Calvin University Core Curriculum
The Calvin Core is inspired by our vision of being a Christian liberal arts university with an expanded global influence.
At Calvin, we have long defined our conception of a liberal arts and sciences education in terms of our key commitments to God’s world in all its diversity—across domestic, global, and natural environments. The core curriculum incorporates these commitments as crucial threads, which are woven throughout the core program and framed by the disciplinary breadth afforded by study of the arts and humanities, the natural and social sciences—all intended to prepare students for lives of Christian service.
Beginning in the Community and Commitments course, students explore how our Reformed intellectual heritage uniquely informs our community’s commitments to justice, reconciliation, and renewal, including our dedication to environmental sustainability, our celebration of God’s gifts in global regions and cultures, and our affirmation of diversity and difference. Subsequent courses provide opportunity for students to explore and deepen their understandings of these commitments within specific academic disciplines, to learn core competencies, and to develop broad understanding of the world, its inhabitants, and ourselves. These exposures to the breadth of the liberal arts and sciences, coupled with the in-depth study within majors, prepare students to engage in a cross-disciplinary exploration of a contemporary challenge or enduring question as a culminating liberal arts experience.
Community and Commitments
Complete one of the following courses.Transfer credit not accepted.
Foundations of Christianity I
Complete one of the following courses. One Foundations of Christianity course must be completed at Calvin University.
Foundations of Christianity II
Complete one of the following courses. One Foundations of Christianity course must be completed at Calvin University.
Health and Movement (Personal Fitness)
Complete one of the following courses. A student participating in a varsity sport at Calvin for two full seasons is exempt.
Health and Movement (Leisure, Sport, and Skills)
Complete one of the following courses.
World Languages I
Complete one of the following courses. 102 courses have a prerequisite of 101. High school exemption from World Languages I is possible. To obtain a high school exemption, a student must have three sequential years in the same language with a B or better for each semester. (Near) native speakers of a language other than English are exempt from World Languages I.
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Complete coursework totaling at least 26 semester hours from at least five of the six Knowledge and Understanding categories, including at least 2 semester hours from each of the following categories: Arts, Oral Rhetoric, Visual Rhetoric; Humanities; Social and Behavioral Sciences. Students are encouraged to take 4 semester hour courses when possible.
World Languages II
Complete 0–4 semester hours of coursework numbered 201 or higher in a language other than English OR complete 101-102 (8 semester hours) in a different language from coursework completed for World Languages I.
Arts, Oral Rhetoric, Visual Rhetoric
Complete coursework totaling 2–6 semester hours, with up to 4 semester hours in any one discipline.
Humanities
Complete coursework totaling 2–6 semester hours, with up to 4 semester hours in any one discipline.
Classics - CLAS 211 - Classical Literature
- CLAS 231 - Classical Mythology
Literature - ENGL 200 - Introduction to Global Literature
- ENGL 205 - Special Topics
- ENGL 210 - Introduction to Early British Literature
- ENGL 215 - Introduction to Later British Literature
- ENGL 220 - Introduction to American Literature
- ENGL 230 - Introduction to Genre
- ENGL 235 - Major Text
- ENGL 300 - Advanced Studies in Global Literature
- ENGL 305 - Advanced Special Topics
- ENGL 310 - Advanced Studies in Early British Literature
- ENGL 315 - Advanced Studies in Later British Literature
- ENGL 320 - Advanced Studies in American Literature
- ENGL 325 - Advanced Studies in Children’s and Adolescent Literature
- ENGL 330 - Advanced Studies in Genre
- ENGL 335 - Advanced Studies in a Major Author
- FREN 351 - French Culture I
- FREN 352 - French Culture II
- GERM 303 - Topics in German Literature
- GERM 381 - Special Topics
- HNRS 100 - Community and Commitments in Literature
- SPAN 308 - Introduction to the Hispanic World I
- SPAN 309 - Introduction to the Hispanic World II
- STBR 210 - Disciplinary course of the director
History - HIST 151 - History of the West and the World I
- HIST 152 - History of the West and the World II
- HIST 153 - Explorations in World History
- HIST 225 - England
- HIST 229 - Seminar in United States History
- HIST 233 - Modern Middle East
- HIST 242 - Africa and the World
- HIST 245 - East Asia to 1800
- HIST 251 - Early America
- HIST 252 - America from Republic to Empire
- HIST 253 - Recent America
- HIST 255 - African-American History
- HIST 256 - Women and Gender in US History
- HIST 258 - U.S. Military History
- HIST 259 - American Economic and Business History
- HIST 261 - Ancient Mediterranean
- HIST 262 - Early Medieval Worlds, 300-1000
- HIST 263 - Medieval and Renaissance Europe, 1000-1500
- HIST 267 - Modern Europe
- HIST 271 - War and Society
- HIST 274 - Environmental History
- HIST 280 - Introduction to Archaeology
- IDIS 206 - Introduction to Medieval Studies
- IDIS 210 - Introduction to the Digital Humanities
- IDIS 240 - Introduction to Archaeology
Philosophy - HNRS 205 - Philosophy: Addressing Fundamental Questions
- PHIL 137 - Disability, Community, and Advocacy
- PHIL 151 - Philosophical Explorations
- PHIL 153 - Fundamental Questions in Philosophy
- PHIL 205 - Ethics
- PHIL 207 - Justice and the Common Good: Studies in Political Philosophy
- PHIL 211 - Philosophy of Gender
- PHIL 212 - Ethical Dimensions of Health Care
- PHIL 218 - AI and You: Sex, Care, and War in an Age of Intelligent Bots
- PHIL 223 - Peaceable Kingdom
- PHIL 225 - Public Philosophy
- PHIL 233 - Philosophical Transformation
- PHIL 235 - I Long, Therefore I Am
Religion - REL 255 - World Religions
- REL 261 - Christianity and Culture
- REL 262 - Social Justice from the Prophets to Jesus
- REL 263 - Theology, Beauty, and the Arts
- REL 353 - Islam
- REL 356 - Confucianism
Theory & Criticism - COMM 254 - Screen Storytelling: Theory and Criticism
- COMM 305 - Persuasion and Propaganda
- PHIL 202 - Philosophy, Politics, and Law
- POLS 110 - Foundations of Political Community
- POLS 240 - Freedom, Justice, and Political Authority
- POLS 242 - Philosophy, Politics, and Law
Mathematical Sciences
Complete coursework totaling 0–4 semester hours.
Natural Sciences
Complete coursework totaling 0–6 semester hours, with up to 4 semester hours in any one discipline. At least one course must include a laboratory.
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Complete coursework totaling 2–6 semester hours, with up to 4 semester hours in any one discipline.
CROSS-DISCIPLINARY INTEGRATION
Engaged Citizenship Commitments
Complete at least one tagged course in all three areas. Engaged Citizenship Commitment courses may overlap with other core requirements. Test credit, including Advanced Placement, CLEP, and International Baccalaureate, may not satisfy Engaged Citizenship Commitment requirements.
Diversity and Difference (Tag)
Complete one of the following courses. May overlap with other core requirements.
Environmental Sustainability (Tag)
Complete one of the following courses. May overlap with other core requirements.
Global Regions and Cultures (Tag)
Complete one of the following courses. May overlap with other core requirements.
Contemporary Challenges and Enduring Questions
Complete one of the following courses.
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