Academic Sessions
The traditional undergraduate academic calendar at Messiah consists of two semesters, one in the Fall, and one in the Spring. These semesters have eight weeks of instruction, a one week break, and eight additional weeks of instruction. There is an additional, optional Summer semester.
Fall semester. The Fall semester begins in late August and ends mid-December. There is a one week Fall break mid-semester in addition to a Thanksgiving break.
Spring semester. The Spring semester begins in mid-January and ends late April/early May. There is a one week Spring break mid-semester in addition to an extended weekend for Easter.
Students may elect to take a 3-week cross-cultural May term course as part of their Spring semester. For those students, the Spring semester ends in early June. Since May term is considered a part of the Spring semester, students are charged additional tuition at the overload rate only for each credit above the 18 credits allowed for the spring semester.
Summer semester. Messiah University offers an optional online summer semester. Online courses are offered in two 6-week terms, with different courses offered during both 6-week terms. The summer semester is helpful for students wishing to create space in their fall or spring schedules, to graduate in less than eight semesters, or to make up a course. In addition to summer-online courses, a variety of internships and practicums are available to Messiah University students during the summer months. Internships offer students an opportunity to combine full-time employment with academic components to receive credit.
Students may take up to six credits per 6-week summer term, for a total of 12 credits for the summer semester. Messiah University does not offer institutional financial aid for regular summer classes, as they are offered at a significant discount from the traditional Fall and Spring semesters. For most forms of financial aid, a student must be enrolled at least half-time. Half-time at Messiah University for undergraduate students is defined as at least six (6) credits. The Federal Stafford Loan, or an alternative student loan, is often the only form of financial aid that a student will receive during the summer.