Academic Calendar 2025-2026
Members of the GSD community are encouraged to review the academic calendar regularly. For any questions, please contact the Registrar’s Office.
Fall 2025 Term
Monday‐Friday, August 4-8: ARCH CORE Pre-Term Workshop
Monday‐Friday, August 11-15: ARCH CORE/MAUD/MLAUD/MDE/MLA Pre-Term Workshop
Thursday, August 14: Option Studio Lottery, Limited Enrollment Course Lottery, and MDes Advanced Course Selection open
Monday‐Fri, August 18-22: ARCH CORE/MAUD/MLAUD/MUP/MDE/MLA Pre-Term Workshop
Tuesday, August 19: Option Studio Lottery closes at 9 a.m.
Wednesday, August 20: Option Studio Lottery results posted by the end of the day
Monday-Friday, August 25-29: New Student Orientation
Tuesday, August 26: MDes Advanced Course Selection closes at 9 a.m.
Wednesday, August 27: Limited‐Enrollment Lottery closes at 9 a.m.
Thursday, August 28: Open Enrollment Period begins
Monday, September 1: Labor Day || No Classes || Offices Closed
Tuesday, September 2: Fall Full Term/Fall Module 1 (F1) Classes Begin (Monday class schedule)
Tuesday, September 2: Student Check In deadline in my.Harvard || Dean’s Welcome Back Event
Tuesday, September 9: Fall Full Term/Fall Module 1 (F1) Class Selections Due ($15 add/drop flat fee after this date)
Tuesday, September 16: Last Day to Add/Drop Full Term and Fall Module 1 (F1) Classes ($30 fee per transaction after this date)
Tuesday, September 16: Leaves on or Before: No Tuition Charge
Monday-Wednesday, September 22-24: Rosh Hashanah Begins at Sundown || Ends Wednesday Evening
Tuesday, September 23: Fall Module 1 (F1) Course withdrawal deadline
Tuesday, September 30: Full term course withdrawal deadline
Wednesday-Thursday, October 1-2: Yom Kippur Begins at Sundown || Ends Thursday Evening
Monday-Friday, October 6-10: Preferred Studio Trips Week
Wednesday, October 8: Leaves on or Before: One‐Fourth Tuition Charge
Monday, October 13: Indigenous Peoples’ Day || No Classes || Offices Closed
Wednesday, October 15: Fall Module 1 (F1) Classes End
Thursday, October 16: Fall Module 2 (F2)Classes Begin
Wednesday, October 22: Fall Module 2 (F2) Class Selections Due ($15 add/drop flat fee after this date)
Tuesday, October 28: MDE, MDes Open House (virtual)
Wednesday, October 29: Last Day to Add/Drop Fall Module 2 (F2) Classes ($30 fee per transaction after this date)
Friday, October 31: MAUD/MLAUD, MUP, MRE Open Houses (virtual)
Saturday, November 1: Deadline to Submit a Leave of Absence Petition for the Spring 2026 semester
Thursday, November 6: MLA, DDes Open House (virtual)
Thursday, November 6: Leaves on or Before: One‐Half Tuition Charge
Thursday, November 6: Fall Module 2 (F2) Course withdrawal deadline
Friday, November 7: MArch Open House (virtual)
Tuesday, November 11: Veterans Day || Classes Meet || No Studio Reviews || Offices Closed
Wednesday‐Sunday, November 26-30: Thanksgiving Recess
Thursday‐Friday, November 27-28: Offices Closed
Wednesday, December 3: FAS Classes End
Thursday, December 4: Leaves on or Before: Three‐Fourths Tuition Charge || After This Date: Full Tuition Charge
Thursday, December 4: Full Term and Module 2 (F2)Classes End
Thursday, December 4: Incomplete course petition deadline
Friday, December 5: Core Reviews
Monday-Tuesday, December 8-9: Core Reviews (Continued)
Tuesday-Thursday, December 9-11: Option Studio Reviews
Friday, December 12: Final Exams
Monday-Wednesday, December 15-17: Final Exams (Continued)
Thursday-Friday, December 18-19: Thesis Reviews
Tuesday, December 23: Winter Recess begins || GSD closes for students at 11:59 p.m.
Wednesday, December 24: Christmas Eve || GSD offices close at noon
Thursday, December 25: Christmas Day
Spring 2026 Term
Thursday, January 1: New Year’s Day
Friday, January 2: Winter Recess ends || GSD reopens at 8 a.m.
