UCLA Graduation Dates and Academic Calendar: A Comprehensive Guide
UCLA, a leading public research university, holds commencement ceremonies and adheres to a structured academic calendar. This article provides a detailed overview of UCLA's graduation dates, commencement schedules, and academic calendar highlights, drawing upon available data to offer a comprehensive guide for students, faculty, and families. Summary, year-at-a-glance calendars include term and instruction start and end dates, and school holidays.
Academic Calendar Overview
UCLA operates on a quarter system, typically with Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters. The academic calendar includes key dates such as the start and end of each quarter, instruction start and end dates, study list deadlines, holidays, and final examination periods. Calendars for past academic years are available in the calendar archive.
Fall Quarter
Looking ahead, we can examine the Fall Quarter schedules for the next few years.
Fall Quarter 2025:
- Quarter begins: Monday, September 22
- Instruction begins: Thursday, September 25
- Study List deadline (becomes official): Friday, October 10
- Veterans Day holiday: Tuesday, November 11
- Thanksgiving holiday: Thursday-Friday, November 27-28
- Instruction ends: Friday, December 5
- Common final exams: Saturday-Sunday, December 6-7
- Final examinations: Monday-Friday, December 8-12
- Quarter ends: Friday, December 12
- Christmas holiday: Wednesday-Thursday, December 24-25
- New Year’s Eve/Day holiday: Wednesday-Thursday, December 31-January 1, 2026
- Winter campus closure: Wednesday-Friday, December 24-January 2, 2026
Fall Quarter 2026:
- Quarter begins: Monday, September 21
- Instruction begins: Thursday, September 24
- Study List deadline (becomes official): Friday, October 9
- Veterans Day holiday: Wednesday, November 11
- Thanksgiving holiday: Thursday-Friday, November 26-27
- Instruction ends: Friday, December 4
- Common final exams: Saturday-Sunday, December 5-6
- Final examinations: Monday-Friday, December 7-11
- Quarter ends: Friday, December 11
- Christmas holiday: Thursday-Friday, December 24-25
- New Year’s Eve/Day holiday: Thursday-Friday, December 31-January 1, 2027
- Winter campus closure: TBD
Fall Quarter 2027:
- Quarter begins: Monday, September 20
- Instruction begins: Thursday, September 23
- Study List deadline (becomes official): Friday, October 8
- Veterans Day holiday: Thursday, November 11
- Thanksgiving holiday: Thursday-Friday, November 25-26
- Instruction ends: Friday, December 3
- Common final exams: Saturday-Sunday, December 4-5
- Final examinations: Monday-Friday, December 6-10
- Quarter ends: Friday, December 10
- Christmas holiday: Friday/Monday, December 24, 27
- New Year’s holiday: Friday/Monday, December 31, January 3, 2028
- Winter campus closure: TBD
Fall Quarter 2028:
- Quarter begins: Wednesday, September 27
- Instruction begins: Monday, October 2
- Study List deadline (becomes official): Friday, October 13
- Veterans Day holiday: Friday, November 10
- Thanksgiving holiday: Thursday-Friday, November 23-24
- Instruction ends: Friday, December 8
- Common final exams: Saturday-Sunday, December 9-10
- Final examinations: Monday-Friday, December 11-15
- Quarter ends: Friday, December 15
- Christmas holiday: Monday-Tuesday, December 25-26
- New Year’s holiday: Monday-Tuesday, January 1-2, 2029
- Winter campus closure: TBD
Winter Quarter
Winter Quarter 2026:
- Quarter begins: Friday, January 2
- Instruction begins: Monday, January 5
- Study List deadline (becomes official): Friday, January 16
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
Winter Quarter 2027:
- Quarter begins: Monday, January 4
- Instruction begins: Monday, January 4
- Study List deadline (becomes official): Friday, January 15
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
Winter Quarter 2028:
- Quarter begins: Tuesday, January 4
- Instruction begins: Tuesday, January 4
- Study List deadline (becomes official): Friday, January 14
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
Winter Quarter 2029:
- Quarter begins: Wednesday, January 3
- Instruction begins: Thursday, January 4
- Study List deadline (becomes official): Friday, January 19
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
Commencement Schedule
UCLA's commencement ceremonies are a significant event, celebrating the achievements of graduating students. The ceremonies include both departmental graduations and professional school ceremonies. The Class of 2026 webpage will be a one-stop shop for graduating seniors that includes resources on campus and beyond to assist with the transition from student to alumnus. The page will offer information, programs and services specifically for the Class of 2026. All members of the Class sit together to celebrate, so you can attend with your friends from the College who aren’t completing your specific major program.
