The academic year at UATX is divided into five terms.  Fall, Winter, and Spring terms each last eleven weeks, consisting of ten weeks of instruction followed by a week of final exams. Two optional terms—D-term and J-term—occur during December and the summer.

Winter break spans six weeks, beginning on the Monday of Thanksgiving week and ending on the Friday following or corresponding to New Year’s Day. Spring break lasts one week and takes place in late March or early April. Summer break is twelve weeks long and includes all of July and August.

During the Fall, Winter, and Spring terms, Tuesday evenings are reserved for common lectures that bring together students, faculty, staff, and the broader UATX community to socialize, hear guest speakers, and ask questions.