Friday, January 2: MRE January classes begin
Friday, January 2: Fall Grades Due
Thursday, January 8: Option Studio Lottery, MDes Open Project Lottery, Limited Enrollment Course Lottery, and MDes Advanced Course Selection Open
Monday‐Friday, January 5-17: J-Term
Wednesday, January 14: Option Studio Lottery closes at 9 a.m.
Thursday, January 15: Option Studio Lottery results posted by the end of the day
Monday, January 19: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day || Offices Closed
Tuesday‐Saturday, January 20-24: MLA Pre‐Term Workshop
Tuesday, January 20: MDes Open Projects Lottery closes at 9 a.m.
Wednesday, January 21: MDes Advanced Course Selection closes at 9 a.m.
Thursday, January 22: Limited‐Enrollment Lottery closes at 9 a.m.
Friday, January 23: MRE January Class Ends
Friday, January 23: Open Enrollment Period Begins
Monday, January 26: Spring Full Term/Spring Module 1 (S1) Begin
Friday, January 30: Spring Full Term/Spring Module 1 (S1) Class Selections Due ($15 add/drop flat fee after this date)
Friday, February 6: Last Day to Add/Drop Full Term/S1 Classes ($30 fee per transaction after this date)
Tuesday, February 10: Leaves on or Before: No Tuition Charge
Friday, February 13: Spring Module 1 (S1) Course withdrawal deadline
Monday, February 16: Presidents’ Day || No Classes || Offices Closed
Wednesday, February 18: Ramadan Begins
Friday, February 20: Full term course withdrawal deadline
Monday‐Friday, February 23-27: Preferred Studio Trips Week
Friday, February 27: Leaves on or Before: One‐Fourth Tuition Charge
Friday, March 6: Job and Internship Fair
Monday, March 9: Spring Module 1 (S1) Classes End
Tuesday, March 10: Spring Module 2 (S2) Classes Begin
Friday-Saturday, March 13-14: Alumni Council Meeting
Monday‐Sunday, March 16-20: Spring Recess
Thursday, March 19: Ramadan Ends
Friday, March 20: Leaves on or Before: One‐Half Tuition Charge
Monday, March 23: Spring Module 2 (S2) Class Selections Due ($15 add/drop flat fee after this date)
Thursday, March 26: DDes (virtual) and MDE (in-person) Open Houses
Friday, March 27: MArch, MLA, MUP, MAUD, MLAUD, MRE, MDes Open Houses (in-person)
Monday, March 30: Last Day to Add/Drop Module 2 (S2) Classes ($30 per transaction fee after this date)
Wednesday-Thursday, April 1-9: Passover Begins at Sundown || Ends Thursday Evening
Friday, April 3: Good Friday
Sunday, April 5: Easter
Monday, April 6: Spring Module 2 (S2) course withdrawal deadline
Monday, April 27: Full Term and Spring Module 2 (S2) Classes End
Monday, April 27: Leaves on or Before: Three‐Fourths Tuition Charge || After This Date: Full Tuition Charge
Monday, April 27: Incomplete course petition deadline
Tuesday, April 28: GSD Community BBQ
Wednesday, April 29: FAS Classes End
Wednesday-Thursday, April 29-30: Core Studio Reviews (April 20-May 1)
Friday, May 1: Deadline to Submit a Leave of Absence Petition for the Fall 2026 Semester
Friday, May 1: Core Studio Reviews (continued)
Friday, May 1: Option Studio Reviews
Monday-Tuesday, May 4-5: Option Studio Reviews (continued)
Wednesday‐Friday, May 6-8: Final Exams
Monday, May 11: Final Exams (continued)
Monday-Wednesday, May 11-13: MDes Open Projects and MDE IDEP Reviews
Wednesday, May 13: Spring Grades Due
Thursday-Friday, May 14-15: Arch Thesis Reviews
Thursday, May 14: UPD Thesis Reviews
Friday, May 15: LA Thesis Reviews
Monday, May 18: Thesis Grades due by 6 p.m. || MRE May Classes Begin
Monday, May 25: Memorial Day || Offices Closed
Wednesday, May 27: Class Day
Thursday, May 28: Commencement
Friday, May 29: MRE May Classes End
Monday, June 1 – Friday, August 28: 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 8
one‐fourth tuition charge
Withdrawals/leaves on or before November 6
one‐half tuition charge
Withdrawals/leaves on or before December 4
three‐fourths tuition charge
After December 5
full tuition charge
Spring 2026 Term
Withdrawals/leaves on or before February 10
no tuition charge
Withdrawals/leaves on or before February 27
one‐fourth tuition charge
Withdrawals/leaves on or before March 20
one‐half tuition charge
Withdrawals/leaves on or before April 27
three‐fourths tuition charge
After April 27
full tuition charge