Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Studies

at Grand Valley State University USA

Electrical engineers design and build systems to tackle problems big and small. They integrate the fields of electronic circuit design, electromagnetics, digital signal processing, control systems, and power systems to analyze and solve problems involving modern electronic systems. Applications of these designs include consumer electronics, power generation and delivery, telecommunications, alternative energy, aviation and aerospace systems, mechatronics, electric vehicles, and electromagnetic compatibility.

Students are prepared for engineering careers and leadership roles through ABET accredited programs that integrate academic studies with hands-on learning and paid professional experiences in diverse engineering companies. Grand Valley also offers a graduate program in engineering for those who want to expand their knowledge and skills.

Why Study Electrical Engineering At Grand Valley

• Prepare for a career designing consumer electronics, power systems, guidance and navigation, aircraft systems, renewable energy systems, electric vehicles and more.
• Work with state-of-the-art electronic equipment and tools to analyze and design electrical systems.
• Complete real-world hands-on projects in small, student-focused courses.
• Partner with our industry supporters who sponsor capstone design projects, fund engineering scholarships, and provide career opportunities.
• Join a group of successful graduates who have achieved a nearly 100% placement in industry-based careers or advanced graduate study.

The study of women, gender, and sexuality provides an interdisciplinary program grounded in the liberal arts, a culminating academic experience that links the insights of separate courses, and opportunities to apply theory to meaningful research or in internships, fieldwork, and service learning.

Why Study Women, Gender, And Sexuality Studies At Grand Valley?

• Explore the study of feminism, activism, and gender and its global impact.
• Prepare for careers in leadership, social services, and politics.
• Develop a commitment to community through internships, service learning, and volunteering.
• Actively engage in individual and collaborative research projects with impact on culture and society.
• Make an immediate impact on your community through the Gayle R. Davis Center for Women and Gender Equity, Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center, and Office of Multicultural Affairs.

Students are prepared for engineering careers and leadership roles through programs that integrate academic studies with hands-on learning and paid professional experiences in actual engineering companies. Grand Valley also offers a graduate program in engineering for those who want to expand their knowledge and skills.

PDM offers four emphasis areas:

• Design
• Robotics and controls
• Manufacturing systems
• General

Why Study Product Design And Manufacturing At Grand Valley?

• Program accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, abet.org.
• Extensive hands-on and project-based learning in small, student-focused classes.
• Three semesters of paid cooperative-education work experience prior to graduation in recognized domestic and international engineering companies.
• Strong support from industrial partners who fund many engineering scholarships for graduate and undergraduate students, as well as sponsor Capstone design projects.
• A nearly 100-percent placement rate into work or graduate school for our graduates.
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The anthropology program is housed in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Students can major in anthropology or they can combine the study of anthropology with other majors or minors. The following anthropology degrees are offered:

• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
• Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

A certificate in applied anthropology is also available to degree-seeking students. You may also choose to minor in archaeology or anthropology.

Why Study Anthropology At Grand Valley?

• Anthropological perspectives provide students with unique abilities to contribute to standard job skills such as: diversity sensitivity, management, interviewing techniques, research/program design, statistical/survey techniques, teaching/training, and communication.
• Business Insider notes anthropologists are hired by such companies as Microsoft and Google for "cultural expertise."
• Participate in program-sponsored, locally based field schools in archaeology and cultural anthropology. Explore opportunities for fieldwork and study abroad with faculty.
• Postfield independent research is conducted through the anthropology lab.
• Scholarship awards and membership opportunities in Lambda Alpha, the national anthropology honor society.

The M.S.E. program focuses on engineering analysis, design, development, manufacturing, and production. Students network with established professionals, work on real-world projects, and have a variety of emphases to choose from, including:

• Biomedical engineering
• Electrical and computer engineering
• Manufacturing engineering
• Mechanical engineering
• Product design and manufacturing engineering

Why Study Engineering At Grand Valley?

• Get personal attention through small classes and extensive hands-on and project-based learning supported by our student-focused, state-of-the-art teaching, laboratory, and project facilities.
• The need for broadly educated engineering graduates is very high and expected to grow rapidly during the next decade. West Michigan is one of the fastest-growing technical, manufacturing, and industrial regions of the state.
• Gain valuable experiential knowledge in parallel with academic learning while receiving financial support from the surrounding industries; opportunities for Industry Sponsored Graduate Fellowship and Internships are available.
• Graduate assistantships are available.
• Combined bachelor's/master's programs that allow high-achieving students to complete both the B.S.E. and the M.S.E. in as little as five calendar years.

Health information management (HIM) is the practice of managing medical information that is vital to providing quality patient care. HIM organizes health data by ensuring its quality, accuracy, accessibility, and security. Managers regularly communicate with health care professionals to clarify diagnoses or to obtain additional information.

