Applying for a degree
If you have completed 89 or more hours at the beginning of the fall term, or if you are a graduate student nearing program completion, you will receive an electronic invitation via email to apply for a degree through the Student Resources. This application must be completed in order to have your name added to the graduation list. It is also important that you officially declare all majors and minors before submitting the application. If you do not have 89 or more hours, but have a reasonable plan for completing your course work the following December, you may also complete the application for a degree.
Graduation audit
Once we receive your degree application, we will audit your records and send you a copy of your Academic Evaluation Report (AER). Any questions or concerns that we have about your eligibility for completion will be included in our correspondence. If you do not receive an audit by the semester before you graduate, please contact us.
Commencement ceremony
Information about the spring commencement ceremony is available on the commencement website. In addition, attendance at Senior Salute is mandatory for all prospective graduates who are NOT studying in an off-campus program.
“Walking” before degree completion
If you have no more than one semester to complete after the spring term, you may walk in the ceremony. All other students are expected to participate in the following year's ceremony.
Degree requirements
You must complete:
- 124 semester hours
- Three three-credit interim courses
- Your major(s)/minor(s) requirements
- Your core requirements
- A 2.0 GPA overall and in your major*
- A minimum of four upper level major courses and thirty out of the last sixty semester hours must be completed at Calvin
Unless they are required for your major or minor, you will not be able to count more than:
- 5 semester hours of basic physical education
- 8 semester hours in applied music and drama
- 12 semester hours as internship and/or independent study
To obtain a Bachelor of Science degree you must complete 58 semester hours in math, science or engineering.
For a second degree you must complete all requirements for the second degree and accumulate a minimum of 145 semester hours. Example: Completing a Bachelor of Science degree, as well as completing additional requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree requires 145 semester hours. In order to receive two degrees, they must be of two distinct types (BS, BA, BSW, BSE, BFA, etc.)
*Some programs require more semester hours or a 2.5 major GPA; check the catalog for specifics about your major.