Academic Calendar 2026-2027

A wall of exterior windows on Gund Hall reflect a blue sky and balconies.

Members of the GSD community are encouraged to review the academic calendar regularly. For any questions, please contact the Registrar’s Office.

Fall 2026 Term

Monday‐Friday, August 3-7: Required ARCH CORE Pre-Term Workshop

Monday‐Friday, August 10-14: Required ARCH/MAUD/MLAUD/MDE/MUP/MLA Pre-Term Workshop

Thursday, August 13: Option Studio Lottery, Limited Enrollment Course Lottery, and MDes Advanced Course Selection open

Monday‐Friday, August 17-21: Required ARCH/MAUD/MLAUD/MDE/MUP/MLA Pre-Term Workshop

Monday‐Thursday, August 17-20: Optional MRE Pre-Term Workshop

Tuesday, August 18: Option Studio Lottery closes at 9 a.m.

Wednesday, August 19: Option Studio Lottery results posted by the end of the day

Wednesday-Friday, August 26-28: Required New Student Orientation

Wednesday, August 26: MDes Advanced Course Selection closes at 9 a.m., results posted by the end of the day

Thursday, August 27: Limited‐Enrollment Lottery closes at 9 a.m., results posted by the end of the day

Friday, August 28: Open Enrollment Period begins

Friday, August 28: MRE Practicum Ends

Monday, August 31: Required New Student Orientation (continued)

Tuesday, September 1: Required New Student Orientation (continued)

Wednesday, September 2: Fall Full Term/Fall Module 1 (F1) Classes Begin (Monday class schedule)

Wednesday, September 2: Student Check In deadline in my.Harvard

Thursday, September 3: Dean’s Welcome Back Event

Monday, September 7: Labor Day || No Classes || Offices Closed

Wednesday, September 9: Fall Full Term/Fall Module 1 (F1) Class Selections Due ($15 add/drop flat fee after this date)

Friday-Sunday, September 11-13: Rosh Hashana Begins at Sundown || Ends Sunday Evening

Wednesday, September 16: Last Day to Add/Drop Full Term and Fall Module 1 (F1) Classes ($30 fee per transaction after this date)

Wednesday, September 16: Leaves on or Before: No Tuition Charge

Sunday-Monday, September 20-21: Yom Kippur Begins at Sundown || Ends Monday Evening

Tuesday, September 22: Fall Module 1 (F1) Class withdrawal deadline

Tuesday, September 29: Full Term Class withdrawal deadline

Monday-Friday, October 5-9: Preferred Studio Trips Week

Wednesday, October 7: Leaves on or Before: One‐Fourth Tuition Charge

Monday, October 12: Indigenous Peoples’ Day || No Classes || Offices Closed

Monday, October 19: Fall Module 1 (F1) Classes End

Tuesday, October 20: Fall Module 2 (F2) Classes Begin

Monday, October 26: Fall Module 2 (F2) Class Selections Due ($15 add/drop flat fee after this date)

Tuesday, October 27: MDE Open House (virtual)

Thursday, October 29: MDes Open House (virtual)

Friday, October 30: MAUD/MLAUD, MUP, MRE Open Houses (virtual)

Sunday, November 1: Deadline to Submit a Leave of Absence Petition for the Spring 2027 semester

Monday, November 2: Last Day to Add/Drop Fall Module 2 (F2) Classes ($30 fee per transaction after this date)

Thursday, November 5: MLA, DDes Open House (virtual)

Thursday, November 5: Leaves on or Before: One‐Half Tuition Charge

Friday, November 6: MArch Open House (virtual)

Monday, November 9: Fall Module 2 (F2) Class withdrawal deadline

Wednesday, November 11: Veterans Day || Classes Meet || No Studio Reviews || Offices Closed

Wednesday‐Sunday, November 25-29: Thanksgiving Recess

Thursday‐Friday, November 26-27: Offices Closed

Thursday, December 3: Leaves on or Before: Three‐Fourths Tuition Charge || After This Date: Full Tuition Charge

Thursday, December 3: Full Term and Module 2 (F2) Classes End

Friday, December 3: Incomplete course petition deadline

Friday, December 4: FAS Classes End

Friday, December 4: Core Studio Reviews

Monday-Tuesday, December 7-8: Core Studio Reviews (Continued)

Tuesday-Thursday, December 8-10: Option Studio Reviews

Friday, December 11: Final Exams

Monday-Wednesday, December 14-16: Final Exams (Continued)

Thursday-Friday, December 17-18: Thesis Reviews

Wednesday, December 23: Winter Recess begins || GSD closes for students at 11:59 p.m.

Thursday, December 24: Christmas Eve || GSD offices close at noon

Friday, December 25: Christmas Day

Spring 2027 Term

Friday, January 1: New Year’s Day

Monday, January 4: Winter Recess ends || GSD reopens at 8 a.m.

