GWU Academic Calendar 2025-2026

GWU Academic Calendar 2025-2026; GWU commencement 2025

GWU commencement 2025

The GWU academic calendar lists deadlines, crucial dates, Thanksgiving break, spring break, fall break, and class schedules. There are semesters at George Washington University. GW’s semesters consist of 14 weeks of classroom teaching plus a 15th weeks set aside for exams. Courses that don’t have a final exam scheduled or a project or paper due during finals week must make up the instructional hours over the 14 weeks of class.

GWU students must enroll in 12 credits per semester (full-time enrollment). In some academic programs, depending on how the curriculum develops, more than 12 credits may be needed each semester. The important academic dates for the semester are listed on this calendar, including holidays, test dates, and changes to the class schedule. Changes may be made to some dates. The key dates and deadlines for the fall, spring, and summer semesters of the GWU academic calendar are shown below. GWU Academic Calendar 2025-2026;

Fall Semester 2025

GWU Fall Semester 2025 First Day of Classes begins Thursday, August 21, 2025
Labor Day (no classes) is on Monday, September 1, 2025
GWU Fall Break (no classes) starts on Thursday – Friday, October 9-10, 2025
ThanksgivingBreak (no classes)begins Monday, November 24 – Saturday, November 29, 2025
GWU Fall Semester 2025 Last Day of Classes begins Monday, December 8, 2025
GWU Fall Semester 2025 Reading/MakeUp Day is Tuesday, December 9, 2025
GWU Fall Semester 2025 Final Examinations start Wednesday, December 10 – Thursday, December 16, 2025
GWU Fall Semester 2025 Degree Conferral begins Friday, January 9, 2026

Spring Semester 2026

GWU Spring Semester 2026 First Day of Classes Begin Tuesday, January 12, 2026
Martin Luther King Day (no classes) starts Monday, January 19, 2026
President’s Day (no classes) is on Monday, February 16, 2026
GWU Spring Break(no classes)starts Monday, March 9 – Saturday, March 14, 2026
GWU Spring Semester 2026 Last Day of Classes is on Monday, April 27, 2026
GWU Spring Semester 2026 Make-Up Day* is Tuesday, April 28, 2026
GWU Spring Semester 2026 Designated Monday begins Wednesday, April 29, 2026
GWU Spring Semester 2026 Reading Days start Thursday, April 30 – Friday, May 1, 2026
GWU Spring Semester 2026 Final Examinations on Saturday, May 2 – Friday, May 8, 2026
GWU Spring Semester 2026 Commencement Weekend begins Thursday, May 14 – Sunday, May 17, 2026
GWU Spring Degree Conferral* is Sunday, May 17, 2026

Summer Sessions 2026

GWU Summer Sessions 2024 Session I Begins (6-, 8-, 10-, and full-term sessions) is Monday, May 18, 2026
Memorial Day(no classes) is Monday, May 25, 2026
Juneteenth (no classes) is Friday, June 19, 2026
GWU Summer Sessions 2026 6-week Session I ends Saturday, June 27, 2026
GWU Summer Sessions 2026 Session II begins (6-week session) Monday, June 29, 2026
Independence Day Observed(no classes) starts Friday, July 3, 2026
GWU Summer Sessions 2026 8-week Session I ends Saturday, July 11, 2026
GWU Summer Sessions 2026 10-week Session I ends Saturday, July 25, 2026
GWU Summer Sessions 2026 6-week Session II ends Saturday, August 8, 2026
GWU Summer Sessions 2026 Full-term Session I ends Saturday, August 15, 2026
GWU Summer Sessions 2026 Summer Degree Conferral Monday, August 31, 2026
GWU Summer Sessions 2024 Law Degree Conferral is Tuesday, September 1, 2026.