January term 2026: Student & family resources

Note: Content on this site is being updated for J-Term 2026.  Continue to check back as information will be added/updated.

From its inception, NCSSM has attempted to provide significant opportunities for students to engage in unique educational experiences outside of the regular school curriculum.  Along with such innovative programs as Mentorship and summer research grants, our annual January Term (or J-Term) is a means to provide new and exciting academic experiences for the entire student body beyond the traditional classroom context.

During J-Term, our students to select from a number of stimulating academic options including participating in a specialized course offered by NCSSM faculty only during J-Term or taking a course from the NCSSM Course Catalog that would not otherwise fit the student's schedule.  The goal is to support our students in a rigorous exploration of subject areas of great interest to them in a way that will contribute to their academic and personal growth and serve them well in their future academic endeavors.

J-Term 2026 Timeline

• Scholarship Application Window:  Date TBD

• Course Request Window:  September 26 - October 10, 2025 (details will be released in an email from the Registrar)

• Due date for all student payments for domestic travel J-Term courses with fees: November 3, 2025

• Due date for all student payments for non-travel J-Term courses with fees: December 1, 2025

• J-Term 2026 will run from January 7 - 29, 2026.

  • Session 1:  January 7 - 16

  • Session 2:  January 20 - 29

  • Extended Weekend:  January 29 - February 1

• J-Term courses will suspend their activities on Monday, January 19, 2026 to allow students to participate in school-sponsored events in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day