2026 Commencement Schedule (Preliminary)
Below is the preliminary schedule for UCLA's 2026 Commencement ceremonies in chronological order. Some ceremonies may be subject to change. The schedule can also be viewed alphabetically by department name.
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UCLA Departmental Graduations
- Thursday, June 11:
- 9:30 AM: Neuroscience, Royce Hall
- 7:30 PM: College Honors Recognition, Royce Hall
- Friday, June 12:
- 8:30 AM: Master of Science in Genetic Counseling, Luskin Conference Center
- 3:00 PM: Master of Quantitative Economics, Carnesale Commons, Palisades Room
- 4:00 PM: Master of Social Science, Fowler Museum, Lenart Auditorium
- 5:30 PM: American Indian Studies, Covel Commons, Grand Horizon Room
- Saturday, June 13:
- 8:00 AM: Psychology - Undergraduate, Pauley Pavilion
- 9:00 AM: Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences, De Neve Plaza Room
- 9:00 AM: Geography, Carnesale Commons, Palisades Room
- 9:00 AM: Integrative Biology & Physiology, Court of Sciences
- 9:00 AM: Sociology, Wilson Plaza
- 10:00 AM: Chicana/o and Central American Studies, Covel Commons, Grand Horizon Room
- 10:00 AM: Disability Studies, James West Alumni Center
- 11:00 AM: Anthropology, Dickson Court North
- 11:00 AM: Art History, Law School Courtyard
- 11:00 AM: Classics, Dodd Hall 247
- 11:30 AM: African American Studies, Fowler Museum, Lenart Auditorium
- 12:00 PM: Psychology - Graduate Studies, Schoenberg Hall
- 1:00 PM: Humanities, Royce Hall
- 1:00 PM: Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology, Court of Sciences
- 2:00 PM: Labor Studies, Covel Commons, Grand Horizon Room
- 3:00 PM: Gender Studies, Carnesale Commons, Palisades Room
- 3:00 PM: Spanish & Portuguese Reception, Rolfe Hall Courtyard
- 4:00 PM: Philosophy, Royce Hall
- 5:00 PM: Chemistry & Biochemistry, Court of Sciences
- 5:00 PM: Institute for Society & Genetics, Kerckhoff Patio
- 6:00 PM: Economics, Pauley Pavilion
- 6:30 PM: International Institute*, Royce Hall
- Sunday, June 14:
- 8:30 AM: Political Science, Pauley Pavilion
- 9:00 AM: Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Wilson Plaza
- 9:00 AM: History, Dickson Court North
- 9:00 AM: Mathematics, Court of Sciences
- 9:00 AM: Physics & Astronomy, Ackerman Grand Ballroom
- 10:00 AM: Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, Kerckhoff Patio
- 10:30 AM: Asian American Studies, Schoenberg Hall
- 10:30 AM: Communication, Royce Hall
- 12:30 PM: Earth, Planetary & Space Sciences, Young Hall Patio
- 1:30 PM: Institute of the Environment & Sustainability, Ackerman Grand Ballroom
- 2:00 PM: English, Dickson Court North
- 2:00 PM: Linguistics, Royce Hall
- Monday, June 15:
- 10:00 AM: Statistics & Data Science, Pauley Pavilion
- TBD: Computational & Systems Biology
Professional School Ceremonies
- Friday, May 15:
- 10:30 AM: School of Law, Pauley Pavilion
- Sunday, May 31:
- 10:00 AM: School of Dentistry, Royce Hall/Quad
- Thursday, June 11:
- 3:00 PM: Division of Graduate Education Doctoral Hooding, Royce Hall
- Friday, June 12:
- 9:00 AM: Luskin School of Public Affairs (Graduate), Royce Hall
- 2:00 PM: School of Theater, Film & Television, Royce Hall
- 3:00 PM: Luskin School of Public Affairs (Undergraduate), Ackerman Grand Ballroom
- 4:00 PM: Anderson School of Management, Wilson Plaza
- 4:00 PM: Herb Alpert School of Music, Dickson Court North
- 6:00 PM: Fielding School of Public Health, Royce Hall
- Saturday, June 13:
- 8:30 AM: School of Nursing, Royce Hall
