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

Summer 2023

  • June 19  (HOLIDAY observed)  Juneteenth
  • July 3  (HOLIDAY)  In advance of Independence Day 
  • July 4  (HOLIDAY observed)  Independence Day
  • Jul 11-Aug 10  Mid-Career MPA Summer Program
  • Aug 1  Fall and January course syllabi due
  • Aug 7-25  MPA/ID Program Seminar
  • Aug 14-25  Mid-Career MPA Mason Fall Launch
     

Fall 2023

  • Aug 21-25  Orientation (for incoming two-year students only)
  • Aug 25-30  Registration Round I 
  • Aug 28-29  Shopping days 
  • Aug 28  Cross-registration begins for non-HKS students
  • Aug 30  Full-term and Fall 1 courses begin
  • Aug 30-31  Fall bidding
  • Aug 31  Registration Round II 
  • Sept 1  Monday and Wednesday courses meet (excludes Wed-only courses)
  • Sept 1  Fall term cross-registration petitions for HKS degree credit deadline
  • Sept 1  Cross-registration approval for non-HKS students begins
  • Sept 4  (HOLIDAY) Labor Day
  • Sept 8  Full-term and Fall 1 courses add deadline
  • Sept 8  Cross-registration deadline (Full-term and Fall 1 courses)
  • Sept 14  Full-term and Fall 1 courses drop deadline (without notation)
  • Sept 29  Fall 1 drop deadline (with notation)
  • Oct 9  (HOLIDAY) Columbus Day (Federal and State)/Indigenous Peoples' Day (Cambridge)
  • Oct 13  Fall 1 ends
  • Oct 16  Fall 2 begins
  • Oct 20  Fall 1 final papers due
  • Oct 27  Fall 2 add/drop deadline (without notation)
  • Oct 30  Fall 1 grades due
  • Oct 31  January session (optional) Crimson Cart opens
  • Nov 9  January session (optional) Registration Round I begins
  • Nov 10  (HOLIDAY) Veterans Day
  • Nov 21  Full-term and Fall 2 courses drop deadline (with notation)
  • Nov 22-24  (HOLIDAY) Thanksgiving recess
  • Dec 1  Full-term and Fall 2 courses end
  • Dec 2-5  Reading period
  • Dec 2-15  Fall semester take-home exams/papers due
  • Dec 6-15  Fall semester examinations* (in class)
  • Dec 8  January session drop deadline (without notation)
  • Dec 15  Spring course syllabi due
  • Dec 18  Full-term (Fall) and Fall 2 grades due
     

Spring 2024

  • Jan 2-12  January session (optional)
  • Jan 4  January session add/drop deadline (with notation)
  • Jan 15  (HOLIDAY) Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • Jan 18-19  Shopping days
  • Jan 18-22  Registration Round I 
  • Jan 19  Cross-registration submission for non-HKS students begins
  • Jan 22  Full-term and Spring 1 courses begin
  • Jan 22  January session grades due
  • Jan 22-23  Spring bidding
  • Jan 23-24  Registration Round II
  • Jan 24  Cross-registration approval for non-HKS students begins
  • Jan 26  Spring term cross-registration petitions for HKS degree credit deadline
  • Feb 3  Full-term and Spring 1 courses add deadline 
  • Feb 3  Cross-registration deadline (Full-term and Spring 1 courses)
  • Feb 5  Full-term and Spring 1 courses drop deadline (without notation)
  • Feb 19  (HOLIDAY) Presidents' Day
  • Mar 1  Spring 1 drop deadline (with notation)
  • Mar 8  Spring 1 ends
  • Mar 9-17  Spring break
  • Mar 18  Spring 2 begins
  • Mar 22  Spring 1 final papers due
  • Mar 29  Spring 2 add/drop deadline (without notation)
  • Apr 1  Spring 1 grades due
  • Apr 2  Policy Analysis Exercise (PAE) deadline
  • Apr 19  Full-term and Spring 2 courses drop deadline (with notation)
  • Apr 26  Full-term and Spring 2 courses end
  • Apr 27-30  Reading period
  • Apr 27-May 10  Spring semester take-home exams/papers due
  • May 1-10  Spring semester examinations* (in class)
  • May 13  Full-term (spring) and Spring 2 grades due
  • May 20-24  Commencement Week
  • May 23  Commencement Day
  • May 27  (HOLIDAY ) Memorial Day
  • June 19  (HOLIDAY) Juneteenth

*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.