The programs in this section prepare students for admission to professional and graduate schools. These courses are taken while students are meeting requirements for a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in a separately designated major.
Law
Although law school applicants must have a college degree, there is no prescribed program or major specifically designed for students planning to enter law school. Like most colleges, Calvin does not offer a pre-law major, but rather a pre-law specialization within a student’s chosen disciplinary major. Prospective law school applicants should complete the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree in their chosen major as prescribed in the core curriculum, taking advantage of the opportunities provided therein to acquire skills, knowledge, and insights useful for the practice of law. The pre-law advisor, J. Westra of the Political Science department, can help students to plan programs and select courses that provide good preparation for law school. The pre-law advisor also can help to guide students through the processes of identifying law as a calling, preparing for the
Law School Admission Test (LSAT), and applying to law schools. Pre-law students should declare their interest in the pre-law specialization during academic advising and should plan to attend the pre-law information sessions that are held at the beginning of each fall semester. Pre-law students normally take the LSAT In the spring of their junior year and should apply for admission to law school during the fall of their senior year.
Medicine, Dentistry, and Veterinary
Students planning to apply to medical or dental schools should consult R. Nyhof of the Biology department, faculty advisor for the pre-medical and pre-dental programs; for veterinary schools, consult R. Bebej of the Biology department. Students should also note the general college core requirements listed under the core curriculum. For basic information regarding timelines, requirements, etc., Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental students should consult the Pre-Med/Dental website, using the A-Z index on Calvin’s home page.
A student may select nearly any major concentration and still meet the entrance requirements for all medical and dental schools. However, nationwide the majority of the applicants to medical and dental schools are science majors.
Pre-Medical students must balance requirements for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) with the requirements for medical schools. The MCAT requirements just changed a bit, and many medical schools have not yet followed suit, so there is a discrepancy between them. The Pre-Dental list includes the same courses. We continue to recommend students take CHEM 103 -CHEM 104 , CHEM 261 -CHEM 262 , CHEM 303 or CHEM 323 ; and PHYS 221 - PHYS 222 , STAT 143 or STAT 145 or PSYC 255 , PSYC 151 , SOC 151 , and BIOL 161 or BIOL 141 and BIOL 206 or BIOL 331 . Some schools require a 300-level Biology course. MATH 132 or MATH 171 (one semester of calculus) is recommended but required by very few schools. Some dental schools require microbiology, our BIOL 207 or BIOL 336 .
Because a few schools have unique requirements, students should consult with R. Nyhof to determine specific requirements of the schools to which they intend to apply.
Pre-medical and pre-dental students normally take their Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) or Dental Admissions Test (DAT) in the spring of their junior year and should apply for admission to medical or dental schools during the early summer prior to their senior year.
Ministry
The department of congregational and ministry studies (CMS) serves as the home of the pre-ministry advising program. A team of advisors connected to this department is committed to guiding students through the process of discerning a call to ministry by means of one-on-one conversations, as well as occasional events and programs held throughout the year. Students interested in ministry should direct any questions to a pre-ministry advisor: T.R. Thompson (religion) is the coordinator of pre-ministry advising and primary pre-seminary advisor. Other pre-ministry advisors are: T. Cioffi, director of the Jubilee Fellows program; L. Barger Elliott, professor of youth ministry; M. Hulst, college chaplain; and J. Witvliet, director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship.
The Association of Theological Schools (ATS) recommends that pre-seminary students develop the ability to think carefully, communicate clearly, and do independent research. Pre-seminary students should also learn about human culture and society, and may find it useful to develop proficiency in biblical languages, Latin, and modern languages. Due to differing expectations from different seminaries, the college has no formal program of pre-seminary study, but rather presents a series of suggested courses that students can consider in consultation with the college’s pre-seminary advisors. Pre-seminary students should consult the catalogs of the particular seminaries that they are considering attending for the specific admissions expectations of those schools.
Because many Calvin College students choose to attend Calvin Theological Seminary, and because of the close relationship between the two institutions, the admission requirements of the seminary are included here as an example of typical seminary admissions expectations: Students must meet all of the college’s requirements for a bachelor’s degree, as well as the admissions requirements of the seminary, including a minimum GPA of 2.67. Calvin Theological Seminary recommends that pre-seminary students emphasize the following areas of study: classical civilization, English, Greek, history, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and theology.
Calvin Seminary’s Master of Divinity (MDiv) program prepares persons for ordained ministry. To enter the MDiv program, pre-seminary students should complete at least two semester length courses each in English (including literature), history, philosophy (preferably history of philosophy), natural science, social science, and speech. Four semesters of Greek are encouraged. In order to fulfill these recommendations, Calvin students should consider including the following courses in their undergraduate programs: GREE 205 -GREE 206 ; PHIL 251 and PHIL 252 ; and CAS 101 and CAS 200 (CAS 203 and CAS 240 are recommended).
Calvin Seminary’s Master of Arts (MA) degrees (with concentrations in evangelism and mission, educational ministries, worship, pastoral care, youth and family ministries, and Bible & theology) prepare persons for leadership in various areas of church ministry. The seminary recommends that students take one college course each in English, literature, philosophy, and speech, as well as two each in history, natural science, and social science. In addition, for the MA in evangelism and missions, one college course is required in cultural anthropology; and for the MA in worship, two college courses are required in music or the arts.
