Pre-Law at Calvin: Recommended Courses

Recommended courses for pre-law students

The following are some specific courses recommendations for students at Calvin. These are not requirements, since no student would be able to take every Calvin College course that helps to prepare for a legal career.

• Courses which help to develop core skills and values

• Courses which help to develop basic areas of knowledge

• Law-related courses

• Calvin Interim Course on Pre-Law Immersion

 

Courses which help to develop core skills and values

• Analytic and problem-solving skills
  • The Philosophy of Logic (PHIL 171)

• Critical reading skills
  • Any upper division course in the Humanities or Social Sciences

• Writing and researching skills
• Written Rhetoric (ENGL 101)
• Academic and Professional Writing (ENGL 201)
• Business Writing (ENGL 265)
• The Craft of Writing (ENGL 275)
• Any upper division course in the Social Sciences

• Oral communication and listening skills
  • Argumentation and Advocacy (CAS 211) -- HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Courses which help to develop basic areas of knowledge

• Politics and Political Theory
  • American Politics (POLS 101)
  • Persons in Political Community (POLS 110)
  • The President and Congress (POLS 314)
  • Political Ideas in Historical Perspective (POLS 240)
  • History of Modern Political Thought (POLS 306)
  • Twentieth Century Political Thought (POLS 320)

• Ethics and Justice
  • Ethics (PHIL 205)
  • Philosophy of Law (PHIL 202)
  • Ethical Theory (PHIL 365)

• Economics
  • Principles of Economics (ECON 151)
  • Principles of Microeconomics (ECON 221)
  • Principles of Macroeconomics (ECON 222)

• History
  • World History II (HIST 152)
  • U.S.A. (HIST 229)
  • The American Republic 1763-1877 (HIST 252)
  • American Intellectual History (HIST 355)

• Mathematics

• Mathematics in the Contemporary World (MATH 100)
• Precalculus Mathematics (MATH 110)
• Introduction to Managerial Accounting (BUS 203)
• Financial Accounting (BUS 204)

• Human Behavior
  • Introductory Psychology (PSYC 151)
  • Sociological Principles and Perspectives (SOC 151)
  • Deviance (SOC 306)
  • Diversity and Inequality in the United States (SOC 250)

Law-related courses

• Constitutional Law and Judicial Process (POLS 310) -- HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
• Men, Women and the Law (POLS 312)
• International Organizations and Law (POLS 309)
• Law in Business (BUS 350)
• Criminal Justice Process (SOC 210)