Policy on Student Observance of Religious Holidays and Final Exams/Study Days

January 27, 2026

Dear Faculty,

As we settle into the semester, I’m writing to share a few reminders about our policies on religious observance, study days, and final exams, as approved by the Main Campus Executive Faculty and the Provost.

I. Policy On Student Observance Of Religious Holidays

Georgetown’s policy affirms our commitment to supporting students across all faith traditions. Students who need to miss class or coursework for a major religious holiday should be excused and given a reasonable opportunity to make up missed work without penalty. Students remain responsible for all assigned material and are encouraged to share any anticipated conflicts with you early in the term.

The list of major holidays on the Campus Ministry website is advisory. Please continue to be flexible and accommodating of observances that may not appear on the published list.

II. Final Exams and Study Days

The University designates 2–3 study days between the end of classes and the start of finals to give students protected time to prepare. No assignments or assessments may be due during these days, and all final exams must take place during the official exam period set by the Registrar.

A few key reminders:

Papers may be due in the last week of classes only if the course also has a final exam.
If there is no final exam, papers or projects may not be due in the last week of classes.
Take-home exams and final papers should be due after study days and not before your scheduled exam slot.
Modular courses (Mod A/B, Sessions 1/2) should hold final assessments no later than the last day of the module.

Questions regarding the Final Exam Schedule can be sent to schedulechanges@georgetown.edu. Faculty teaching graduate courses should also consult their program for any additional guidelines.

III. Exam Time Conflicts

At times students will encounter conflicts in the examination schedule. Each student’s Dean’s Office will handle the rescheduling of an examination in the following cases:

two examinations scheduled at the same time;
three examinations on one day or three examinations in a row (in three successive timeslots)

These will be administered by the student’s dean. If a student has a conflict, the dean will contact you.

Please also review the following grading policies:
Undergraduate Bulletin
Graduate Bulletin
SCS Student Handbooks

The grading deadlines for each semester are part of the academic calendar. For modules and non-standard calendars, faculty should submit grades 72 hours after the last exam.

Please note the undergraduate and graduate policies that provide students the option to choose pass/fail (S/U). The deadline for students to make this choice is the last day to withdraw from a course in the semester. Courses on different modular calendars will have the option to request a pass/fail up to the last day to withdraw in that module. See the Academic Calendar for dates.

Feel free to reach out with any questions. Thank you for your continued support of our students and for helping uphold these important academic policies.

Best wishes,Annamarie Bianco
Associate Vice President and University Registrar