Pepperdine Important Dates 2026 to 27 for Parents

Where these dates come from

Every date on this page comes from the Seaver College Academic Calendar 2026 to 2027, printed in the Seaver catalog. The registrar's Academic Calendars page links each school's calendar, so if your student is in a graduate or law program, use that school's version instead.

August arrival

Move in is staggered. New international students check in to housing on Monday, August 17, the same day their orientation starts. New domestic students check in Tuesday, August 18, and orientation for every new student runs from then through Sunday, August 23. Returning students move back in on Saturday, August 22 or Sunday, August 23, and classes start Monday, August 24.

Housing says it cannot accommodate early check ins, so book flights that land on your student's assigned day rather than the night before.

The fall semester at a glance

• Labor Day holiday: Monday, September 7
• Waves Weekend: Friday, October 9 to Sunday, October 11
• Fall Break: Friday, October 16 to Monday, October 19, no classes
• Thanksgiving holiday: Monday, November 23 to Friday, November 27, no classes
• Final exams: Monday, December 14 to Thursday, December 17
• Residence halls close: Friday, December 18 at 9 am

Fall Break lands just a week after Waves Weekend. If you are flying out for Waves Weekend, your student may not need a trip home for a four day break seven days later, and the reverse holds too.

Because no classes meet at all during Thanksgiving week, far from home students have room for a real trip. The weekend of November 21 and 22 lines up with the start of the break.

December: watch the 9 am closing

Fall finals end Thursday, December 17, and the residence halls close at 9 am the next morning. A student with a late Thursday exam has one evening to pack, so look closely before booking an early Friday flight. Students who need to move an exam must file a Change of Final Exam form by November 30. University offices are closed December 24 to 31.

Spring 2027

New spring students check in Thursday, January 7, with orientation through January 10. Returning students check back in January 9 or 10, and classes begin Monday, January 11. Martin Luther King Day, January 18, is an office closure. Spring Break is Monday, March 1 to Friday, March 5. Easter falls on March 28, with no recess listed around it.

Spring finals run Monday, April 26 to Friday, April 30, and the halls close at 9 am on April 30. Read that twice: the closing falls on the last day of exams, not after it. Housing's spring 2026 check out rules also asked residents to leave within 24 hours of their last final or by the deadline, whichever came first.

Commencement

The Seaver College Commencement Ceremony is Saturday, May 1, 2027. Graduating seniors have until 9 am on Sunday, May 2 to check out of campus housing. The university commencement page had not posted a 2027 time or venue when we checked; the 2026 Seaver ceremony was scheduled for 10:30 am.

When to book

Malibu has only a few hotels on Pepperdine's parent list, and the on campus Villa Graziadio has 32 rooms. For Waves Weekend and commencement, reserve once you know you are going, and ask about the Special Pepperdine Rates some hotels offer.

Before you buy tickets

Confirm move in specifics in the emails your student receives from Housing and New Student Orientation, and recheck the official calendar a few weeks before any trip.