Academic Calendars
Academic Calendars
Definition of the Academic Year
For undergraduate programs, the academic year consists of 30 weeks of instructional time broken into two 15-week semesters, fall and spring. A full-time undergraduate student will complete at least 12 credit hours during each semester.
For graduate programs, the academic year consists of 30 weeks of instructional time broken into two 15-week semesters, fall and spring, with a 15-week summer session acting as a trailer to the academic year. Each semester may also contain two consecutive seven-week mini-sessions. A full-time graduate student will complete at least 6 credit hours per semester in both the fall and spring. The MFA program offers non-standard terms, including an intensive one-week residency between the fall and spring semesters.
The registrar, in consultation with the academic calendar committee, uses the above guidelines to set dates for the academic calendar, typically running from early September through mid-May.