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Important Dates
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Important Dates - Drake Online Programs
2025-2026 Important Dates
(Other Than the Law School and Drake Online Graduate Programs)
| Mon | May 19 |
Start of summer semester |
| Mon | May 26 |
Memorial Day holiday (university closed; classes do not meet) |
| Thurs | June 19 |
Juneteenth holiday (university closed; classes do not meet) |
| Fri | July 4 |
Independence Day holiday (university closed; classes do not meet) |
| Sun | Aug 24 | End of summer semester |
| Fri | Aug 29 |
Summer term final grades due by 10:00am* |
| Mon | Aug 25 |
Start of fall semester |
| Mon | Sep 1 |
Labor Day holiday (university closed; classes do not meet) |
| Fri | Oct 3 |
Spring 2026 schedule of classes available |
| Mon | Oct 6 |
Faculty can begin submitting textbook adoptions for Spring 2026 classes: https://fast.ecampus.com/courses |
| Mon-Tue | Oct 13-14 | Fall break (classes do not meet) |
| Wed | Oct 15 |
Fall semester midpoint |
| Mon | Oct 20 |
Fall semester midterm grades due by 10:00am |
| Mon | Oct 27 | Deadline by which field-of-study changes must be made to be considered for spring registration |
| Fri |
Oct 31 | Textbook adoptions due: https://fast.ecampus.com/courses |
| Mon | Nov 3 |
Spring 2026 registration begins |
| Mon | Nov 17 | Field-of-study restrictions removed from set of restricted courses |
| Wed | Nov 19 |
Spring 2026 registration opens for non-degree-seeking students (tentative) |
| Wed-Sun | Nov 26-Nov 30 |
Thanksgiving break (classes do not meet) |
| Mon | Dec 1 |
University reopens; classes resume |
| Fri | Dec 5 |
Day free for study |
| Mon-Fri | Dec 8-12 |
Final evaluations |
| Wed |
Dec 10 |
Last day to add a J-term class online |
| Fri | Dec 12 | End of fall semester |
| Wed | Dec 17 |
Fall semester final grades due by 10:00am |
| Tue | Dec 23 |
Winter break begins (university closed) |
| Mon | Jan 5 |
University reopens |
| Mon | Jan 5 |
J-term begins |
| Mon | Jan 19 |
Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday (university closed; classes do not meet) |
| Fri | Jan 23 | J-term ends |
| Mon | Jan 26 |
Start of spring semester |
| Wed | Feb 4 |
J-term final grades due by 10:00am |
| Sun | Mar 1 | Textbook adoptions open for summer classes |
| Fri | Mar 6 |
Summer 2026, fall 2026 schedule of classes available (tentative) |
| Mon | Mar 9 | Textbook adoptions open for fall classes |
| Fri | Mar 13 | Textbook adoptions due for summer classes |
| Fri |
Mar 13 |
Spring semester midpoint |
| Mon-Fri |
Mar 16-20 |
Spring break (classes do not meet) |
| Wed | Mar 25 |
Midterm grades due by 10:00am |
| Mon | Mar 30 |
Deadline by which field-of-study changes must be made to be considered for summer/fall/J-term registration (tentative) |
| Fri | Apr 3 | Textbook adoptions due for fall classes |
| Mon | Apr 6 |
Summer 2026 and fall 2026 registration begins (tentative) |
| Mon | Apr 20 | Field-of-study restrictions removed from set of restricted courses (tentative) |
| Wed | Apr 22 | Summer 2026 and fall 2026 registration opens for non-degree-seeking students (tentative) |
| Wed | Apr 22 | Wait list automation begins |
| Wed-Sat | Apr 22-25 | Drake Relays |
| Fri | Apr 24 | Undergraduate classes dismissed at 1:50pm |
| Fri | May 8 |
Day free for study |
| Mon-Fri | May 11-15 | Final evaluations |
| Fri | May 15 | End of spring semester |
| Sat | May 16 |
CPHS doctoral hooding and commencement ceremony |
| Sat | May 16 | Law School commencement ceremony |
| Sun | May 17 | Commencement |
| Wed | May 20 | Spring final grades due by 10:00am |
*Final grades for summer courses are based on the end date of the course; however, the latest date by which summer grades can be submitted is Aug 29. See Section 2.135 of the Faculty Manual for more details.
2025-2026 Important Dates
Drake Online Graduate Programs
| Mon | May 12 |
Courses open in Blackboard (Preview Week begins) |
| Thurs | May 15 | Last day to add first summer six-week session class online |
| Sun | May 18 | Last day to drop first summer six-week session class online |
| Mon | May 19 |
Start of first summer six-week session classes |
| Sun | Jun 29 |
End of first summer six-week session classes |
| Mon | Jul 7 |
First summer six-week session final grades due |
| Mon | Jun 30 |
Courses open in Blackboard (Preview Week begins) |
| Thurs | Jul 3 |
Last day to add second summer six-week session class online |
| Sun | Jul 6 |
Last day to drop second summer six-week session class online |
| Mon | Jul 7 |
Start of second summer six-week session classes |
| Sun | Aug 17 | End of second summer six-week session classes |
| Fri | Aug 22 |
Second summer six-week session final grades due |
| Mon | Aug 18 |
Courses open in Blackboard (Preview Week begins) |
| Thurs | Aug 21 |
Last day to add first fall six-week session class online |
| Mon | Aug 25 |
Start of first fall six-week session classes |
| Sun |
Aug 31 | Last day to drop first fall six-week session class online |
| TBD | TBD |
Spring 2026 schedule of classes available |
| Sun | Oct 5 |
End of first fall six-week session classes |
| Fri | Oct 10 |
First fall six-week session final grades due |
| Mon | Oct 13 | Courses open in Blackboard (Preview Week begins) |
| Thurs | Oct 16 |
Last day to add second fall six-week session class online |
| Mon | Oct 20 |
Start of second fall six-week session classes |
| Sun |
Oct 27 |
Last day to drop second fall six-week session class online |
| Mon | Nov 3 |
Spring 2026 registration begins (tentative) |
| Wed-Sun | Nov 26-30 |
Thanksgiving break (university closed) |
| Sun | Nov 30 | End of second fall six-week session classes |
| Fri | Dec 5 |
Second fall six-week session final grades due |
| Tue | Dec 23 | Winter break begins (University closed) |
| Mon | Jan 5 |
University reopens |
| Mon | Jan 19 |
Courses open in Blackboard (Preview Week begins) |
| Thurs | Jan 22 |
Last day to add first spring six-week session class online |
| Mon | Jan 26 |
Start of first spring six-week session classes |
| Fri | Mar 6 |
Summer and fall 2026 schedule of classes available (tentative) |
| Sun | Mar 8 |
End of first spring six-week session classes |
| Fri | Mar 13 |
First spring six-week session final grades due |
| Mon | Mar 16 | Courses open in Blackboard (Preview Week begins) |
| Thurs | Mar 19 | Last day to add second spring six-week session class online |
| Mon | Mar 23 | Start of second spring six-week session classes |
| Mon | Apr 6 |
Summer and fall 2026 registration begins (tentative) |
| Sun | May 3 | End of second spring six-week session classes |
| Fri | May 8 | Second spring six-week session final grades due |
| Sun | May 17 | Commencement |
*Final grades for summer courses are based on the end date of the course; however, the latest date by which summer grades can be submitted is Aug 29. See Section 2.135 of the Faculty Manual for more details.
University Calendar 
University News
November 25, 2025
