graduate students online via ESTHER
Applications: Visiting student application process opens for Summer 2028 |
| Tuesday, December 21, 2027 | 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 3, 2028 | 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 7, 2028 | GRADUATION: Degrees Awarded for December (Fall) degree recipients {with a degree conferral date of December 30, 2027} |