Bachelor of Science in Geography

at Grand Valley State University USA

The curriculum is flexible and includes both a strong core of course requirements and multiple elective offerings to allow students to pursue their particular media interests. It prepares students to enter the job market as journalists or other related media careers, developing gateway skills of reporting, writing and production in print, television, radio and online-based media.

Why Study Multimedia Journalism At Grand Valley?

• Students have opportunities to become involved in student media - newspaper, radio, and TV - to gain experience and prepare them for internships and related hands-on experiences.
• The area is media rich, there is a top 40 TV market with four commercial stations, public TV/radio stations, and more than 50 radio stations. Area print media include four daily newspapers and 15 weekly newspapers, and many minority, arts, business, and other specialty publications. All area media produce and present Internet-based content.
• Students may apply up to 15 internship credits toward the 120 needed for graduation.
• Our faculty all possess experience in the field of journalism - including our permanent full-time faculty as well as our part-time adjunct faculty.
• There is always a need for new media content, and multimedia journalism graduates leave GVSU ready to go to work satisfying the public's need to know.

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.

OSHM prepares students for entry-level positions within the occupational safety profession. Students are immersed in a curriculum that exposes them to a wide range of experiences to prepare them for a career based on the industry in which they wish to work. The following are examples of industry sectors that hire OSHM professionals: manufacturing, insurance, chemical, government, service industries.

Why Study Oshm At Grand Valley?

• Our program is distinguished by a combination of hands-on and theoretical learning, including mandatory internship education.
• Graduates are eligible to receive the Graduate Safety Practitioner® designation from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, as well as the Associate Safety and Health Management certification from the Institute of Safety and Health Management.
• Nearly 100% job placement.
• Faculty members have industry experience and are board certified.
• Accredited by the Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Students of the public and nonprofit administration program learn how to serve the public interest ethically, effectively, and efficiently. They may choose to focus on:

• Community development and planning
• Community health
• Local economic development
• Public and nonprofit budget and finance
• Public personnel management

Why Study Public And Nonprofit Administration At Grand Valley?

• All students participate in service learning courses and internships, through which they interact within the community, apply new skills, and build professional networks.
• Many public and nonprofit administration students participate in study abroad programs and spring break service learning trips.
• Over 90 percent of recent graduates are successfully placed (employed, attending graduate school, or both).
• The Steelcase Library's Johnson Collection on Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership is a valuable resource to students and one of the most comprehensive collections in the country on philanthropy, volunteerism, and nonprofit management.
• Students are required to complete one internship and may register for a second, which gives them the experience they need to succeed, make better career decisions, and jumpstart their career by helping them gain employment more quickly.

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.

The Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB) degree is for students with a passion for the life sciences who want to gain extensive research experience as an undergraduate. CMB focuses on determining how cells develop and function, and how biomolecules, such as DNA, RNA and proteins, interact under normal and pathological conditions. CMB also explores the applications of this knowledge in fields such as biotechnology, medicine/pharmacology, and genomics.

The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in CMB consists of a series of high impact laboratory and computational courses. Each student has the opportunity to choose an independent research project to study a variety of cell and molecular processes that are relevant to human disease or agriculture. Together, coursework and research prepare CMB students to enter the workforce in fields such as forensics or biotechnology or to pursue graduate training in the life sciences or professional school programs (eg. medical, dental, or genetic counseling).

The CMB department also offers a minor in CMB, a combined degree program (B.S./M.S.) and undergraduate and graduate certificates in bioinformatics and genomics.

Why Study Cmb At Grand Valley?

• The CMB graduating class is consistently ranked in the top 10 percent of life science programs in the country by the Educational Testing Service.
• The degree incorporates extensive research experience into the curriculum. Most students work on their independent research projects for two or more semesters and present their research data at scientific meetings. Employers and medical school officials agree this experience is one of the most important considerations for hiring in the life sciences or admission to medical school.
• Faculty members are actively engaged in research with students, taking advantage of Grand Valley's state-of-the-art research equipment.
• Campus is located in West Michigan, which is quickly developing into an important center for biotechnology research, industry, and education.
• Rewarding internships are available at the Van Andel Research Institute, Karmanos Cancer Institute, area hospitals, biotech start-ups, Walter's Greenhouses, and other area organizations.

• The Bachelor of Arts degree in music promotes the study of music within the context of a liberal education curriculum.
• The Bachelor of Music is designed for students with exceptional ability and particular interest in performance.
• The Bachelor of Music Education prepares students to teach music and meet certification requirements for Michigan's elementary and secondary schools.
• A minor in music is also available.

Why Study Music At Grand Valley?

• Studying music at GVSU, within the context of a liberal education foundation, prepares students to answer the call of a rewarding career and life.
• As an undergraduate-only program, our students have greater opportunities to learn and perform.
• Small class sizes allow students to engage directly with faculty members who are committed to understanding and encouraging each student's unique talent and needs.
• Professors are performers, international competition winners, conductors, composers, theorists, scholars, and acclaimed teachers.
• Grand Valley is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.

Choose from the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree after completing 42 major-specific credits. The curriculum allows students to determine their own course of study, balancing creative and professional writing interests. Students also complete an internship to enhance their writing skills.

For students who wish to add to their current major and enhance their writing, the department offers the option to minor in writing.

Why Study Writing At Grand Valley?

• The writing major involves liberal arts training in which students become critical readers, careful thinkers, and skilled writers.
• The department offers one of the few independent undergraduate writing majors in the country.
• Students who want to focus on professional or technical writing can do so in a program that exposes them to the latest technologies for print and web environments.
• The department offers students a variety of extracurricular writing activities including a student-run literary journal, a visiting writing series, a student reading series, an organization for professional writers, a student-produced department newsletter, and opportunities for travel to writing conferences.
• Students may choose to complete a Distinction in Writing, a program that encourages them to pursue excellence beyond the classroom.

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.

We offer major and minor programs in both Spanish and Spanish Education (Elementary and Secondary levels). Spanish major (33-36 credits) and minor (21-27 credits) programs begin at the 300-level, and include courses across a variety of areas, including language study, literature, linguistics, and civilization and culture.

We offer courses on Spanish in a professional setting, including Health, Business, Law Enforcement, and Writing. Students in our program frequently complete portions of their coursework through summer, semester, and full year study abroad programs in countries across the world.

All languages listed below count toward the BA third semester language requirement. We offer:

• Majors in French, German, and Spanish
• Minors in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, and Spanish
• Three years of language and culture courses in Japanese
• Two years of language in Italian

Why Study Spanish At Grand Valley?

• With such a large Latino population in the U.S. and booming economies outside the U.S., there is a huge demand for Spanish-speaking professionals in nursing, construction management, and media, among many other fields.
• Spanish is the second largest native language in the world, with almost 40 million native speakers in the U.S.
• More than 500 million people in the world can speak and communicate in Spanish, with a growing trend that will reach 600 million speakers by 2050.
• Spanish complements majors in many other fields, such as international relations, international business, culture, and political science.
• The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures works closely with the Padnos International Center to make many opportunities for study abroad available.