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GSAS Academic Calendar 2019-2020

July 2019

JULY 1, MONDAY
JULY 31, WEDNESDAY

August 2019

AUGUST 1, THURSDAY

  • Check-in and Crimson Cart for fall 2019 term opens for all students, including special students and visiting fellows.

  • Final degree applications for November 2019 degree candidates due.

  • Final application for a November 2019 secondary field due.

AUGUST 31, SATURDAY

September 2019

SEPTEMBER 2, MONDAY

  • University Holiday: Labor Day.

SEPTEMBER 3, TUESDAY

  • Deadline for all students, including special students and visiting fellows, to check in for the fall 2019 term. Students who fail to check in will be charged a late check-in fee of $50 plus an additional $5 for each week thereafter.

  • Deadline to submit work for incomplete grades from the fall 2018 term.

  • Academic year begins. First meeting of fall term courses.

  • Fall 1 Session Begins (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health).

SEPTEMBER 6, FRIDAY

  • Deadline for submission of signed, original Dissertation Acceptance Certificates to the FAS Registrar’s Office for November 2019 degree candidates.

SEPTEMBER 8, SUNDAY

  • Deadline for electronic submission of approved dissertations for November 2019 degree candidates who wish to have fall tuition, Student Health Fee, and Student Health Insurance Plan removed from their student account. Students who submit dissertations on or before this date will have health coverage canceled retroactive to July 31, 2019.

SEPTEMBER 9, MONDAY

  • Fall term course registration for all students, including special students, due by 11:59 p.m.

  • Students must submit enrollments for minimum course load (typically 16 credits) at my.harvard by 11:59 p.m. Students who do not submit enrollments by this time will be charged $40 for each week late. After this date students must obtain permission from all instructors to enroll in courses.

  • November 2019 degree candidates who submit their dissertation electronically on this day will have fall tuition removed, but will retain the Student Health Fee and the Student Health Insurance Plan. Students submitting dissertations on this date will retain health coverage through January 31, 2019, and will be charged accordingly (known as the Magic Day.)

  • Last day on which student may withdraw from their program and cancel registration for the fall term without payment of tuition. Students withdrawing after this date will be charged tuition pursuant to Tuition Associated with Mid-Term Withdrawal.

  • Fall 1 Session course registration deadline (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health)

SEPTEMBER 16, MONDAY
  • Make-up examinations for spring 2019 term begin.

  • Fall 1 Session deadline to add without paying a fee (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health).

SEPTEMBER 18, WEDNESDAY

  • Make-up examinations for spring 2019 term end.

SEPTEMBER 23, MONDAY (3RD MONDAY)

  • Deadline to add or drop a fall course without paying a fee.

  • Fall 1 Session deadline to drop without paying a fee (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health).

October 2019

OCTOBER 7, TUESDAY (5TH MONDAY)
  • Last day students from other schools may file cross-registration petitions for fall term with the FAS Registrar’s Office. Some Schools have earlier deadlines.
OCTOBER 14, MONDAY

  • University Holiday: Columbus Day (Federal); Indigenous Peoples’ Day (City of Cambridge)

OCTOBER 18, FRIDAY
  • Fall 1 Session Ends (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health).
  • Fall 1 Session deadline to withdraw without paying a fee (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health).
OCTOBER 21, MONDAY (7TH MONDAY)
  • Last day to add (or enroll in) fall 2019 courses. To add a course after this date an approved Petition to Addmust be submitted to the Office of Student Affairs.
  • Last day to change to or from SAT/UNS grading option for designated language courses.
  • Students who fail to register by this date for a minimum required course load, withdraw from their academic program, or submit an application for non-resident status for the fall 2019 term are subject to disciplinary action and may be placed on an involuntary leave of absence, also known as an administrative leave of absence, for the remainder of the academic term.
OCTOBER 22, TUESDAY
  • Degree recommendations from academic programs for November 2019 degree candidates due.
OCTOBER 28, MONDAY

  • Fall 2 Session Begins (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health).

November 2019

NOVEMBER 4, MONDAY (9TH MONDAY)

  • Last day to drop a fall course via my.harvard. To withdraw from a fall course after this date, an approved Petition to Withdraw must be submitted to the Office of Student Affairs. A notation of WD will be recorded on the student’s transcript for course if the petition is approved.

  • Fall 2 Session course registration deadline (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health)

  • Fall 2 Session deadline to add without paying a fee (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health).

NOVEMBER 5, TUESDAY

  • Spring term Online Check-In opens

  • Spring term Course Registration (Crimson Cart) opens to allow shopping for courses

NOVEMBER 11, MONDAY

  • University holiday: Veterans’ Day (observed for staff). Classes will be held on a regular Monday Schedule.

NOVEMBER 12, TUESDAY​​​​​​​

  • Fall 2 Session deadline to drop without paying a fee (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health).

  • Conferral date for November 2019 degrees.

NOVEMBER 27, WEDNESDAY

  • Thanksgiving recess begins.

December 2019

DECEMBER 2, MONDAY
DECEMBER 3, TUESDAY

  • Last day of fall term classes.

  • Fall 2 Session Ends (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health)

  • Fall 2 Session deadline to withdraw without paying a fee (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health)

DECEMBER 4, WEDNESDAY

  • Fall term Reading Period begins.

DECEMBER 9, MONDAY

  • Last day on which students may submit approved Petition to Withdraw from fall term course to the Office of Student Affairs. A notation of WD will be recorded on the student’s transcript for course if Petition is approved.

