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 2025
Academic Calendar
| Event |
Date |
| Fall Personal Learning Plan (PLP) Meetings |
Monday, August 4- Thursday, August 21 |
| Residence halls open (New first-year students) |
Friday, August 22 |
| Residence halls open (Returning second--year students) |
Sunday, August 24 |
| Classes begin |
Wednesday, August 27 |
| Labor Day (no classes) |
Monday, September 1 |
| Fall break (Students need to be checked out of their room by 9:00 pm on Thursday, October 9 and can return anytime after 12:00 noon on Sunday, October 12) |
Thursday evening, October 9 - Sunday afternoon, October 12 |
| Homecoming & Family Weekend |
Friday, October 17 - Sunday, October 19 |
| First Half Ends |
Monday, October 20 |
| Advising Day (No day classes, night classes are held) & BUILD Registration for January Session and Spring |
Wednesday, October 22 |
| Second Half Begins |
Thursday, October 23 |
| Thanksgiving break (Tuesday night classes are held. Students need to be checked out of their room by 9:00 pm on Tuesday, November 25 and can return anytime after 12:00 noon on Sunday, November 30 |
Tuesday evening, November 25 - Sunday afternoon, November 30 |
| Classes resume |
Monday, December 1 |
| Festival of Christmas (tickets required) |
Thursday, December 4 - Saturday, December 6 |
| Last day of classes, Second Half Ends |
Friday, December 12 |
| Final examinations |
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday, December 15, 16, 18, & 19 |
| Study Day (No classes) & Internship Fair |
Wednesday, December 17 |
| 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 19, whichever comes first) |
Friday, December 19 - Tuesday, January 4 |
Extended Spring Semester 2026
Academic Calendar
| Event |
Date |
| Students return |
Sunday afternoon, January 4 |
| January Session Classes Begin |
Monday, January 5 |
| Spring Personal Learning Plan (PLP) Meetings |
Monday, January 5 - Tuesday, January 27 |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day (No classes) |
Monday, January 19 |
| Last day of classes for January Term |
Tuesday, January 27 |
| January Session Break (Students need to be checked out of their room by 9:00 pm on Tuesday, January 27 and can return anytime after 12:00 noon on Sunday, February 1 |
Tuesday, January 27 - Sunday, February 1 |
| Students return |
Sunday afternoon, February 1 |
| Spring Session Classes Begin |
Monday, February 2 |
| 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 13 and can return anytime after 12:00 noon on Sunday, March 22) |
Friday evening, March 13 - Sunday afternoon, March 22 |
| Students return |
Sunday afternoon, March 22 |
| Classes resume |
Monday, March 23 |
| First Half Ends |
Friday, March 27 |
| Second Half Begins |
Monday, March 30 |
| Easter Break (Thursday night classes are held. Students need to be checked out of their room by 9:00 pm on Thursday, April 2 and can return anytime after 12:00 noon on Sunday, April 5) |
Thursday evening, April 2 - Sunday afternoon, April 5 |
| Students return |
Sunday afternoon, April 5 |
| Classes resume |
Monday, April 6 |
| Last day of Spring classes, Second Half Ends |
Friday, May 15 |
| Final examinations |
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday, May 18, 19, 21 & 22 |
| Study Day & BUILD Spring Dinner |
Wednesday, May 20 |
| Exit Personal Learning Plan (PLP) Meetings |
Monday, May 18 - Friday, May 29 |
| 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 22, whichever comes first) |
Friday, May 22 |
| Commencement |
Saturday, May 23 |
| Residence halls close for second-year graduating students in BUILD, noon |
Sunday, May 24 |
