Fall 2025 Academic Calendars
- Traditional/Residential Programs Calendar
- Executive Format Program Calendar
- Educator Training Program Calendar
Traditional/Residential Programs
Students in the following programs follow this calendar:
- Education, Culture, and Society (PhD, MSEd)
- Education Policy (PhD, MSEd)
- Educational Linguistics (PhD, EdD)
- Higher Education (PhD, EdD, MSEd)
- Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Development (PhD, MSEd)
- International Educational Development (MSEd)
- Language, Globalization, and Intercultural Stuides (MSEd)
- Learning Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (Online MSEd)
- Learning Sciences and Technologies (PhD, MSEd)
- Literacy Studies (PhD, EdD, MSEd)
- Quantitative Methods (PhD, MPhilEd)
- Professional Counseling (MPhilEd)
- Reading Specialist (PBCL)
- Statistics, Measurement, Assessment, and Research Technology (MSEd)
- Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MSEd)
- Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education (PhD, EdD, MSEd)
|
Date |
Day |
Event/Deadline |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 21-23 | Thursday-Saturday | GSE New Student Orientation | |||||||||
| August 26 | Tuesday | Fall term classes begin. | |||||||||
| September 1 | Monday | Labor Day (No Classes) | |||||||||
| September 9 | Tuesday | LAST DAY to add and drop a class without financial penalty (11:59PM ET via Path@Penn | |||||||||
| September 9 | Tuesday | LAST DAY for students to be registered for the fall term. Active students must be registered or take a leave of absence by this date to avoid being withdrawn from their program. | |||||||||
| September 9 | Tuesday | LAST DAY for international students to arrive for in-person courses. | |||||||||
| September 19 | Friday | Opening of OPT application to USCIS for Fall 2025 international students with 12/18/2025 end date. Please check on the I20, if you have different program dates on the I20, please reach out to ISSS for updates. | |||||||||
| October 6 | Monday | LAST DAY to drop a course (no refund). Courses dropped after this date require instructor approval and a 'W' will appear on transcript in place of a grade. | |||||||||
| October 24 | Friday | LAST DAY to request course grade type change to audit or pass/fail. Requires instructor approval. Courses taken for audit or pass/fail cannot be counted towards degree requirements unless otherwise noted in the program's course catalog page. | |||||||||
| October 27 | Monday | Opening of December 2025 Graduation Application: https://srfs.upenn.edu/student-records/GradApp | |||||||||
| DOCTORAL (PhD AND EdD) STUDENTS GRADUATING IN DECEMBER 2025 are strongly advised to defend by October 24 to ensure that they can submit their dissertation for format review by November 3. The link to schedule your final defense is: https://www.gse.upenn.edu/student-forms/final-defense-sched. SRO requests that this form is submitted two weeks prior to defense date. | |||||||||||
| October 27 | Monday | Advanced Registration for Spring 2026 available Path@Penn. | |||||||||
| November 3 | Monday | LAST DAY to withdraw from a course (No Refund). | |||||||||
| November 4 | Tuesday | LAST DAY doctoral students may submit dissertation for review by the Director of Academic Affairs for December 2025 degree: EdD students: Upload to Proquest PhD students: Email dissertation to Chris Kubik Cedeño (cdkubik@upenn.edu) |
|||||||||
| November 10 | Monday | Advanced Registration for Spring 2026 ends. | |||||||||
| November 15 | Saturday | Last day to submit a Return of Leave of Absence for the spring term. | |||||||||
| TBD | TBD | Open Enrollment for Spring 2026 available via Path@Penn. | |||||||||
| November 21 | Friday | Closing of December 2025 Graduation Application: https://srfs.upenn.edu/student-records/GradApp. | |||||||||
| November 24 | Monday | Monday GSE classes meet; no alternative schedule on Tuesday and Wednesday. Check your syllabi for non-GSE classes – they may have alternative meetings this week. | |||||||||
| November 25-30 | Tuesday-Sunday | Thanksgiving Break (No Classes) | |||||||||
| December 1 | Monday | Classes Resume | |||||||||
| December 1 | Monday | LAST DAY for submission of approved & signed dissertations for December 2025 degree: EdD students: to Academic Affairs Office PhD students: to Graduate Arts & Sciences |
|||||||||
| December 1 | Monday | LAST DAY Divisions may submit Master’s Examination/Thesis Portfolio results to the GSE Student Records Office for December 2025 degree. | |||||||||
| December 15 | Monday | LAST DAY of the Fall classes at GSE. | |||||||||
| December 18 | Thursday | LAST DAY May 2026 EdD and PhD potential graduates can hold final defense without having to pay Spring 2026 tuition (must recieve a successful pass; tuition waiver does not apply for pending pass). | |||||||||
| December 18 | Thursday | Fall Degree Conferral Date. | |||||||||
| January 2 | Friday | Fall term grades due. | |||||||||
Executive Format Program Calendar
Students in the following programs follow this calendar:
- Education Entrepreneurship (MSEd)
- Educational and Organizational Leadership (EdD)
- Global Higher Education Management (Online MSEd)
- Higher Education Management (EdD)
- Medical Education (MSEd)
- Penn Chief Learning Officer (EdD)
- School and Mental Health Counseling (MSEd)
|
Date |
Day |
Event/Deadline |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 26 | Tuesday | First day of fall term. All programs will have academic engagement during this week. Specific programs will dictate the In-person, online synchronous and online a-synchronous class schedule within their internal documentation. | |||||||||
| September 1 | Monday | Labor Day (No Classes) | |||||||||
| September 9 | Tuesday | LAST DAY for students to be registered for the fall term. Active students must be registered or take a leave of absence by this date to avoid being withdrawn from their program. | |||||||||
