Bachelor of Arts in Sociology

at Grand Valley State University USA

The program leads to teacher certification for visual art in the Michigan public schools at the primary and secondary levels. Fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

Why Study Advertising And Art Education At Grand Valley?

The program emphasizes the training of committed artists who desire to work in the field of teaching after their graduation. Art education students:

• Introduce the importance of the visual as a tool for participatory learning across the disciplines and in community settings.
• Receive intensive studio training that enriches students' individual roles as artists and prepares them for diverse teaching environments.
• Experience a comprehensive curriculum that includes educational theory, community-based arts education, and the role of technology in the classroom.
• Benefit from a program that provides opportunities for service learning and for professional development.
• Complete the program with K-12 certification to teach visual arts in the State of Michigan.

 Students earn a B.A. or B.S. in GSI by taking courses organized around interdisciplinary global themes. Students also choose two world regions to study in more depth. 

Why Pursue Global Studies And Social Impact At Grand Valley?

• Plan a course of study around global and social justice issues such as immigration, human trafficking, and geotourism.
• Learn to think in an integrated, interdisciplinary way about issues affecting people across the globe.
• Develop aptitude in intercultural competency and communication through experiential learning.
• Gain important foreign language capabilities.
• Build skills in research methods and statistics.

Students can pursue an emphasis in ceramics, graphic design, illustration, jewelry and metalsmithing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and visual studies. The program is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

A studio art minor is also offered, requiring completion of eight courses.

Why Study The Visual Arts At Grand Valley?

• Incorporate creativity with the consideration of broader ethical, historical, scientific, and cultural ideas, fostering work that contributes to the public dialogue about those ideas.
• Work in small classes that ensure individualized attention from faculty at all levels of the program.
• Complete coursework in state-of-the-art facilities that ensure students acquire the skills essential for their chosen media.
• Benefit from a program that encourages collaboration across emphasis areas to support students' individual interests.
• Acquire the expertise necessary for participation in arts communities and for self-advocacy after graduation.

• Program Focus. Leadership skills, strategy, and customer-oriented perspective.
• Hybrid Delivery. Two courses per semester - one class in person and one online each week.
• Cohort Structure. All classes taken with the same group of students; enables strong peer learning and professional connections.
• Professional Development. Individualized feedback based on a leadership style assessment. Mentoring opportunities and structured group workshop learning experiences.
• Culminating Experience. Apply knowledge and experience to a business consulting capstone project.

This major is designed to address the unique position of sport in the global economy. Sport management students acquire knowledge and skills to work in a wide-ranging sport industry and are prepared to pursue graduate degrees, if they desire.

Sport management majors receive a Bachelor of Science degree; students are encouraged to pursue a related minor. In addition, a certificate in sport coaching is available.

Why Study Sport Management At Grand Valley?

• The program offers a strong foundation in liberal arts; coursework is designed to develop a high level of competence to make a positive impact in the sports environment.
• The combination of coursework and experiential learning accommodates the diverse professional preparation needs of undergraduate students.
• There are many experiential opportunities that promote intellectual inquiry and develop sound professional ethics.
• Additional opportunities include volunteer and internship experiences locally, nationally, and internationally, to better prepare students for the professional workplace.

Choose from a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in history, or a minor in history or history of science, or select it as a teachable minor. Careful training in research, writing, critical reading, and interpretation makes history graduates attractive to a wide number of employers who value those abilities, especially in fields of law, library and museum work, finance, journalism, and public administration. Students also study history to advance their own liberal education and to train their minds.

Why Study History At Grand Valley?

• Graduates are accepted into top law schools and graduate programs in history, museum studies, and library science.
• Faculty members are devoted to teaching, scholarship, and mentoring.
• Choose from research and internship opportunities for a well-rounded education that includes hands-on experience.
• Opportunities to engage with the community include public history projects and the Veterans History Project.
• Network through student organizations devoted to the program, including the History Club and Phi Alpha Theta, the history honor society.

This versatile program allows students to achieve individual goals while serving diverse interests. Students have the opportunity to pursue graduate programs in broad areas such as population genetics, organismal biology, aquatic and terrestrial ecology, and natural resource management. Optional emphases are offered in natural resources and aquatic sciences.

Internships offer hands-on learning while project and thesis opportunities strengthen critical thinking and presentatio skills.

Why Study Biology At Grand Valley?

• Programs can be tailored for professionals to make them more competitive for job placement or advancement.
• Research opportunities are offered to all graduate students; some will collaborate with faculty on ongoing research and others will find or create research opportunities independently.
• Individualized, planned programs of study established by the students and their advisors ensure a unique learning experience designed to meet individual goals.
• The aquatic sciences emphasis provides the opportunity to conduct research at the Annis Water Resources Institute in Muskegon.
• Available to full- or part-time students. Many classes are offered at times that accommodate the schedules of working professionals. A majority of students receive competitive graduate assistantships that provide a stipend and full tuition waiver, as well as some teaching experience.

Health Communication is one of four undergraduate majors offered by Grand Valley's School of Communications. Students take courses in the health communication core and biomedical sciences. The curriculum features a variety of topics and an experiential approach to learning.

Why Study Health Communication At Grand Valley?

• The program emphasizes a broad understanding of the field combined with a solid knowledge of specific technical skills.
• Students learn critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with an emphasis on learning-by-doing.
• Students frequently participate in creative performances, exhibitions, and publications related to their chosen major field of study.
• State-of-the-art facilities support current and emergent technologies and enhance student competence.
• Internships are available in a variety of professional work settings.

Faculty in the Biomedical Sciences department have expertise in the general areas of microbiology, anatomy, physiology, and nutrition. From this expertise, they are able to offer excellent instruction at the introductory and advanced level, as well as the opportunity for students to be involved in a wide variety of research projects to gain laboratory experience and technical skills. Areas of research include bacterial genetics, cardiovascular disease, epidemiology, human anatomy, immunology, neuroscience, parasitology, stem cell biology, and toxicology to name a few.

Why Study Biomedical Sciences At Grand Valley?

• The biomedical sciences program prepares students for graduate-level health and science related careers, and fulfills the entrance requirements for most professional schools.
• Faculty members are involved in a wide variety of research projects, providing opportunities for students to gain real-world laboratory experience.
• Courses are taught by expert faculty with advanced degrees in their respective fields.
• Faculty members are accessible for office hours, advising, and mentoring. They provide guidance for career development in their fields of expertise.
• More than 35 advanced elective courses are offered covering all areas of biomedical science, including experiential learning through internships, research, study abroad, and serving as laboratory assistants to the professors in laboratory classes.

Students are prepared for engineering careers and leadership roles by way of B.S.E. and M.S.E. degree programs that integrate academic studies with hands-on learning and paid professional co-op experiences in engineering companies.

• Biomedical engineering
• Computer engineering
• Electrical engineering
• Interdisciplinary engineering
• Mechanical engineering
• Product design and manufacturing engineering

Why Study Engineering At Grand Valley?

• 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.
• Nearly 100-percent placement rate into work or graduate school for our graduates.
• Program accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, abet.org