Calvin Seminary’s Master of Theological Studies (MTS) program provides a theological education that emphasizes vocational objectives for students who are not seeking ordination, as well as preparation for further academic study in Bible and theology. It is recommended that college students take at least two semester length courses each in English (including literature), history, philosophy, natural science, and social science. Four semesters of Greek are also encouraged.
Occupational Therapy
Students wishing to enter the field of occupational therapy (OT) must complete a master’s degree (MSOT) or a doctoral degree (OTD) in occupational therapy, complete a six-month internship, and pass a national board examination. Calvin students have two options, described below, for preparing for admission to a graduate program in occupational therapy. Students should meet with the pre-occupational therapy advisor, A. Wilstermann of the Biology department to discuss these options and design an academic plan.
Completion of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science Degree
Admission to most graduate MSOT and OTD programs requires a bachelor’s degree. However, a particular major is not required, so long as specified prerequisite courses are taken. Students selecting this option will take courses that fulfill requirements for the completion of a Calvin major of their choice (such as Psychology, Spanish, or Recreation Therapy) in addition to prerequisite courses specified by the graduate occupational therapy programs to which they intend to apply. While requirements vary between graduate schools, prerequisite courses typically include:
3-2 Combined Curriculum Program with Washington University
Calvin offers a combined curriculum with the Program in Occupational Therapy at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. A student participating in this program will spend three years at Calvin completing the coursework listed below (99-100 credits), gaining work or volunteer experience in occupational therapy and completing the Graduate Record Exam. Students that meet admissions requirements will apply to the MSOT or ODT program at Washington University, and if accepted, transfer to Washington University for two additional years of coursework and clinical training. Upon successful completion of the first year of study at Washington University (32 credits), the student will receive a Bachelor of Science in Letters and Occupational Therapy from Calvin. Upon completion of a second year of study, the student will receive a MSOT from Washington University. Alternatively, a student accepted into the OTD program will spend three years at Washington University. It should be noted that admission to graduate OT programs at Washington University is competitive and that 3-2 students are not given preference in admissions decisions. Students that complete the Calvin (three year) portion of the 3-2 program but are not accepted into the graduate program at Washington University, will complete a bachelor’s degree of their choice at Calvin and will be eligible to apply to a large number of graduate programs in occupational therapy.
The requirements for the Calvin (three year) portion of the 3-2 Combined Curriculum Program are:
Optometry
Students wishing to become optometrists complete a BA or BS degree at Calvin before entering optometry school to complete four additional years of study culminating in the doctor of optometry (OD) degree.
Requirements for admission to optometry schools vary, but all require the following:
Many schools also recommend physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, and a business or economics course. These requirements may be met within the context of a biology major or group science major at Calvin. Students should consult the website of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (www.opted.org) and work with the pre-optometry advisor, R. Bebej, to plan a course of study that meets the requirements of the optometry schools to which they intend to apply. All applicants to optometry school are required to take the Optometry Admission Test (OAT), which is given on computer and may be taken at any time. Most students take the OAT after completion of the junior year of college. Application deadlines at the various optometry schools range from January 1 to April 1.
Pharmacy
Calvin College does not offer courses in pharmacy; however, students may take courses at Calvin that are prerequisites for acceptance to a pharmacy school. Students interested in a career in pharmacy will complete at least two years at Calvin before transferring to a college of pharmacy to complete four additional years of study culminating in a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree. Many schools now prefer that students complete a BS or BA degree before enrolling in pharmacy school. Pre-pharmacy course requirements of the pharmacy schools vary greatly. Some schools do not accept advanced placement credits. Students should carefully consult the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy website (www.aacp.org) and the websites for the pharmacy schools to which they intend to apply to plan an appropriate course of study. The pre-pharmacy advisor, M. Barbachyn, will assist students in planning a pre-pharmacy curriculum, which most students take in the context of a biochemistry major. Most pharmacy schools require the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT), which should be taken in the fall semester of the student’s final year at Calvin.
Physical Therapy
Students wishing to enter the field of physical therapy (PT) must complete a doctoral degree (DPT) in physical therapy. Students at Calvin can prepare to complete this degree by completing the prerequisite courses for their programs of interest in conjunction with a degree program in any discipline. Students then attend graduate school. Admission to graduate programs in physical therapy is very competitive.
The prerequisite courses depend on the graduate school to which students wish to apply; therefore, students should obtain a list of requirements for each of the graduate schools in which they are interested. Below is a sample list of prerequisite classes for non-biology majors. Students are encouraged to contact an advisor of the pre-physical therapy program, N Meyer, of the Kinesiology department, (Science majors can contact A. Wilstermann) before they register for classes. Students must also work or volunteer with patients under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. This can be arranged through the Service-Learning Center at Calvin.
First Year Spring Semester
Second Year Fall Semester
Second Year Spring Semester
Third Year Spring Semester
Physician Assistant
Students who would like to practice medicine under the supervision of a licensed physician should consider becoming a physician assistant (PA). A physician assistant can record medical histories, perform physical examinations, make diagnoses, counsel patients, order and administer laboratory tests, assist in surgery, set fractures, and prescribe drugs. Each graduate program determines their prerequisite courses, and since there is so much variability from one program to another, Calvin does not offer a specific program for students who want to prepare for a career of Christian service as a physician assistant. Rather, students can major in any discipline so long as they complete the prerequisite courses for the graduate program to which they intend to apply. Students who desire to pursue a career as a physician assistant should contact R. Nyhof for advice about preparatory courses and hours of direct patient care required by particular clinical training programs.