Resource Center

Start of Term Resources for Faculty

Please see below for course planning resources and important dates for faculty.

Fall 2025
Fall 2025 Course Preparation and Enrollment Dates
Date Event
May 15 Fall courses go live. This date may change. Course information will continue to be updated during the summer.
May 30 Canvas sites are made available to faculty teaching fall courses. This date may change. Faculty can publish their Canvas site at any time to make it accessible to students via the GSD course directory and my.Harvard.
July 23 Deadline for submitting course/studio descriptions and titles.
August 5 Interested students will be able to join Canvas sites as prospective enrollees. These students may not follow through with enrolling in the course.
August 8 Course syllabus must be posted in Canvas. Faculty are strongly encouraged to publish Canvas sites and syllabi earlier.
August 8 Deadline to submit introductory video for faculty teaching Option Studios.
August 12 Canvas sites that have yet to be published by the instructor will be published.
August 14 GSD enrollment lotteries open.
August 19 Option Studio Lottery. Students submit ballots by 9 AM.
August 20 Option Studios results are posted by the end of the day. Students will be automatically enrolled.
August 26 MDes Advanced Course Selection. A limited number of MDes students will show as enrolled by the end of the day.
August 27 Limited-Enrollment Course Lottery. Students who successfully lottery into a course will show as enrolled by the end of the day. Some students may be waitlisted. Faculty must submit attendance shortly after the first class meeting. Students, both enrolled and waitlisted, lacking approval to be absent will be dropped.
August 28 Open Enrollment Period begins. GSD students can officially enroll in courses via my.Harvard.
September 1 Labor Day, no classes.
September 2 Fall classes begin. IMPORTANT: Tuesday, September 2nd is held as a Monday class/studio schedule at the GSD.
September 2 Non-GSD students begin to submit cross-registration petitions for instructor review.
September 9 Fall course selections are due. Faculty teaching limited enrollment courses must submit attendance by this date.
September 10 Prospective enrollees are removed from Canvas sites.
September 16 The last day for students to add courses without faculty approval. Students may petition to enroll after this point. Drops after this date are shown as WD on class rosters.
September 17 Fall 2 Course Syllabus must be submitted in Canvas. Faculty are strongly encouraged to publish Canvas sites and syllabi earlier.
September 17 Class rosters are essentially confirmed. Students may still drop a course to enroll in non-GSD courses if their cross-registration petition was approved.
September 18 Waitlisted students are removed from Canvas sites.
October 15 Module 1 course end
October 16 Module 2 courses begin
October 22 Fall Module 2 course selections are due.
October 29 The last day for students to add or drop a Module 2 course. Students may petition to add M2 courses after this date. Drops after this date are shown as WD on class rosters.
December 4 Last day of classes
January 2 Fall grades due
Spring 2026
Spring 2026 Course Preparation and Enrollment Dates
Date Event
August 15 Spring courses go live. This date may change. Course information will continue to be updated during the fall.
October 7 Canvas sites are made available to faculty teaching spring courses. This date may change. Faculty can publish their Canvas site at any time to make it accessible to students via the GSD course directory and my.Harvard.
December 2 Deadline for submitting course/studio descriptions and titles.
December 2 Winter (January) Course Syllabus must be submitted in Canvas. Faculty are strongly encouraged to publish Canvas sites and syllabi earlier.
January 2 Spring and Spring 1 Course Syllabus must be submitted in Canvas. Faculty are strongly encouraged to publish Canvas sites and syllabi earlier.
January 2 Deadline to submit introductory video for faculty teaching Option Studios.
January 2 Interested students will be able to join Canvas sites as prospective enrollees. These students may not follow through with enrolling in the course.
January 5 Canvas sites that have yet to be published by the instructor will be published.
January 8 GSD enrollment lotteries open
January 14 Option Studio Lottery student ballots due at 9 AM.
January 15 Option Studio Lottery results posted by the end of the day. Students will be automatically enrolled.
January 20 MDes Open Projects Lottery. After lottery results are known, students will be automatically enrolled in Open Projects by the end of the day.
January 21 MDes Advanced Course Selection. A limited number of MDes students will show as enrolled by the end of the day.
January 22 Limited-Enrollment Course Lottery. Students who successfully lottery into a course will show as enrolled by the end of the day. Some students may be waitlisted. Faculty must submit attendance shortly after the first class meeting. Students, both enrolled and waitlisted, lacking approval to be absent will be dropped.
January 23 Open Enrollment Period begins. GSD students can officially enroll in courses via my.Harvard.
January 26 Spring classes begin.
January 26 Non-GSD students begin to submit cross-registration petitions for instructor review.
January 30 Spring course selections are due. Faculty teaching limited enrollment courses must submit attendance by this date.
January 31 Prospective enrollees are removed from Canvas sites.
February 6 The last day for students to add courses without faculty approval. Students may petition to enroll after this point. Drops after this date are shown as WD on class rosters.
February 7 Class rosters are essentially confirmed. Students may still drop a course to enroll in non-GSD courses if their cross-registration petition was approved.
February 10 Waitlisted students are removed from Canvas sites.
February 11 Spring 2 Course Syllabus must be submitted in Canvas. Faculty are strongly encouraged to publish Canvas sites and syllabi earlier.
March 9 Module 1 courses end
March 10 Module 2 courses begin
March 23 Module 2 course selections are due.
March 30 The last day for students to add or drop a Module 2 course. Students may petition to add M2 courses after this date. Drops after this date are shown as WD on class rosters.
April 14 Summer 1 (May) Course Syllabus must be submitted in Canvas. Faculty are strongly encouraged to publish Canvas sites and syllabi earlier.
April 27 Last day of GSD spring classes
May 13 Spring Grades Due

Resources

Policies

Enrollment Information

Contacts