- 12:30 PM: School of Education & Information Studies (Undergraduate), Wilson Plaza
- 1:00 PM: Samueli School of Engineering (BS Graduates), Pauley Pavilion
- 4:00 PM: School of the Arts & Architecture, Dickson Court North
- 4:30 PM: School of Education & Information Studies (Graduate), Wilson Plaza
- Sunday, June 14:
- 12:30 PM: Samueli School of Engineering (MEng, M.S., Ph.D.), Pauley Pavilion
- Monday, June 15:
- 2:00 PM: University Extension Certificate Graduation, Pauley Pavilion
- Event Details Shared with Invitees David Geffen School of Medicine
Graduation-Related Student Celebrations
- Sunday, June 7:
- TBD: Bruin Resource Center, Students with Dependents End of Year Celebration
- 11:00 AM: Disabled Student Union Graduation Celebration, James West Alumni Center
- Thursday, June 11:
- 6:00 PM: Athletics Graduation Celebration, Pauley Pavilion
- Saturday, June 13:
- 12:30 PM: Lavender Extravaganza, UCLA Anderson School, Korn Hall
- Sunday, June 14:
- 10:00 AM: Jewish Student Celebration, Carnesale Commons, Palisades Room
- 3:30 PM: Army ROTC Commissioning, Covel Commons, Grand Horizon Room
- 4:00 PM: Afrikan Student Union Celebration, Wilson Plaza
- 4:00 PM: Vietnamese Student Celebration, Schoenberg Hall
- 5:30 PM: Samahang Pilipino Student Celebration, Royce Hall
- 6:00 PM: Latinx Graduation Celebration, Pauley Pavilion
- Monday, June 15:
- 10:00 AM: Naval ROTC Commissioning, Janss Terrace
- 1:00 PM: Air Force ROTC Commissioning, Carnesale Commons, Palisades Room
- TBD: Asian Pacific Islander Graduation Celebration
Projected Commencement Dates for 2027-2028
(All projected dates are tentative and subject to change)
- 2027: Thursday-Sunday, June 10-13
- 2028: Thursday-Sunday, June 8-11
Ticketing Information for Commencement Ceremonies
Ticketing information for commencement ceremonies will be available. Check the official UCLA commencement website for updates.
College of Letters & Science: Main Commencement Ceremony
Information regarding the College of Letters & Science Main Commencement Ceremony will be provided.
Key Information for Graduates and Attendees
Ceremony Participation
All ceremonies are optional; there is no requirement to participate in any commencement ceremony.
Diplomas
Diplomas are not handed out during any ceremony.
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Graduates Attending the College Commencement
Graduates attending the College Commencement must arrive one hour early for their procession into the Pauley Pavilion stadium. Their guests must take their seats in the stands one hour early, to watch the graduates arrive onto the floor of Pauley Pavilion.
Departmental Ceremonies Protocol
At the departmental ceremonies, graduates will have an opportunity to cross the stage when their name is read and thus receive individual recognition. After your name is read, you must return directly to your seat. That way, all graduates receive the same acknowledgement for their accomplishment from everyone in attendance. Graduates may not leave the event until all graduates have crossed the stage and the ceremony has been called to a close. Diplomas are not handed out during any ceremony.
International Institute
Majors
- Global Studies
- East Asian Studies
- European Studies
- Latin American Studies
Graduate Programs
- African Studies M.A.
- International Development Studies
- African & Middle Eastern Studies
- Latin American Studies M.A.
- Asian Studies
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tags: #UCLA #graduation #dates