| See specific program class schedule | See specific program class schedule | Executive-format students must drop courses before their first in-person classes of the term to receive a full refund; if separating from the program during the first in-person classes there will be a 50% refund; if separating after the conclusion of the first in-person classes there will be no refund. | |||||||||
| September 19 | Friday | Opening of OPT application to USCIS for Fall 2025 international students with 12/18/2025 end date. Please check on the I20, if you have different program dates on the I20, please reach out to ISSS for updates. | |||||||||
| DOCTORAL (PhD AND EdD) STUDENTS GRADUATING IN DECEMBER 2025 are strongly advised to defend by October 24 to ensure that they can submit their dissertation for format review by November 3. The link to schedule your final defense is: https://www.gse.upenn.edu/student-forms/final-defense-sched. SRO requests that this form is submitted two weeks prior to defense date. | |||||||||||
| October 27 | Monday | Opening of December 2025 Graduation Application:https://srfs.upenn.edu/student-records/GradApp. | |||||||||
| November 4 | Monday | LAST DAY doctoral students may submit dissertation for review by the Director of Academic Affairs for December 2025 degree: EdD students: Upload to Proquest PhD students: Email dissertation to Chris Kubik Cedeño (cdkubik@upenn.edu) |
|||||||||
| November 15 | Saturday | Last day to submit a Return of Leave of Absence for the spring term. | |||||||||
| November 21 | Friday | Closing of December 2025 Graduation Application: https://srfs.upenn.edu/student-records/GradApp. | |||||||||
| November 25-30 | Tuesday-Sunday | Thanksgiving Break (No Classes) | |||||||||
| December 1 | Monday | LAST DAY for submission of approved & signed dissertations for December 2025 degree: EdD students: to Academic Affairs Office PhD students: to Graduate Arts & Sciences |
|||||||||
| December 1 | Monday | LAST DAY Divisions may submit Master's Examination/Thesis Portfolio results to the GSE Student Records Office for December 2025 degree. | |||||||||
| December 18 | Thursday | LAST DAY May 2026 EdD and PhD potential graduates can hold final defense without having to pay Spring 2026 tuition (must receive a successful pass; tuition waiver does not apply for pending pass). | |||||||||
| December 18 | Thursday | Fall Degree Conferral Date. | |||||||||
| December 22 | Monday | Last day of fall term for Executive-format cohorts. All programs will have academic engagement during this week. Specific programs will dictate the In-person, online synchronous and online a-synchronous class schedule within their internal documentation. | |||||||||
| January 2 | Friday | Fall term grades due. | |||||||||
Educator Training Program Calendar
Students in the following programs follow this calendar:
- Independent School Teaching Residency (MSEd)
- School Leadership (MSEd, PBCL)
- Urban Education (Online MSed)
- Urban Teaching Residency (MSEd, PBCL)
- Urban Teaching Apprenticeship (MSEd)
|
Date |
Day |
Event/Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| August 14 | Thursday | First day of fall term. All programs will have academic engagement during this week. Specific programs will dictate the In-person, online synchronous and online a-synchronous class schedule within their internal documentation. |
| August 29 | Friday | UTAP and UTR LAST DAY to add and drop a fall course without financial penalty. |
| August 29 | Friday | UTAP and UTR LAST DAY for students to be registered for the fall term. Active students must be registered or take a leave of absence by this date to avoid being withdrawn from their program. |
| September 1 | Monday | Labor Day (No Classes) |
| ISTR SLP See specific program class schedule | ISTR and SLP See specific program class schedule | ISTR and SLP students must drop courses before their first in-person classes of the term to receive a full refund; if separating from the program during the first in-person classes there will be a 50% refund; if separating after the conclusion of the first in-person classes there will be no refund. |
| September 19 | Friday | Opening of OPT application to USCIS for Fall 2025 international students with 12/18/2025 end date. Please check on the I20, if you have different program dates on the I20, please reach out to ISSS for updates. |
| October 3 | Friday | UTAP and UTR LAST DAY to drop a course (no refund). Courses dropped after this date require instructor approval and a 'W' will apear on transcript in place of a grade. |
| October 27 | Monday | Opening of December 2025 Graduation Application: https://srfs.upenn.edu/student-records/GradApp. |
| November 3 | Monday | UTP and UTR LAST DAY to withdraw from a course (No Refund). |
| November 15 | Saturday | Last day to submit a Return of Leave of Absence for the spring term. |
| November 21 | Friday | Closing of December 2025 Graduation Application: https://srfs.upenn.edu/student-reocrds/GradApp. |
| November 24 | Monday | UTAP courses meet. UTR courses will not meet. ISTR and SLP students should see their specific class schedule. |
| November 25-30 | Tuesday-Sunday | Thanksgiving Break (No Classes) |
| December 1 | Monday | Classes Resume |
| December 1 | Monday | LAST DAY Divisions may submit Master's Examination/Thesis Portfolio results to the GSE Student Records Office for December 2025 degree. |
| December 18 | Thursday | Fall Degree Conferral Date. |
| December 22 | Monday | Last day of fall term for Educator Training Program students. All programs will have academic engagement through this week. Specific programs will dictate the In-person, online synchronous and online a-synchronous class schedule within their internal documentation. |
| January 2 | Friday | Fall term grades due. |
