Master of Social Work

at Grand Valley State University USA

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.

Students can choose a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), with emphases available in theoretical mathematics, applied mathematics, and secondary certification.

Minors in mathematics are also available, including minors for elementary and secondary certification. Depending on one's major, it may be possible to add a minor in mathematics with only a few additional courses. Speak to your advisor for details.

Why Study Mathematics At Grand Valley?

• Students will develop strong communication, critical thinking, mathematical modeling, and coding skills in courses where they learn by doing, not just by listening. These logical and critical thinking skills developed through a math major or minor are skills that are highly sought after by employers.
• Opportunities to participate in research through funded summer or academic year research programs or coursework and students present research results at seminars and conferences both on campus and at regional and national meetings.
• Special programming for study abroad and internships allow students to earn credit toward major requirements.
• The mathematics department is a recognized national leader in innovative and effective approaches to mathematics instruction. Faculty members are highly trained with Ph.D.s in mathematics or mathematics education and actively focused on continuously improving their teaching.
• National recognition for mathematics teaching emphases by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics/Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation.

The Master of Science in biostatistics is a Professional Science Masters' (PSM) program developed in parallel with the applied statistics, data science and analytics, health informatics and bioinformatics, and cell and molecular biology programs

Why Study Biostatistics At Grand Valley?

• Master's level biostatisticians are in demand, which means higher starting salaries within exciting scientific work environments.
• Partners such as Priority Health and Spectrum Health provide formal support for internships and continuing assistance to GVSU students.
• Graduates enjoy careers with outstanding employers such as Van Andel Institute, Henry Ford Health System, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and the MD Anderson Cancer Center.
• Classes are held later in the day, making it easier for working professionals to complete their degree.
• Program emphasizes current statistical techniques using prominent statistical software.

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.

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.

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.

The major is administered by the psychology department. Students can earn a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in behavioral neuroscience. The B.S. degree requires students to take the degree requirement sequence from the psychology department. The B.A. degree requires third semester proficiency in a foreign language.

Why Study Behavioral Neuroscience At Grand Valley?

• Faculty members have diverse interests and training that covers the field of neuroscience with breadth and depth, so a wide range of courses are available, as well as research opportunities.
• Students can expect a high-quality, student-focused education in the field of behavioral neuroscience.
• Undergraduate behavioral neuroscience students have opportunities to work closely with a faculty member on a research project.
• Students are immersed in an atmosphere of inquiry, integrity, engagement, community, curiosity, and creativity among faculty and staff.
• Learning opportunities are available through study abroad in 25 countries.

The program offers a broad and rigorous curriculum, including field, laboratory, classroom, and research experiences to best prepare students for a broad range of geoscience-related career opportunities.

The program prepares students to use a combination of geology and chemistry to study the earth, solve problems related to our environment, and find mineral and energy resources.

Why Study Geology-Chemistry At Grand Valley?

• Students are immersed in a community of knowledgeable, accomplished faculty members that is complemented by invaluable learning experiences outside of the classroom.
• Students can take part in field studies and research where they use their geological knowledge in real-world situations.
• Individually mentored research opportunities are available to undergraduate students.
• Students frequently attend and/or present their work at national, regional, or state professional meetings.
• The Geology Club organizes events such as on-campus speakers, field experiences, and conferences to offer networking, industry knowledge, and real-world experiences.

Grand Valley's hospitality and tourism management major is a dynamic program that encompasses a wide variety of career opportunities, such as lodging, food and beverage, recreation, leisure, club management, resort operations, travel, tourism, and event management.

Students majoring in hospitality and tourism management must complete the following:

• General university degree requirements.
• HTM core courses (minimum 38 credits).
• HTM field requirement (7 credits).
• Two HTM concentrations (minimum 18 credits).
• Business cognates (9 credits).

Why Study Hospitality And Tourism Management At Grand Valley?

Hospitality and tourism management students can expect:

• a curriculum that reflects modern industry concepts and best practices;
• classes taught by experienced faculty members with both academic and professional experience;
• experiential learning opportunities facilitated through a structured internship program that includes 1,000 hours of valuable hands-on experience;
• networking opportunities with faculty, peers, alumni, professional organizations, and industry stakeholders; and
• distinctive opportunities that no other institution offers through six diverse and practical career concentrations at Grand Valley.

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.