Interested in Transferring to Study Philosophy at Calvin?

Because of its rich philosophical heritage, its rigorous major, and its success in placing graduates into top-rank graduate programs, the Philosophy Department at Calvin has attracted a number of philosophy majors from other colleges who come to Calvin to complete their studies in philosophy.

The continued importance of the Calvin Philosophy Department was recently attested in The Christian Century:

"Harry Stout, history professor at Yale University and a Calvin alumnus, believes the 'Reformed World and Life View' is still intact at Calvin, and that its students choose Calvin largely for its distinctive philosophy. 'And I do mean "philosophy,"' says Stout. 'Over the years, the one constant at Calvin has been an extraordinary philosophy department that continues to be, in medieval terms, "queen of the sciences." Calvin's philosophy department has no equal at any Protestant Christian school that I am aware of, and its influence runs deep. Evangelicals can't budge it any more than liberals can budge it. And as long as philosophy cannot be budged, Calvin's identity will remain firmly planted as it always has been, distinct from virtually all other institutions of higher learning.'" (Christian Century, June 14, 2005, p. 7)

If the possibility of transferring to Calvin interests you, this page includes resources for those interested in pursuing the possibility of continuing their undergraduate education in philosophy at Calvin College.

Nuts and Bolts

The college admissions office maintains a page that explains the logistics of transferring to Calvin College, including transfer of credit and financial aid & scholarships.

Transfer Student Reflections

"Some friends and I attended a conference in the summer of 1993 called Revolution in Christian Philosophy held at Calvin. I took seminars that week with Kelly Clark and with Del Ratzsch; I also got a chance to speak with Lee Hardy and with the late Ken Konyndyk. After seeing what tremendous faculty resources the Philosophy Department at Calvin has, and its record of producing fine philosophers, it was obvious to me that Calvin would an ideal place for an intellectually serious Christian to study philosophy. I transferred that fall to Calvin, and spent the next two years growing intellectually. After I graduated, I went on to get a PhD in Philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh, and I am currently an associate professor at Princeton University." ~Hans Halvorson, Princeton University

Where Are They Now?

Alumni of Calvin's Philosophy Department have gone on to some of the nation's finest PhD programs, including Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Rutgers, NYU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Cornell, and others. Many of them are now professors in leading universities (Yale, Notre Dame, Princeton, Michigan, Toronto, Boston College), seminaries (Fuller, Calvin, Westminster), and Christian liberal arts colleges (including Gordon, St. Olaf, Hope, Dordt, King's, Bethel, and Westmont).

More Questions?

Contact the Chair of the Philosophy Department:

Dr. Del Ratzsch: dratzsch@calvin.edu or 616.526.6415