This is an unofficial advising guide. The Calvin catalog and Workday are the official sources.
Advising for Spring 2027
TL;DR
- Book a meeting with me between Oct 12 and Oct 21. We meet in NH293. If you would rather meet on Teams, book the time first and then email me to ask.
- Before the meeting, update your Academic Plan and build a Saved Schedule for Spring 2027 in Workday. If you come without them, I will cancel the meeting.
- Request any prerequisite overrides now. The instructor has to approve them.
- I remove your advising hold after we meet.
- Register at your time: seniors Oct 21, juniors Oct 22, sophomores Oct 26, first-years Oct 27.
Come with your plan already in Workday
- Check your Academic Progress and note which requirements are still open. Use the course maps below to see what comes next.
- Update your Academic Plan for Spring 2027, and beyond if you can.
- Build a Saved Schedule for Spring 2027 with your first choices plus a couple of alternates. For a course with a lab, pick one lecture section and one lab section. The section letters do not have to match.
- Check your registration time and holds.
- Request prerequisite overrides now. The course instructor has to approve them before you can register.
Bring your laptop and any questions about minors, internships, summer courses or study abroad. If you changed majors or are switching advisors, email me.
Key dates
| Class | Registration opens |
|---|---|
| Seniors | Wed Oct 21, 3:00 PM |
| Juniors | Thu Oct 22, 4:00 PM |
| Sophomores | Mon Oct 26, 4:00 PM |
| First-years | Tue Oct 27, 4:00 PM |
At your time, open your Saved Schedule and click Register. Full classes may put you on a waitlist. Registration schedule · How to register (PDF) · Waitlists (PDF)
| Date | What |
|---|---|
| Oct 12 to 21 | Advising meetings in NH293 |
| Tue Oct 13, 9:45 AM | Workday workshop, Meeter Center Lecture Hall |
| Wed Oct 14, 4:00 PM | Workday workshop, SC 301 |
| Oct 20 to 21 | Advising days, no classes. Help table outside SC 360, 1:00 to 4:30 PM |
| Wed Oct 21, 10:00 AM | Workday workshop, SC 301 |
Juniors and seniors: if you plan to walk at Commencement in May and will finish by December 2027, apply to graduate in Workday. How to apply (PDF)
Course maps
These maps show the recommended structure of each program. You have flexibility in when you take most courses, as long as you meet the prerequisites. Each row is a semester. Arrows go from a prerequisite to the course that needs it. Click a course for its description and prerequisites.
On a small screen the arrows are hidden. Tap a course to highlight its prerequisites and the courses it leads to.
The Spring 2027 tags come from Prof. Ken Arnold's list (checked 2026-10-16) and match the catalog. A tag marked (unofficial) appears only on his list: the catalog says the course runs in alternate years or varies, so confirm it in Workday.
Minors and certificates
- Data Science minor
- Statistics minor
- Computer Science minor (on the CS Plus page)
- Cybersecurity Certificate
- Information Systems minor
- Entrepreneurship minor
Math and Statistics list their minors on their advising site.
Core requirements
Some courses in your major also count for the core. Check your Academic Progress in Workday to see what you still need.
| Core requirement | What it asks | BCS | CS Plus | Data Science |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community and Commitments | CORE 100 (or HNRS 110), at Calvin | Open | Open | Open |
| Foundations of Christianity I & II | REL 121 or 131, then one course from the Foundations II list | Open | Open | Open |
| Foundational Writing | ENGL 101 with a C or better | Open | Open | Open |
| Health and Movement | One personal-fitness and one leisure/sport PER course | Open | Open | Open |
| World Languages I | A 102-level course, or a high-school exemption | Open | Open | Open |
| Knowledge & Understanding: Mathematical Sciences | Part of 26 hours across 5 of 6 categories | Covered CS 108, MATH 161 | Covered CS 108 or 106; calculus | Covered CS 106/108, MATH 161 |
| Knowledge & Understanding: Arts, Oral & Visual Rhetoric | At least 2 hours | Covered COMM 101 | Open | Open |
| Knowledge & Understanding: Natural Sciences | Up to 6 hours | Can be Lab science options such as PHYS 131, GEO 151, BIOL 160 | Open | Open |
| Knowledge & Understanding: Humanities; Social & Behavioral Sciences | At least 2 hours each | Open | Open | Open |
| Diversity and Difference (tag) | One tagged course | Open | Open | Can be BUS 392 (ethics option) |
| Environmental Sustainability (tag) | One tagged course | Can be PHYS 131, GEO 120/151/153 or BIOL 160 as lab science | Open | Open |
| Global Regions and Cultures (tag) | One tagged course | Open | Open | Open |
| Rhetoric in Disciplines NEW | One course from the list, taken at Calvin. Applies to students who started in Fall 2026 | Open No CS course approved yet. STAT 245 counts if you take it (for example, with a Data Science minor) | Open No CS course approved yet. STAT 245 counts if you take it (for example, with a Data Science minor) | Covered STAT 245 |
| Contemporary Challenges and Enduring Questions | One course, taken at Calvin | Covered CS 384 | Covered CS 384 | Covered CS 384 |
Covered means a required course in your major counts. Can be means one of the options in your major counts if you pick it. Open means you take a course from the core list. Full lists: Core Program in the catalog.
Help
- Workday Student Support Hub
- Workday training sessions
- Registration schedule
- Student Success
- Spring 2027 CS, Data, Math and Stat sections (times, instructors and descriptions, kept by Prof. Ken Arnold)
- CS department advising page (which courses run in fall and which in spring)
- Math and Statistics advising (with their yearly course schedule)
- GitHub profile examples for building your portfolio
- BCS in the catalog
- CS Plus in the catalog
- Data Science in the catalog
- Program pages: BCS · CS Plus · Data Science
- Questions? Stop by NH293 or email me.
Course information comes from the 2026–2027 Calvin catalog, which is the official source. The BCS and CS Plus maps follow the department's 2026 sample schedules. Page updated 2026-10-15.
Research students and projects are on Mentoring.