2026 Academic Calendar Change FAQ
- What is changing about the start and end of Spring 2026?
Spring 2026 will begin one week later than originally planned. Classes begin Monday, January 12, 2026. The semester will finish one week later with the last day of Final Exams on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
- When is Commencement in May 2026?
Commencement will be on May 8 and 9, 2026.
- What is NOT changing for Spring 2026?
Spring Break will remain as scheduled - March 16-22, 2026 and this lines up with Hamilton County Schools spring break. Holidays will also remain the same - January 19 and April 3.
- What is changing about the start and end of Summer 2026?
Because spring semester begins one week later, summer 2026 will also begin one week later on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. Summer classes end on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
- Is this the permanent calendar plan for future years?
Beginning Fall 2026, fall semesters will begin on the 4th Monday of August and Spring semesters will begin the Tuesday after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The only exception to the spring start is in years when MLK Day falls on January 21. During those years the semester will begin the Monday before (January 14). The next time this will happen is 2030.
- Will the semester be the same length in 2026-27 and beyond?
No, the fall and spring semester will span 16 calendar weeks instead of the current 17 calendar weeks. That means each class meeting will be slightly longer to ensure we are delivering the education to students we promise to provide.
- Why is this change happening?
Beginning classes in early January is challenging for everyone involved. Moving the start of spring semester later allows students (including student workers), faculty and staff time to prepare for a successful start. Beginning fall and spring semesters later will also provide more space for transfer students to successfully transition to UTC and have a strong start their first semester. Lastly, our new calendar will more closely align us with other public colleges and universities across Tennessee.
- What will happen with school breaks?
For several years, UTC Fall Break has overlapped with Hamilton County Schools (HCS) break and we expect that to continue. We are attempting to work closely with HCS to align spring break in future years.