Academic Calendar
Overview
The academic calendar indicates key dates and deadlines for important academic requirements and/or activities including, but not limited to, the start and end dates of classes, holidays, exam days, and registration dates.
Set by the University’s Faculty Council according to the Principles for the Development of the Academic Calendar, the academic calendar is typically divided into the fall, spring, and summer semesters.
The academic calendar is based on a semester model that contains terms within each semester:
- Fall Semester has two designated terms:
- Fall Term (formerly known as the "Fall Long Semester") is the primary term for Fall Semester classes
- Winter Term is an optional period to offer education abroad courses, internships, etc.
- Spring Semester has two designated terms:
- Spring Term (formerly known as "Spring Long Semester") is the primary term for Spring Semester classes
- May Term is an optional four-week period for education abroad courses, internships, etc.
- Summer Semester has four designated terms:
- First Term
- Second Term
- Nine-Week Term
- Summer Term
All classes associated with a semester will start and end within that semester. Tuition calculations, financial aid, and registration processes are based on classes taken during the assigned semester.
The academic calendar published in this catalog reflects approved dates at the time of publication. See https://registrar.utexas.edu/calendars for additional information about current, upcoming, and archived academic calendars.
2026-2027 Academic Dates and Deadlines
Fall semester
August 18, 2026 - January 9, 2027, includes Fall and Winter Terms
Fall Term 2026
August 24 - December 14, 2026
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 28 | Tuition bills for the fall semester distributed to students electronically |
| August 13 | Tuition payment deadline is 5:00 p.m. for undergraduate students who registered for the fall semester on or before August 7 |
| August 14 | Orientation for new international students |
| August 19 | Fall registration for new undergraduate and all graduate students who have not yet registered (check your registration information sheet for access times) |
| August 20 - 27 | Fall registration for all students |
| August 21 | Last day a graduate student may register in absentia |
| August 21 | University residence halls open |
| August 24 | First day of classes |
| August 24 - 27 | Fall registration for graduate and law students |
| August 24 - 31 | Fall registration for all students (will require either department and/or dean's approval) |
| August 27 | 4th class day |
| Last day for graduate and law students to add a class | |
| Tuition payment deadline is 5:00 p.m. CST for graduate and law students | |
| August 31 | 6th class day |
| Last day for undergraduate students to add a class | |
| September 7 | Labor Day holiday; no classes held |
| September 9 | 12th class day |
| Last day to drop a class without permission | |
| Tuition payment deadline is 5:00 p.m. CST for anyone who registered after July 18 | |
| Payment for added classes ("Add Bill") due 11:59 p.m. Any owed balance after this will be automatically placed on an installment plan. | |
| Official Pell Recalculation Date (PRD). Any courses added after this date are not included to determine Pell Grant eligibility. | |
| October 16 | Payment for remaining tuition balances due by 11:59 p.m. CST |
| October 27 | Last day to apply for an undergraduate degree |
| November 2 - 13 | Spring 2027 registration |
| November 13 | Last day to apply for a graduate degree |
| November 17 | Spring 2027 tuition bills distributed to students |
| November 18 | Last day an undergraduate may: Q-drop a class; withdraw; change a class to pass/fail |
| November 20 | Last day a doctoral candidate may hold a dissertation defense for the Fall 2026 semester |
| November 23 | Last day a graduate student may change registration in a class to or from the credit/no credit basis |
| November 23 - 28 | Fall break/Thanksgiving; no classes held |
| December 4 | Last day to submit master's report, recital, thesis, doctoral dissertation, or treatise to the vice provost for graduate and postdoctoral studies |
| December 7 | Last class day |
| Last day an undergraduate may, with the required approvals, request a non-academic Q-drop | |
| Last day an undergraduate may register in absentia | |
| Last day a graduate student may, with the required approvals, drop a class or withdraw from the university | |
| December 8 - 9 | Study days |
| December 10 - 12 & 14 | Final exams |
| December 14 - 18 | Spring 2027 registration period for continuing and readmitted students |
| December 15 | University residence halls close |
| December 19 | Official graduation date (No public exercises) |
Winter Term 2026
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| December 15, 2026 - January 9, 2027 | Winter Term (optional; may be used for courses such as study abroad, etc.) |
Spring semester
January 11 - June 2, 2027, and includes Spring and May Terms
Spring Term 2027
January 11 - May 3, 2027
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| January 5 | Tuition payment deadline is 5:00 p.m. for undergraduate students |
