Beginning in spring 2026, the University of Georgia will implement a new daily class schedule designed to better support teaching, learning and efficient use of campus resources.
The new structure increases the options for two-day-a-week classes, accommodating faculty, who prefer to teach in longer periods for pedagogical reasons and to facilitate active learning, and students, who appreciate the chance to participate in more out-of-class activities.
While the new structure slightly reduces the total number of available class periods, university leaders say its academic, operational and student-centered benefits outweigh that.
Under the new schedule, courses will meet in one of two formats: 55-minute periods offered three days a week on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule, and 80-minute periods meeting two days a week on a Monday/Wednesday, Tuesday/Thursday or Wednesday/Friday rotation. This approach preserves the familiar MWF option while providing greater flexibility for 80-minute classes.
The schedule also extends Thanksgiving break to a full week and adds extra time to both the winter and summer breaks, allowing students who work or participate in internships more flexibility.
The redesigned schedule also smooths the distribution of courses across the week, rather than concentrating them heavily on Tuesday/Thursday schedules. The shift is expected to ease pressure on students, improve classroom utilization, reduce peak congestion across campus and increase demand for underused early class periods.
According to Vice President for Instruction and Vice Provost for Academic Planning Marisa Pagnattaro, the change reflects a deliberate effort to align academic structures with how students and faculty work and learn.
“This schedule gives us a more intentional framework for teaching and learning,” Pagnattaro said. “It provides students with greater flexibility to balance coursework, experiential learning and summer opportunities — particularly internships that extend later into August — while also supporting faculty productivity and improving how we use our classrooms across the week.”
The Office of the Registrar’s website has been updated with reference materials and additional information on the new daily class schedule.