Fall Term 2023-24

The current Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) Academic Calendars are located at https://registrar.fas.harvard.edu/academic-calendar.

July 1, Saturday

  • Applications for non-resident status for the fall term or full academic year for graduate students due.
  • Applications for part-time graduate study due in the Harvard Griffin GSAS Dean’s Office.

August 1, Tuesday

  • Graduation applications for November 2023 degrees (A.M., S.M., M.E., MFS, and Ph.D.) must be submitted on or before this date.
  • Undergraduate applications for November 2023 degrees (A.B. and S.B.) must be submitted on or before this date.
  • Last day that November 2023 graduate degree candidates may submit a completed and signed application for a secondary field.

August 9, Wednesday

  • Fall online Check-In opens for students.
  • FAS Course Registration (Crimson Cart) opens for graduate students - Add courses to the Crimson Cart.

August 18, Friday

  • FAS Course Registration (Crimson Cart) opens for undergraduate students - Add courses to the Crimson Cart.

August 21, Monday

  • Fall Online Check-In must be completed for undergraduate and graduate students. 
  • FAS Course Registration opens for graduate and undergraduate students to allow enrolling in courses.

August 22, Tuesday through August 24, Thursday

TBD

August 28,  Monday 

August 29, Tuesday and August 30, Wednesday

  • Make up exams held for Spring 2023 courses.

August 31, Thursday

  • Course Registration Deadline. Fall term course registrations are due for all students by 11:59 PM. Students must submit minimum course load - typically 16 credits - on my.harvard by 11:59 PM.

 September 4, Monday

  • University Holiday: Labor Day.

September 5, Tuesday

  • Academic year begins; first day of classes. (When classes begin on Wednesday, they begin on a Monday schedule.)

September 6, Wednesday 

  • Approved graduate dissertations due for November 2023 degree candidates who wish to have fall tuition and Student Health Insurance Plan removed from their student account.

September 7, Thursday

  • Approved graduate dissertations due for November 2023 degree candidates who wish to retain health coverage for the fall 2023 term (through January 31, 2024) and who would like to be charged accordingly.

September 12, Tuesday

  • After this date students must obtain permission from all instructors to enroll in courses.

September 26, Tuesday (3rd Monday - moved to Tuesday due to holiday)

  • Last day that undergraduates and graduate students may drop or add any course without a fee.

October 3, Tuesday

  • Faculty meeting at 3:00 PM.

October 9, Monday

  • University Holiday: Columbus Day (Federal) / Indigenous Peoples' Day (City of Cambridge).

October 10, Tuesday (5th Monday - moved to Tuesday due to holiday)

  • Last day that undergraduates may drop or add any course or change the grade status of a letter-graded or Pass/Fail course.
  • Last day students from other schools may file cross-registration petitions for fall term with the FAS Registrar's Office. Note some schools have earlier deadlines.

October 23, Monday (7th Monday)

  • Last day that graduate students may add (or enroll in) fall term courses. To add a course after this date an approved Petition to Add must be submitted to the Harvard Griffin GSAS Office of Student Affairs.
  • Last day that graduate students may add or change SAT/UNS grading option for designated language courses.

October 25, Wednesday

  • Declarations of Concentration due for third-semester undergraduate students.
  • FAS Spring 2024 Course Registration (Crimson Cart) opens  - to allow searching for courses.

November 1, Wednesday

  • Course registration for Spring 2024  begins.

November 6, Monday (9th Monday)

  • Last day that graduate students may drop a fall course. To withdraw from a fall course after this date an approved Petition to Withdraw must be submitted to the Harvard Griffin GSAS Office of Student Affairs and a notation of WD will be recorded if petition is approved.

November 7, Tuesday

  • Faculty meeting at 3:00 PM.

November 10, Friday (observed)

  • University (Administrative) Holiday: Veterans' Day. FAS classes will be held as scheduled.

November 14, Tuesday

  • Conferral date for November 2023 degrees.

November 15, Tuesday

  • Course Registration Deadline. Spring 2024 term course registrations are due for all students by 11:59 PM. Students must submit minimum course load - typically 16 credits - on my.harvard by 11:59 PM.

November 20, Monday (11th Monday)

  • Last day that undergraduates may petition to withdraw from a fall term course.

November 22, Wednesday through November 26, Sunday

  • Thanksgiving Recess.

December 1, Friday

  • Undergraduate applications for March 2024 degrees (A.B. and S.B.) must be submitted on or before this date.
  • Last day for Undergraduates to change concentration for March 2024 degree candidates without Administrative Board approval.
  • Last day that March 2024 undergraduate degree candidates (A.B. and S.B.) may file for a foreign language citation study plan or petition for a secondary field.
  • Graduate student applications for March 2024 degrees (A.M., S.M., M.E., MFS, and Ph.D.) must be submitted on or before this date.
  • Graduate student applications for Secondary Field due for March 2024 degree candidates.
  • Graduate student applications for part-time study for Spring 2024 due.

December 5, Tuesday

  • Last day of fall term classes.
  • Faculty meeting at 3:00 PM.

December 6, Wednesday, through December 10, Sunday.

  • Reading Period.

December 10, Sunday

  • Last day in the fall term upon which graduate students may petition for late withdrawal from a course.

December 11, Monday, through December 20, Wednesday

  • Final Examination Period. (Does not include Sunday)
    See the Registrar's Office website for exam times and locations for fall term courses.

December 20, Wednesday

  • Last day that graduate students may submit work for incomplete grades from the spring 2023 term.

December 21, 2022, Thursday through January 2, 2024, Tuesday

  • Harvard Griffin GSAS Winter Recess. (Most University offices are closed during recess.)

December 21, 2022, Thursday through January 21, 2024, Sunday

  • College Winter Recess.  

January 8, Monday through January 19, Friday

January 15, Monday

  • University Holiday: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  

January 17, Wednesday and January 18, Thursday  

  • Make up exams held for Fall 2023 courses.