  • Fall term reading period ends.

DECEMBER 10, TUESDAY

  • Fall term examinations begin.

DECEMBER 19, THURSDAY

  • Fall term examinations end.

DECEMBER 20, FRIDAY

  • Winter recess begins. (Most University offices closed during recess.)

January 2020

JANUARY 2, THURSDAY

  • University offices reopen.

  • Winter recess ends

JANUARY 13, MONDAY
JANUARY 20, MONDAY

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

JANUARY 21, TUESDAY
JANUARY 22, WEDNESDAY

  • Online check-in for spring 2020 term opens for all students, including special students and visiting fellows.

JANUARY 24, FRIDAY
JANUARY 26, SUNDAY
  • Deadline to submit work for incomplete grades from the spring 2019 term.
JANUARY 27, MONDAY
  • Spring term begins. First meeting of spring term classes.
  • Deadline for all students, including special students and visiting fellows, to check in for the spring 2019 term. Students who fail to check in will be charged a late check-in fee of $50 plus an additional $5 for each week thereafter.
  • Spring 1 Session begins (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
JANUARY 31, FRIDAY
  • Spring 1 Session, course registration deadline (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
  • Spring term course registration for all students, including special students, due by 11:59 p.m.
  • Students must submit enrollments for their minimum course load (typically 16 credits) at my.harvard by 11:59 p.m. Students who do not submit enrollments by this time will be charged $40 for each week late.
    • After this date students must obtain permission from all instructors to enroll in courses.
  • Last day on which student may withdraw from their program and cancel registration for the fall term without payment of tuition. Students withdrawing after this date will be charged tuition pursuant to Tuition Associated with Mid-Term Withdrawal.
  • Deadline for electronic submission of approved dissertations for May 2020 degree candidates who wish to have spring tuition and Student Health Fee and Student Health Insurance Plan removed from their student account. Students who submit dissertation on or before this date will have health coverage canceled as of January 31, 2020.

February 2020

FEBRUARY 10, MONDAY (3RD MONDAY)
  • Make-up examinations for fall term 2019 begin.
  • Deadline to add or drop a spring course without paying a fee.
  • Spring 1 session, deadline to add without paying a fee (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
FEBRUARY 12, WEDNESDAY
  • Make-up examinations for fall term 2019 end.
FEBRUARY 17, MONDAY
  • University holiday: Presidents’ Day.
FEBRUARY 18, TUESDAY
  • Spring 1 session, deadline to drop without paying a fee (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
FEBRUARY 24, MONDAY (5TH MONDAY)
  • Last day students from other schools may file cross-registration petitions for spring term with the FAS Registrar’s Office. Some schools have earlier deadlines.
FEBRUARY 29, SATURDAY

March 2020

MARCH 9, MONDAY (7TH MONDAY)
  • Last day to add (or enroll in) spring 2020 courses. To add a course after this date an approved Petition to Add must be submitted to the Office of Student Affairs
  • Last day to change to or from SAT/UNS grading option for designated language courses.
  • Students who fail to register by this date for a minimum required course load, withdraw from their academic program, or submit an application for non-resident status for the spring 2020 term are subject to disciplinary action and may be placed on an involuntary leave of absence, also known as an administrative leave of absence, for the remainder of the academic term.
MARCH 10, TUESDAY
  • Conferral date for March 2020 degrees.
MARCH 14, SATURDAY

  • Spring Recess begins.

MARCH 20, FRIDAY
  • Spring 1 Session ends (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
  • Spring 1 session, deadline to withdraw without paying a fee (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
MARCH 22, SUNDAY
  • Spring recess ends.
MARCH 23, MONDAY (9TH MONDAY)
  • Last day to drop a spring course via my.harvard. To withdraw from a spring course after this date an approved Petition to Withdraw must be submitted to the Office of Student Affairs. A notation of WD will be recorded on the student’s transcript for course if the petition is approved.
  • Spring 2 Session begins (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
MARCH 30, MONDAY
  • Spring 2 Session course registration deadline (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health)

April 2020

APRIL 6, MONDAY (11TH MONDAY)
  • Spring 2 Session deadline to add a course without paying a fee (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
APRIL 1, WEDNESDAY
  • Final degree applications for May 2020 degree candidates due.
  • Final application for a May 2020 Secondary Field due.
APRIL 13, MONDAY (12TH MONDAY)
  • Spring 2 Session deadline to drop a course without paying a fee (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
APRIL 29, WEDNESDAY
  • Last day of spring term classes.
  • Spring 2 Session ends (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
  • Spring 2 Session, deadline to withdraw without paying a fee (only applies to coursework at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
APRIL 30, THURSDAY
  • Spring term reading period begins.

May 2020

MAY 6, WEDNESDAY
  • Last day on which students may submit approved Petition to Withdraw from spring term course to the Office of Student Affairs. A notation of WD will be recorded on the student’s transcript for course if petition is approved.
  • Spring term reading period ends.
MAY 7, THURSDAY
  • Spring term examinations begin.
MAY 14, Thursday
MAY 16, SATURDAY
  • Spring term examinations end.
MAY 22, FRIDAY
  • Degree recommendations from academic programs for May 2020 degree candidates due.
MAY 25, MONDAY
  • University Holiday: Memorial Day.
MAY 28, THURSDAY
  • Harvard University Commencement.
  • Conferral date for May 2020 degrees.