How to Extend a Canvas Course Past the MIT Term End Date

At a Glance

By default, courses in Canvas inherit MIT’s term start and end dates. This means that after the term ends, courses close and become Read Only. Teaching teams, however, can extend the end date for a course using the instructions below. Refer to our calendar for this year’s term end dates.

Change the Course End Date in Canvas

1. In your Canvas course, click Settings in the Course Navigation Menu.
   
2. Click the Course Details tab.
   
3. From the Participation drop-down menu, select the Course option.
   
4. To select the end date, click the End calendar icon and then select a new end date for the course.
   
   • Note: 
     • If your end date time is midnight, a warning message displays notifying you that the date prior to the set end date will be the last participation day in the course. For instance, if the course were set to end January 13, the last full participation date for the course would be January 12.
     • Students can only participate in the course between the course dates, and the course will be in a read-only state outside the course dates.
     • Course participation dates only affect student and observer roles; all other roles default to term access dates.
5. Click the Update Course Details button.
   

Optional:

Once a course has concluded, students can still view the course but all content is displayed in a read-only state. If you want to restrict students from viewing the course after the set course date:

1. Follow Steps 1-4 above.
2. Click the Restrict students from viewing course after course end date checkbox.
   
3. Click Update Course Details.
   

For more information, refer to How do I restrict student access to a course before or after the course dates?