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Graduate Students

Ways to learn more:

How to apply

The first step is easy—complete your application!  

Apply to Calvin

After you apply, you'll have time to gather and upload the rest of the required materials:

  • Unofficial transcript from any undergraduate institutions you attended
  • Official transcript from the undergraduate institution from which you graduated*
  • Resume
  • Statement of purpose
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Please note that some programs may require additional materials

*Please send official transcripts to robin.w@calvin.edu 

Admissions Office
3201 Burton St. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546

When to apply

We accept graduate applications on a rolling basis. These are the application deadlines by term:

  • Spring / Spring 1:  January 7, 2025 | January 5, 2026
  • Spring 2: March 3, 2025 | February 23, 2026
  • Summer / Summer 1: April 29, 2025 | April 20, 2026
  • Summer 2: June 23, 2025 | June 15, 2026
  • Fall / Fall 1: August 18, 2025
  • Fall 2: October 13, 2025

Guest Students

Interested in taking a graduate course as a guest? We welcome you! 

International Students

We welcome graduate students from around the globe. We can issue immigration documents for on-campus programs, however we cannot issue immigration documents for programs that are fully online. Students who complete online programs outside U.S. borders are not required to have a student visa.

Additional steps for international (non-Canadian) students

Students outside the U.S. may take fully online programs, but international students studying within the U.S. must maintain a full load of in-person courses during each required semester. International students seeking to study on campus must carefully select their courses with guidance from their advisor to ensure a full in-person load while they are in the U.S. It is critical to plan ahead to schedule enough in-person courses to maintain a full load.

Here are criteria to consider for obtaining a student visa:

  • Each fall and spring semester, an international student must be taking at least 8 credits, 6 of which must be in on-campus rather than online courses, in order to get a visa to study in the U.S.
  • A "semester" refers to a full 16 week term, so students taking sessions in fall 1 term and fall 2 term can add those credits together to get to 8 credits.
  • Taking courses in the summer is optional. International students are not required to take credits in the summer if summer session is not part of their program of study.
  • If a class spans a semester and is offered online for most of the semester but culminates in an intensive period on-campus (such as a 16 week online class culminating in a one week on-campus experience), an international student can obtain a visa for the one week period, but not for the online portion.
  • Students are not required to have a full in-person load during their final semester. However, they must be fulfilling at least one in-person requirement for their degree. 
     

  • Calvin University Application 
  • English Language Test Score to ensure you're ready to succeed. Accepted tests/scores are as follows:
  • Official undergraduate university transcripts and transcript evaluation
    • Official transcripts need to be sent to Calvin University directly from the undergraduate institution from which you received your bachelor's degree to prove validity. Institutions should send official transcripts to us at either admissions@calvin.edu or mail to Calvin University Admissions, 3201 Burton St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546, USA. 
    • If your transcripts are in English and show a GPA or CGPA and a bachelor's degree conferred, we do not require a transcript evaluation. If not, then an official course-by-course evaluation of any undergraduate and/or graduate level coursework must be provided by one of these foreign educational credential evaluators from the list below:
  • Please note that you need a valid passport to study in the U.S. We encourage you to send us a scanned copy of the ID page of your passport, or begin the necessary paperwork to obtain or renew your passport.

Complete the International Graduate Declaration of Finances Form.

Note: We require all supporting documents to be original or certified copies.

Email supporting financial documentation (income and bank statements) to graduate-programs@calvin.edu. We require:

  • Income statement – This can be a statement issued by your employer, person in charge of company finances, or it can be government issued tax document with the income amount listed.
  • Savings statement – Amount in your savings, checking or investments.
  • Sponsor’s letter of intent (if applicable) – This is a letter written by your sponsor indicating the amount they pledge towards your educational costs for each year. Sponsors should use this form for their letter of intent.
  • Sponsor’s savings statement (if applicable) – This bank statement must be recent and should demonstrate that your sponsor can cover at least two years of their pledged amount from savings. If this is a checking account, the transaction history must not exceed 3 months.
Calvin University students walking on campus with sunshine in the background

Visit Calvin

We’re excited to see you on campus. Our team will customize a visit for you. Send us an email and we'll get started!

visit@calvin.edu 

Contact Us

Sarah Plantinga

Sarah Plantinga

Associate Director of Continuing Studies, Admissions
616-526-6275
Robin Wait

Robin Wait

Admissions Manager for Graduate Studies
616-526-6971