Recommended Courses

The following are some specific course recommendations for pre-law students at Calvin.

These are not requirements, since the pre-law program has no specific course requirements—and no student would be able to take every Calvin University course that helps to prepare for a legal career. Use these lists (and the input of your pre-law advisor) to inform your choice of courses as you work toward your career goal.

For more detailed descriptions of each course, please refer to Calvin's academic catalog.

• Courses which develop skills and values

  Analytic and problem-solving skills

  • Introduction to Logic (PHIL 171) – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
  • Principles of Microeconomics (ECON 221) – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

  Critical reading skills

  • Any upper-division course in the humanities or social sciences

  Writing and researching skills

  • Written Rhetoric (ENG 101)
  • Academic and Professional Writing (ENGL 261)
  • Business Writing (ENGL 241)
  • The Craft of Writing (ENGL 260)
  • Any upper-division course in the social sciences

  Oral communication and listening skills

  • Argumentation and Advocacy (COMM 311) – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

  Language of law
  

  • Elementary Latin I (LATN 101)
  • Elementary Latin II (LATN 102)
• Courses which develop areas of knowledge

  Politics and political theory

  • Foundations of Political Community (POLS 110)
  • Governments and Globalization (POLS 214)
  • The President and Congress (POLS 234)
  • Freedom, Justice and Political Authority (POLS 240)

  Ethics and justice

  • Ethics (PHIL 205)
  • Philosophy, Politics, and Law (PHIL 202/POLS 242) – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
  • Ethical Theory (PHIL 365)

  Economics

  • Principles of Macroeconomics (ECON 222)

  History

  • History of the West and the World II (HIST 152)
  • Seminar in United States History (HIST 229)
  • America from Republic to Empire (HIST 252)

  Accounting and Finance

  • Managerial Accounting (ACCT 203)
  • Financial Accounting (ACCT 204)

  Human behavior

  • Introductory Psychology: Perspectives on the Self (PSYC 151)
  • Sociological Principles and Perspectives (SOC 151)
  • Sociology of Deviance (SOC 203)
  • Diversity and Inequality in the United States (SOC 250)
  • Intercultural Communication (SOC 231)
• Courses related to law
  • American Constitutional Foundations (POLS 310) – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
  • International Organizations and Law (POLS 309)
  • Business Law (BUS 350)
  • Criminology (SOC 303)