Announcement: Changes to the Academic Sessional Dates

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The Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering will take part in the University-wide alignment of key sessional dates starting in Fall 2024. Please refer to the Principles for Setting the University Academic Sessional Dates: Direct-Entry Divisions by the University Registrar’s Office here.

Starting in Fall 2024, the University of Toronto is implementing changes to align key sessional dates across all the first-entry divisions.

This decision follows a year-long, tri-campus consultation process on aligning sessional dates to reduce the confusion around the start and end of classes across different divisions, establish consistency with the payment and refund timelines, and improve the experience for cross-listed courses, including final exam scheduling conflicts and challenges for students taking classes at more than one division.

Impacts to U of T Engineering Undergraduate Students

Following these changes, students should take note of the following impacts:

  • Start of the Fall Term and Fall Classes
    • The start of the Fall Term classes will be moved to the Tuesday after Labour Day each year.
    • The start of the Fall Term will be on September 1 for study permit purposes. This day will be different from the first day of classes.
    • Engineering Orientation Week (F!rosh Week) will be held before and during the first week of the term.
  • Fall Reading Week
    • Fall Reading Week will move to late October.
    • Fall Convocation will align with the new Fall Reading Week.
  • “Flex Days”
    • The University will have aligned “flex days” between the end of the academic term and the start of the final exam period. Each division may choose to use these dates as additional instructional days, study dates or make-up days based on academic requirements.
    • The Faculty has set the length of the standard term in Engineering at 12.2 weeks. During terms when the instructional dates are less than 12.2 weeks, Flex Days will be used as instructional days to ensure that terms are the same length from year to year. Otherwise, Flex Days will be used as study dates.
  • Alignment of Payment Deadlines
    • The Winter Term refund deadline will be 13 days after the Winter Term classes. This will extend the Winter Term refund deadlines to January.
    • The 75% refund date for part-time students will be removed for F, S and Y courses across all divisions.
  • Start of Winter Term and Winter Classes
    • The start of Winter Term classes will normally begin on a Monday.
    • Some years, the start of the Winter Term may align with the first day of classes. In other years, the University will open a few days earlier than the Monday on which classes begin.

Sessional Dates for the 2024-2025 Academic Year

2024 Fall Term:
Fall TermSessional DatesNotes
Labour DaySeptember 2, 2024
Start of Fall ClassesTuesday, September 3, 2024F and Y Classes Begin
Fall BreakOctober 28 – November 1, 2024
End of Fall ClassesDecember 3, 2024
Flex DaysDecember 4-5, 2024The Faculty will use both Flex Days as study dates. No instructional dates will be used.
Start of Fall ExamsDecember 6, 2024
End of Fall ExamsDecember 23, 2024
End of Fall TermDecember 23, 2024
2025 Winter Term:
Winter TermSessional DatesNotes
New Years DayJanuary 1, 2025
Start of Winter ClassesMonday, January 6, 2025S Classes Begin. Y Classes Resume
Winter BreakFebruary 17-21, 2025
End of Winter ClassesApril 4, 2025
Flex DaysApril 7-8, 2025The Faculty will use one Flex Day as an instructional day and one Flex Day as a study date.
Start of Winter ExamsApril 9, 2025
End of Winter ExamsApril 30, 2025
End of Winter TermApril 30, 2025

The sessional dates are posted annually on the Engineering Academic Calendar.

The Principles for Setting the University Academic Sessional Dates: Direct-Entry Divisions are available on the University Registrar’s Office website.