| Orientation for new international students | |
| January 7 | Spring 2027 registration for new undergraduate and all graduate students who have not yet registered (check your registration information sheet for access times) |
| January 7 - 10 | Spring 2027 registration for all students |
| January 8 | University residence halls open |
| January 11 | First day of classes |
| January 11 - 14 | Spring 2027 registration for graduate and law students |
| January 11 - 19 | Spring 2027 registration for undergraduate students |
| January 14 | 4th class day |
| Last day for graduate and law students to add a class | |
| Tuition payment deadline is 5:00 p.m. CST for graduate and law students | |
| January 18 | Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; no classes held |
| January 19 | 6th class day |
| Last day for undergraduate students to add a class | |
| January 27 | 12th class day |
| Last day to drop a class without permission | |
| Tuition payment deadline is 5:00 p.m. CST for undergraduate, graduate, and law students | |
| Payment for added classes ("Add Bill") due 11:59 p.m. Any owed balance after this will be automatically placed on an installment plan. | |
| March 15 - 20 | Spring Break |
| March 16 | Payment for remaining tuition balances due by 11:59 p.m. CST |
| March 24 | Last day to apply for an undergraduate degree |
| April 5 - 16 | Summer 2027 and Fall 2027 registration for continuing and readmitted students |
| April 9 | Last day to apply for a graduate degree |
| Last day a doctoral candidate may hold a dissertation defense for the Spring 2027 semester | |
| April 12 | Last day a graduate student may change registration in a class to or from the credit/no credit basis |
| April 14 | Last day an undergraduate may: Q-drop a class; withdraw; change a class to pass/fail |
| April 23 | Last day to submit a master's report, recital, thesis, doctoral dissertation, or treatise to the vice provost for graduate and postdoctoral studies |
| April 26 | Last class day |
| Last day a graduate student may, with the required approvals, drop a class or withdraw from the university | |
| Last day an undergraduate may, with the required approvals, request a non-academic Q-drop | |
| Last day an undergraduate may register in absentia | |
| April 27 & 28 | Study days |
| April 29 - 30, May 1 & 3 | Final exams |
| May 4 | Summer 2027 tuition bills distributed to students |
| University residence halls close | |
| May 8 | University commencement (official graduation date) |
May Term 2027
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| May 4 - June 2 | May Term (optional; may be used for courses such as study abroad, etc.) |
| May 31 | Memorial Day; no classes held |
Summer Semester
June 3 - August 16, 2027, includes First Term, Second Term, Nine-week Term, and Summer Term
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| May 19 | Tuition payment deadline is 5:00 p.m. CST for undergraduate students |
| June 3 | First day of classes for First Term, Nine-week Term, and Summer Term |
| June 8 | Last day to drop a class without permission for First Term, Nine-week Term, and Summer Term |
| 2nd payment deadline is 5:00 p.m. CST for undergraduate students | |
| Payment deadline is 5:00 p.m. CST for graduate and law students | |
| Payment for added classes ("Add Bill") due for First Term, Nine-week Term, and Summer Term | |
| June 19 | Juneteenth holiday; no classes held |
| June 23 | Last day to change a class to pass/fail for First Term, Nine-week Term, and Summer Term |
| July 8 | Last class day for First Term |
| Last day an undergraduate or graduate student may, with the required approvals, drop a First Term class | |
| July 9 - 10 | Final exams for First Term |
| July 12 | First day of classes for Second Term |
| July 15 | 4th class day for Second Term |
| Last day to drop a class without permission for Second Term | |
| 3rd and final tuition payment deadline is 5:00 p.m. CST for undergraduate, graduate, and law students | |
| Payment for added classes ("Add Bill") due for Second Term | |
| July 16 | Last day to apply for undergraduate or law degree |
| July 27 | Last class day for Nine-week Term |
| Last day an undergraduate or graduate student may, with the required approvals, drop a Nine-week Term class | |
| July 28 | Tuition bills for the fall semester distributed to students electronically |
| July 28 - 29 | Final exams for Nine-week Term |
| July 30 | Last day to change a class to pass/fail for Second Term |
| Last day to apply for a graduate degree | |
| August 13 | Last day a doctoral candidate may hold a dissertation defense for the Summer 2025 semester |
| Last class day for Second Term and Summer Term | |
| Last day an undergraduate or graduate student may, with the required approvals, drop a Second or Summer Term class or withdraw | |
| Last day to submit a master's report, recital, thesis, doctoral dissertation, or treatise to the vice provost for graduate and postdoctoral studies | |
| August 14 & 16 | Final exams for Second Term and Summer Term |
| August 16 | Official graduation date (no public exercises) |