Life and Career Studies (LCS) is a Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary program that equips students with intellectual disability to flourish in life.

Through active participation in campus life, person-centered planning, and individualized learning, the Life and Career Studies program empowers you to transition successfully into a fulfilling post-school life. At Calvin, you’ll find a learning environment that cultivates your gifts and fosters skills you’ll need to thrive.

You will learn alongside your peers in the college classroom and take specialized courses that address practical skills like financial literacy, employment readiness, relationships, and independent living. You have the opportunity to earn one of two non-degree certificates—and as you do, you’ll grow in confidence and independence.

For more details about Life and Career Studies, please ask us! You may also schedule a Calvin Life and Career Studies Discovery Day visit! We'd love to meet you and chat further. Our next visit is February 27, 2026.

Application Timeline

• Our application opens in July and closes on December 20 for the following academic year.
  Our application is currently closed, but you may still complete the application request form.

If you ask Calvin finance majors why they love studying finance here, here’s what they’ll say: the professors. Faculty in the Calvin School of Business have connections on Wall Street, at Fortune 500 companies, and with local entrepreneurs. They’ll connect you to real, thriving businesses and challenge you to get to work.

Collaborate with inquisitive peers as you dive into a local business’s annual report. Get the internship of your dreams when your prof makes a call on your behalf. Develop your leadership and investing skills in the Knight Investment Management student organization. Be captivated by a Christian vision for business—you’ll find it in every class.

Study the complexities of justice and power while developing analytical and communication skills that you can use in many fields, including government, law, business, and the nonprofit sector.

At Calvin, you'll take advantage of small class sizes, student research positions, internship opportunities, and off-campus programs. Your experiences will equip you to enter the complex world of politics, diplomacy, and civil society.

Understand the world in a whole new way—going beyond partisan, national, and ideological divisions—and resolve to take action as a faithful servant of Christ.

Study political systems and interactions across the globe while developing a range of related skills.

As you pursue an international relations degree, you'll explore the theory and practice of global politics. You'll gain the skills and knowledge to advocate for human rights and resolve conflicts from a Christian perspective. Whether at home or abroad, you'll be well prepared for a career in fields ranging from diplomacy, international law, and international business, to non-profit humanitarian work.

Ask Calvin nursing students why they’re studying here, and you’ll hear a lot of different things. They might talk about their amazing clinical experiences at nearby hospitals, clinics, or other facilities. You’ll hear their plans to study abroad. They’ll share their plans for after they pass the NCLEX exam: maybe a job at a place like Vanderbilt, or a grad program at Johns Hopkins.

And you’d expect to hear those things about a top-rated nursing program like Calvin’s. But keep listening, and you’ll hear those same students talking about professors whose doors are always open. They’ll describe a spirit of community, not competition. They’ll tell you about the Spanish-speaking patients that they encounter each week in the Burton Heights neighborhood.

You’ll hear about a program that’s centered on service, and driven by deep Christian faith.