Undergraduate & Graduate Programs — Calendars (2024)

FAQs

What are two types of college academic calendars? ›

An academic calendar that uses semesters traditionally has two terms, in the fall and spring, and a trimester academic calendar traditionally has three terms, in the fall, spring, and summer. Academic progress is measured in semester credit-hours, and full-time is at least 12 semester credits.

A Calendar year ranges from 1 January through to 31 December. An Academic year is comprised of two Teaching Periods, January to June, and July to December.

Semesters in US universities

Classes in the first semester usually begins in August and lasts until the end of December, including exams. The second semester runs from January/February to may-June. Winter vacation lasts 2-3 weeks, summer 10-12 weeks.

Academic calendar is a schedule of all of the events that occur in an academic year. These events may include examination dates, spring break or reading week and the last day of the semester. Academic calendars—and the dates included—can be presented at the semester level or as part of an academic year-long calendar.

There are three major types of calendar that have been used through history – solar, lunar and luni-solar. Sidereal (star) calendars have also been used, notably by the ancient Egyptians. Often more than one type of calendar is in use by a given society at the same time.

Lunar calendars usually start each month with a New Moon or the first visible crescent moon after New Moon. Luni-solar calendars try to remain synchronous with both the solar year and the moon phases. However, a solar year does not contain an integral number of days or an integral number of lunar months.

The Master Calendar is the year-long schedule of activities and the assigned use of specific school facilities.

The term "fiscal year-end" refers to the completion of any one-year or 12-month accounting period other than a typical calendar year. A fiscal year is often the period used for calculating annual financial statements. A company's fiscal year may differ from the calendar year, and may not close on Dec.

Student classification refers to the familiar names for the four undergraduate years: freshman, sophom*ore, junior, and senior.

Across most colleges, the academic year begins with a Fall term, generally around late August or early September. The length of your college terms will depend on the type of calendar your school follows, typically either semesters or quarters.

How many semester hours is an undergraduate degree? ›

Most bachelor's degree programs require 120 college credits. At a four-year institution granting an average of three credits per class, that's five classes per semester. Many institutions require more than 120 credit hours to graduate, with some programs exceeding 140 total credit hours.

A college student is considered to be enrolled on a full-time basis for student financial aid purposes if they are enrolled for at least 12 credit hours per semester.

An academic calendar serves as a reminder of important events for students, instructors, and staff during the academic year and semester. Parents, alumni, and potential students all benefit from it.

During a typical academic year, there are two formal semesters — the fall and spring semesters. The academic year starts in the fall semester and runs from August or September to December, with various breaks such as fall break, Thanksgiving break and winter break.

Most colleges and universities in the US follow a two-semester system, with a Fall semester and a Spring semester. Additionally, there may be a shorter Winter term and/or a Summer term offered at some institutions. Each semester usually lasts about 15-16 weeks, including exams.

Two of the most common types of college classes are seminars and lectures. Seminars are typically smaller, discussion-oriented classes designed to encourage open communication and critical thinking. These types of college courses tend to take place in small classrooms.

A quarter system divides the academic year into four sessions: fall, winter, spring, and summer. Generally, colleges in the USA do not require a summer session, but you can use it to complete classes that were not offered during the other sessions or complete your degree in advance.