Monday, January 4: Fall Grades Due

Monday, January 4: MRE January class begins

Thursday, January 7: Option Studio Lottery, MDes Open Project Lottery, Limited Enrollment Course Lottery, and MDes Advanced Course Selection Open

Monday‐Friday, January 4-16: J-Term

Wednesday, January 13: Option Studio Lottery closes at 9 a.m.

Thursday, January 14: Option Studio Lottery results posted by the end of the day

Monday, January 18: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day || Offices Closed

Tuesday‐Saturday, January 19-23: Required MLA Pre‐Term Workshop

Tuesday, January 19: MDes Open Project Lottery closes at 9 a.m., results posted by the end of the day

Wednesday, January 20: MDes Advanced Course Selection closes at 9 a.m., results posted by the end of the day

Thursday, January 21: Limited‐Enrollment Course Lottery closes at 9 a.m., results posted by the end of the day

Friday, January 22: MRE January Class Ends

Friday, January 22: Open Enrollment Period Begins

Monday, January 25: Spring Full Term/Spring Module 1 (S1) Begin

Friday, January 29: Spring Full Term/Spring Module 1 (S1) Class Selections Due ($15 add/drop flat fee after this date)

Friday, February 5: Last Day to Add/Drop Full Term/S1 Classes ($30 fee per transaction after this date)

Saturday, February 6: Lunar New Year

Sunday, February 7: Ramadan Begins

Monday, February 8: Leaves on or Before: No Tuition Charge

Friday, February 12: Spring Module 1 (S1) Class withdrawal deadline

Monday, February 15: Presidents’ Day || No Classes || Offices Closed

Friday, February 19: Full Term Class withdrawal deadline

Monday‐Friday, February 22-26: Preferred Studio Trips Week

Friday, February 26: Leaves on or Before: One‐Fourth Tuition Charge

Friday, March 5:  Job and Internship Fair

Monday, March 8: Spring Module 1 (S1) Classes End

Monday, March 8: Ramadan Ends

Tuesday, March 9: Spring Module 2 (S2) Classes Begin

Monday‐Sunday, March 15-19: Spring Recess

Friday, March 19: Leaves on or Before: One‐Half Tuition Charge

Monday, March 22: Spring Module 2 (S2) Class Selections Due ($15 add/drop flat fee after this date)

Friday, March 26: Good Friday

Sunday, March 28: Easter

Monday, March 29: Last Day to Add/Drop Module 2 (S2) Classes ($30 per transaction fee after this date)

Thursday, April 1: MDE, MDes (in-person) and DDes, PhD (virtual) Open House

Friday, April 2: MArch, MLA, MUP, MAUD/MLAUD, MRE Open House (in-person)

Monday, April 5: Spring Module 2 (S2) Class withdrawal deadline

Friday-Saturday, April 9-10: Alumni Council Meeting

Wednesday-Thursday, April 21-29: Passover Begins at Sundown || Ends Thursday Evening

Monday, April 26: Full Term and Spring Module 2 (S2) Classes End

Monday, April 26: Leaves on or Before: Three‐Fourths Tuition Charge || After This Date: Full Tuition Charge

Monday, April 26: Incomplete course petition deadline

Tuesday, April 27: GSD Community BBQ

Wednesday, April 28: FAS Classes End

Wednesday-Thursday, April 28-30: Core Studio Reviews

Friday, April 30: Option Studio Reviews

Saturday, May 1: Deadline to Submit a Leave of Absence Petition for the Fall 2027 Semester

Monday-Tuesday, May 3-4: Option Studio Reviews (continued)

Wednesday‐Friday, May 5-7: Final Exams

Monday, May 10: Final Exams (continued)

Monday-Tuesday, May 10-11: MDE IDEP Reviews

Tuesday-Wednesday, May 11-12: MDes Open Project Reviews

Tuesday, May 11: MRE May Classes begin

Wednesday, May 12: Spring Grades Due

Thursday, May 13: UPD Thesis Reviews

Thursday-Friday, May 13-14: Arch Thesis Reviews

Friday, May 14: LA Thesis Reviews

Monday, May 17: Thesis Grades due by 6 p.m. ||

Friday, May 21: MRE May Classes end

Wednesday, May 26: Class Day

Thursday, May 27: Commencement

Monday, May 31: Memorial Day || Offices Closed

Tuesday, June 1 – Friday, August 27: MRE Practicum

2025-2026 Withdrawals/Leave and Tuition Charges

Any student who withdraws or is granted a leave from the GSD after registration will be held responsible for tuition charges according to the following schedule:

Fall 2025 Term

Withdrawals/leaves on or before September 16
no tuition charge

Withdrawals/leaves on or before October 7
one‐fourth tuition charge

Withdrawals/leaves on or before November 5
one‐half tuition charge

Withdrawals/leaves on or before December 3
three‐fourths tuition charge

After December 3
full tuition charge

Spring 2026 Term

Withdrawals/leaves on or before February 8
no tuition charge

Withdrawals/leaves on or before February 26
one‐fourth tuition charge

Withdrawals/leaves on or before March 19
one‐half tuition charge

Withdrawals/leaves on or before April 26
three‐fourths tuition charge

After April 26
full tuition charge