Adults who wish to begin a college program or return to college may enroll under the classification of Adult Learner. This classification includes:
- Adults with no prior college experience and at least a four-year interruption in education since high school.
- Adults transferring into Calvin who have a combination of course work and work experiences equivalent to four years of activity since high school.
- Post baccalaureate students returning for a second degree or a set of course work related to their emerging interests and commitments.
Adult Learners seeking to complete a degree from Calvin must fulfill requirements for a major and for liberal arts core courses. At least 25% of the semester hours required for graduation and a minimum of four courses in the designated major must be completed at Calvin.
Adult Learners who enter or return to Calvin must complete the new Adult Learner core curriculum. Adult Learners will be required to complete one course in each of the following core areas: developing the Christian mind or biblical/theological studies II, global and historical studies or foreign language competency, written rhetoric, rhetoric in culture, history of the west and the world, philosophical foundations, biblical/theological foundations I, persons in community, societal structures in North America, literature, the arts, mathematics, physical or living world, cross cultural engagement, integrative studies, and a capstone course.
NOTE: Certain programs and majors do not allow this modified liberal arts core. For example, Adult Learners in the teacher education program and the nursing program must fulfill the liberal arts requirements specific to those programs. Adult Learners should seek the advice of an academic advisor from their program or major early in their enrollment at Calvin.
Students seeking classification as an Adult Learner should indicate this when they complete their admission forms. Questions about the Adult Learner classification may be directed to the office of academic services.