Bethel operates on an early semester calendar with two 15-week semesters and a three-week session in January that is part of the Extended Spring Semester. There is no support staff scheduled over breaks. Anyone wanting to stay on campus during break must email build-program@bethel.edu at least one week prior to the start of the break to detail why you are requesting to stay on campus. BUILD will consider whether it is possible to arrange for support staff to cover the break as part of determining whether the request can be approved. If your request is not approved then you can still come to campus during the day while campus is open from 6:00 am until 9:00 pm but cannot stay in the residence halls and will not have any support staff available to support you while you are on campus.
Fall Semester 2026
Academic Calendar
| Event |
Date |
| Fall Personal Learning Plan (PLP) Meetings |
Monday, August 10- Thursday, August 25 |
| Residence halls open (New first-year students) |
Wednesday, August 26 |
| Residence halls open (Returning second-year students) |
Sunday, August 30 |
| Classes begin |
Monday, August 31 |
| Labor Day (no classes) |
Monday, September 7 |
| Fall break (Students need to be checked out of their room by 9:00 pm on Thursday, October 1 and can return anytime after 12:00 noon on Sunday, October 4) |
Thursday evening, October 1 - Sunday afternoon, October 4 |
| Homecoming & Family Weekend |
Friday, October 9 - Sunday, October 11 |
| First Half Ends |
Tuesday, October 20 |
| Advising Day (No day classes, night classes are held) & BUILD Registration for January Session and Spring |
Wednesday, October 21 |
| Second Half Begins |
Thursday, October 22 |
| Thanksgiving break (Tuesday night classes are held. Students need to be checked out of their room by 9:00 pm on Tuesday, November 24 and can return anytime after 12:00 noon on Sunday, November 29 |
Tuesday evening, November 24 - Sunday afternoon, November 29 |
| Classes resume |
Monday, November 30 |
| Festival of Christmas (tickets required) |
Thursday, December 3 - Saturday, December 5 |
| Final examinations |
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday, December 14, 15, 17 & 18 |
| Study Day & Internship Fair |
Wednesday, December 16 |
| Christmas Break (Students must check-out of their residence hall 24 hours after their last final or by 9:00 p.m. on Friday, December 18, whichever comes first) |
Friday, December 18 - Sunday, January 3 |
Extended Spring Semester 2027
Academic Calendar
| Event |
Date |
| Students taking a January Session class return |
Sunday afternoon, January 3 |
| January Session Classes Begin |
Monday, January 4 |
| Spring Personal Learning Plan (PLP) Meetings |
Monday, January 4 - Tuesday, January 26 |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day (No classes) |
Monday, January 18 |
| Last day of classes for January Term |
Tuesday, January 26 |
| January Session Break (Students need to be checked out of their room by 9:00 pm on Tuesday, January 26 and can return anytime after 12:00 noon on Sunday, January 31 |
Tuesday, January 26 - Sunday, January 31 |
| Students return |
Sunday afternoon, January 31 |
| Spring Session Classes Begin |
Monday, February 1 |
| Spring Break (Students who are not part of SMP trips need to be checked out of their room by 9:00 pm on Friday, March 5 and can return anytime after 12:00 noon on Sunday, March 14) |
Friday evening, March 5 - Sunday afternoon, March 14 |
| Students return |
Sunday afternoon, March 14 |
| Classes resume |
Monday, March 15 |
| Easter Break (Thursday night classes are held. Students need to be checked out of their room by 9:00 pm on Thursday, March 25 and can return anytime after 12:00 noon on Monday afternoon, March 29) |
Thursday evening, March 25 - Monday afternoon, March 29 |
| Students return |
Monday afternoon, March 29 |
| Classes resume |
Tuesday, March 30 |
| First Half Ends |
Tuesday, March 30 |
| Second Half Begins |
Wednesday, March 31 |
| Advising Day (No day classes, night classes are held) & BUILD Registration for Fall semester 2027 |
Wednesday, April 7 |
| Final examinations |
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday, May 17, 18, 20 & 21 |
| Study Day, Internship Fair & BUILD Spring Dinner |
Wednesday, May 19 |
| Exit Personal Learning Plan (PLP) Meetings |
Monday, May 17 - Friday, May 28 |
| End of year (First-year students need to check-out of their room 24 hours after their last final or by 9:00 p.m. on Friday, May 21, whichever comes first) |
Friday, May 21 |
| Commencement |
Saturday, May 22 |
| Residence halls close for second-year graduating students in BUILD, noon |
Sunday, May 23 |
