A history major prepares you for a wide range of pursuits. You might pursue a career in teaching, public service, graduate or professional school (such as law or medicine), media, ministry, and business. You'll acquire strong skills in writing, research, critical thinking, and public speaking, while you engage with a broad range of cultures and eras.

After framing your coursework with a survey course in global history, build research and writing skills in our Research Methods of History course. Then choose from a wide range of electives to explore your own interests, all while opening doors to your career goals. Finally, bring it all together in our capstone course as you reflect on vocation as a Christian historian.

You’ve heard that adding a Spanish degree will make you more marketable in any job field. That’s certainly true. And as part of the Spanish community at Calvin, you’ll unlock amazing experiences that will enrich all aspects of your life.

Here’s just a glimpse: every Spanish major at Calvin studies abroad. You’ll live with a family in Arequipa, Peru. Take classes in the mountains of Spain at the University of Oviedo. Study language and culture in the tropical climate of Honduras. Your off-campus experience will be led by Calvin professors and you’ll travel with fellow Calvin students.

Back in Michigan, you’ll keep making connections and unlocking opportunities with your mastery of Spanish. Find mentors or an internship in west Grand Rapids’s vibrant local Hispanic community. Sharpen your Spanish speaking skills with a native speaker in a conversation group, celebrate at the annual Hispanic Festival downtown, or worship at Spanish chapel. All of this adds up to a degree that’s practical, interesting, and eye-opening.

The early childhood education program at Calvin consists of two grade bands that will prepare you to work with the youngest learners.

The Birth to Kindergarten and Pre-K to 3rd grade bands prepare educators to guide the youngest learners as they begin their academic career. At Calvin, you will learn from a team of professors with vast expertise and experience in the field of teaching. We also partner with local schools and early learning centers to provide you numerous field experiences, allowing you to put theories into practice and feel confident as you embark on your journey of inspiring young minds.

You know every child deserves a chance to succeed. At Calvin, you'll learn how to open the door to their success.

An elementary education major from Calvin prepares you to guide students across a range of disciplines. Be equipped as a storyteller. A scientist. A math whiz. World-class professors will help you discover how children develop and learn. You will get into classrooms early and often to put those theories into practice.

Calvin's elementary education program is separated into two grade bands, Pre-Kindergarten to 3rd Grade and 3rd to 6th Grade. These two grade bands can be earned independently to specialize in lower or upper elementary or combined to span the elementary years.

At Calvin, you will learn from experts in a wide variety of disciplines with vast experiences in the field of teaching. Local schools partner with Calvin to provide tiered field experiences that develop skills ranging from leading small groups to managing a classroom. Our program not only prepares you to be an effective teacher, it equips you to begin your career with confidence, believing you can make a difference in young lives.

Unlock the world for your with a French PK-12 Education Major from Calvin University, a program that combines deep linguistic and cultural study with a commitment to Christian education. You'll gain invaluable teaching experience through field internships, with the opportunity to immerse yourself fully in an off-campus program like the Semester in France program in Grenoble. This comprehensive preparation equips you to teach French, literature, and culture to all grade levels, graduating ready to serve God and others through cultural appreciation and global communication in any classroom, anywhere.

This program is part of the School of Education's Pre-K to 12th grade education program. For full details on this program, including a course list and other information, visit the main program page.

Education (Pre-K to 12th Grade) Major

Become a globally-minded educator with Calvin University's Spanish PK-12 Education Major. You'll learn abroad in immersive, faculty-led semester programs in locations like Arequipa, Peru, where you live with a host family while taking courses in Spanish language and culture. Back in Michigan, you’ll gain real-world experience through field internships and tap into the vibrant local Hispanic community of Grand Rapids. This unique blend of international immersion and local engagement ensures you graduate with the oral and grammar proficiency needed to teach Spanish, literature, and culture confidently to students from Pre-K through 12th grade.

This program is part of the School of Education's Pre-K to 12th grade education program. For full details on this program, including a course list and other information, visit the main program page.

Education (Pre-K to 12th Grade) Major

At Calvin, you’ll learn how to make learning accessible to all students. Through teaching practices that honor individual differences, you'll help students flourish as learners and citizens.

You will begin interacting with learners long before you graduate. Explore opportunities for classroom experience in a wide variety of places—from west Michigan to California or Indonesia. A Christian faith foundation informs and deepens your growing understanding of teaching and learning. You'll love and champion students as image-bearers of God who deserve exceptional education and opportunity.

Develop a compassionate heart for our broken world—and gain the skills you need to do something about it.

In Calvin's accredited bachelor of social work (BSW) program, you'll wrestle with some of society's greatest concerns, like child abuse, drug addiction, homelessness, aging, and mental illness. Through your studies and experiences, you’ll learn what it means for people and communities to flourish.

You'll learn from expert faculty who are actively involved in research on contemporary issues. You'll take your learning even further with a field placement, where you'll get critical hands-on experience. When you graduate, you'll know how to connect groups of people, bring clarity to difficult situations, and improve everyday lives.

Ready to turn your passion for music into a powerful teaching career? Calvin’s music education BME program equips you to lead and inspire in PK–12 classrooms. You’ll dive deep into music theory, technology, history, and education—while sharpening your performance skills through private lessons, ensemble experiences, and a recital. Whether you’re into strings, brass, percussion, voice, or piano, you’ll find your place and grow as both a musician and educator.

This isn’t just about mastering music—it’s about learning how to teach it with purpose. You’ll gain hands-on experience through guided teaching and a full semester of student teaching. Along the way, you’ll explore how Christian faith shapes your approach to education and leadership. From conducting and curriculum design to inclusive teaching and classroom management, you’ll graduate ready to build and lead vibrant music programs that make a lasting impact.

This program is part of the School of Education's Pre-K to 12th grade major program. For full details on this program, including a course list and other information, visit the Education program page.

Education (Pre-K to 12th Grade) Major