The HIM program is a secondary admission program. Students pursuing this degree will also complete a minor in health care information systems through the School of Computing and Information Systems (CIS). All HIM and CIS (major and minor) classes are fully online. Completed applications are due March 1. Minimum criteria:

• Minimum GPA of 2.5
• Completion of 45 semester hours, which includes current enrollment, verified by transcript
• No grade less than a C in BMS 250, BMS 251, and AHS 100

Why Study Health Information Management At Grand Valley?

• Students can expect individualized attention with class sizes no larger than 30 students.
• The minor in health care information systems is unique to the HIM degree at GVSU, providing additional employment opportunities for students after graduation
• Software technology used in curriculum is paid for by the Allied Health Sciences department.
• Graduates are key players in interprofessional health care organizations. High job placement offers the potential for maximum return on investment.
• Students are able to sit for the Registered Health Information Administrator certification exam

The Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) degree prepares students for a variety of conditions that limit people's ability to function. Grand Valley graduates are prepared to help such individuals and groups overcome these limitations.

The B.S.W. requires 120 semester credit hours. The program is built on a liberal arts foundation plus 31 hours of cognate and international courses. The required courses complement 48 credit hours of professional social work courses, which emphasize CSWE core competencies and foundation practice behaviors.

Topics include: social work practice, human behavior in context, values and ethics, social and economic justice, diversity, policy, research, and critical thinking.

Why Study Social Work At Grand Valley?

• The social work program provides a foundation curriculum in a high-quality learning environment that prepares students for success in the community social work concentration.
• Through the combined efforts of the faculty, staff, and the advising center, students are provided with the personal advising and support they need to get their degree, pursue a master's degree, or start their careers.
• Students learn from engaged faculty, many of whom are nationally known for their contributions in diverse areas of the social work profession.
• The School of Social Work hosts several faculty-led International programs. These programs are typically two-week-long programs with many opportunities to be involved in the social work process in a variety of settings.
• Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

The communications studies program stresses skills, such as the analysis of written and visual communication, designing clear and informative messages, building persuasive appeals, and critically analyzing the persuasive appeals of others. The curriculum covers a wide variety of topics, including courses from other major programs within and outside the School of Communications relevant to communication studies.

It is possible to combine communication studies with other major or minor programs, such as advertising and public relations, business, marketing, health communication, multimedia journalism, writing, photography, philosophy, sociology, political science, digital studies, and more.

Why Study Communication At Grand Valley?

• Communication studies majors have flexibility, options, and electives within their curriculum.
• Faculty members are engaged teachers and active scholars with various and complementary areas of academic and professional expertise.
• There are many opportunities to develop talents and gain professional experience through the campus newspaper (Lanthorn), student-run television (GVTV), and radio (Whale), as well as with the visual and performing arts, and internships in professional settings (PBS/NPR) both on and off campus.
• Coursework trains students to apply communication theories and concepts in a variety of work settings, while demonstrating the ability to think strategically, solve problems, and act ethically and legally.
• Career opportunities are varied and wide-ranging for communications professionals.

A Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in sociology are offered. The B.A. requires third-semester proficiency in a foreign language, while the B.S. requires intermediate-level statistics. A minor is also available.

A sociology degree serves as a strong base for several graduate programs, including occupational therapy and social work.

Why Study Sociology At Grand Valley?

• The Sociology Department is a community of critical scholars who analyze the context of social interaction and the construction of difference in society.
• Our Social Science Data Center offers intern and research assistant experience in active field research. Students work closely with faculty in all stages of project development, conduct, analysis, and publishing. Projects include life course, environmental issues, and social attitudes. Partners include environmental organizations, community groups, and the city of Muskegon.
• Our Internship program offers up to nine course credit hours for work experience. Students develop an analytical protocol in consultation with the Internship Director, and turn in written analysis of their observations and insight.
• The Sociology Club meets regularly throughout the academic year, engaging in fundraising; social, career, and graduate school planning activities; and providing a forum for discussing topics relevant to the discipline.
• The Colloquium Speakers Series brings experts and community activists on campus to talk about important and controversial issues. Students and the GVSU community join the discourse throughout the year to discuss racism, sexism, LGBTQ+ rights, the environment, and ways to a better future.

Students choose between a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science. A minor is available. The advertising and public relations major stresses an integrated approach. Students may choose a focus in advertising or public relations, but they will take courses in both to prepare them for common practice in the field.

Why Study Advertising And Public Relations At Grand Valley?

• The curriculum is geared to the demands of the industry's ever-changing standards and includes courses recommended by national panels of advertising and public relations educators and professionals.
• Faculty members specialize in teaching communication concepts and skills that are relevant and in-demand. They have academic accomplishments and stellar professional resumes representing a variety of backgrounds in the field.
• Coursework trains students to apply communication theories and concepts in a variety of work settings, while demonstrating the ability to think strategically, solve problems, and act ethically and legally.
• Hands-on experience with real clients in classes, internships, GrandPR (a student-run PR firm), and the National Student Advertising Competition, in which our students have placed five times as national finalists.
• Valuable industry connections through networking and via membership in local student chapters of the American Advertising Federation and the Public Relations Student Society of America.