This calendar is subject to change. Paid holidays for faculty and staff members are listed on the Harvard information for employees holiday calendar.

Summer 2026

Date

Event

July 4HOLIDAY: Independence Day
July 7–August 6Mid-Career MPA Summer Program
July 31Fall and January course syllabi due
August 10–28 MPA/ID Program Seminar
August 10–21MC/MPA Mason Fall Launch
August 15Submission Deadline: Declaration of Interest in the Data and Research Methods Pathway for Graduating Students 


Fall 2026

Date

Event

TBDFall Crimson Cart open
August 24–28Orientation (for incoming two-year students only)
August 28 
at TBD		Registration Round 1 opens
August 31–September 1Course Preview Days
August 31
at TBD		Cross-registration submission for non-HKS students begins
September 2Full-term and Fall 1 courses begin
September 2 
at TBD		Registration Round 1 closes
September 2
at TBD		Fall Bidding opens
September 3
at TBD		Fall Bidding closes
September 3
at TBD		Registration Round 2 opens
September 4Monday/Wednesday classes meet (excludes Wednesday only courses)
September 4Submission Deadline: Degree Credit Petition for non-HKS Fall term courses
September 4
at TBD		Registration Round 2 closes
September 4
at TBD		Fall Add/Drop period begins
September 4
at TBD		Cross-registration submission and approval for non-HKS students begins
September 7HOLIDAY: Labor Day
September 11
at TBD		Submission Deadline: Full-term and Fall 1 courses add and cross-registration petitions
September 17
at TBD		Submission Deadline: Full-term and Fall 1 courses drop without notation petitions
October 2
at TBD		Submission Deadline: Fall 1 drop with notation petitions
October 12HOLIDAY: Columbus Day (Federal and State)/Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Cambridge)
October 16Fall 1 courses end
October 19Fall 2 courses begin
October 23Fall 1 final papers due
October 30
at TBD		Submission Deadline: Fall 2 add, cross-registration, drop without notation petitions
November 2Fall 1 grades due
November 3
at TBD		January Session* Crimson Cart opens
November 11HOLIDAY: Veterans Day
November 12
at TBD		January Session Registration Round 1 opens*
TBDJanuary Session Registration Round 1 closes*
TBDJanuary Session Bidding opens*
TBDJanuary Session Bidding closes*
TBDJanuary Session Registration Round 2 opens*
TBDJanuary Session Registration Round 2 closes*
TBDJanuary Session Add/Drop period begins*
TBDJanuary Session cross-registration submission begins for non-HKS students*
TBDJanuary Session cross-registration submission approval begins for non-HKS students*
November 24
at TBD		Submission Deadline: Full-term and Fall 2 courses drop with notation petitions
November 25–27HOLIDAY: Thanksgiving Recess
December 4Full-term and Fall 2 courses end
December 5-8Reading period
December 5–18Fall semester take-home exams/papers due
December 9–18Fall semester examinations** (in class)
December 11
at TBD		Submission Deadline: January session drop without notation petitions
December 15Spring Course syllabi due
December 21Full-term (Fall) and Fall 2 grades due


Spring 2027

Date

Event

January 4–15January Session*
Begins January 4 at TBD
January 4
11:59 p.m.		Submission Deadline: January Session add, cross-registration, and drop with notation petitions*
TBD
12:01 a.m.		Spring Crimson Cart opens
January 18HOLIDAY: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 21–22Course Preview Days
January 21
at TBD		Registration Round 1 opens
January 22
at TBD		Cross-registration submission for non-HKS students begins
January 25Full-term and Spring 1 courses begin
January 25January Session grades due
January 25 
at TBD		Registration Round 1 closes
January 25
at TBD		Spring Bidding opens
January 26
at TBD		Spring Bidding closes
January 26
at TBD		Registration Round 2 opens
January 27
at TBD		Registration Round 2 closes
January 27
at TBD		Spring Add/Drop begins
January 27
at TBD		Cross-registration approval for non-HKS students begins
January 27Submission Deadline: Degree Credit Petition for non-HKS Spring term courses
February 2
11:59 p.m.		Submission Deadline: Full-term and Spring 1 courses add and cross-registration petitions
February 8
11:59 p.m.		Submission Deadline: Full-term and Spring 1 courses drop without notation petitions
February 15HOLIDAY: Presidents’ Day
March 5
at TBD		Submission Deadline: Spring 1 drop with notation petitions
March 12Spring 1 course ends
March 15–19Spring Break
March 22Spring 2 courses begin
March 26Spring 1 final papers due
March 30
at TBD		Submission Deadline: Spring 2 add, cross-registration, and drop without notation petitions
April 5Spring 1 grades due
April 6Policy Analysis Exercise (PAE) deadline 
April 23
at TBD		Submission Deadline: Full-term and Spring 2 courses drop with notation petitions
April 30Full-term and Spring 2 courses end
May 1–4Reading period
May 1-14Spring semester take-home exams/papers due
May 5–14Spring semester examinations** (in class)
May 17Full-term (Spring) and Spring 2 grades due
May 24–28Commencement Week
May 27Commencement Day
May 31HOLIDAY: Memorial Day
June 18HOLIDAY: Juneteenth (observed)

*Enrolling and participating in January Session is optional for HKS students. January Session HKS courses count toward registered students' Spring term enrollments. 

**Students must plan on being on campus throughout the in-class examination period. Family emergency and serious illness are the only acceptable excuses for missing an examination. This exam schedule applies only to courses held at HKS; jointly listed courses held at other Harvard schools may operate on a different exam schedule. Please check your syllabi for all courses carefully to ensure that you avoid exam conflicts.

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