Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy

at Grand Valley State University USA

Economics is more than a business field. Students will study human behavior to explain and predict how people and organizations interact and why they do what they do. That might involve how managers can increase their profits. It's also about how to feed the hungry; what to do about deforestation in Brazil; and whether minimum wages really help the poor. Economics also looks at societal issues like distribution of wealth and income, health care, education, crime, poverty, pollution, and drugs.

The economics program offers you flexibility to choose between a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree.

The department offers an "Honors" designation if you achieve a minimum 3.2 G.P.A. both overall and in your economics courses. This designation provides you the opportunity to engage in high profile projects and policy courses.

Why Study Economics At Grand Valley?

• Economics stresses well-developed analytical skills, as well as excellent written and verbal communication skills, which are desirable to employers.
• Faculty members work closely with students as they form career goals and select courses to help achieve those goals.
• Networking opportunities include Omicron Delta Epsilon (the economics honor society), economics club, real estate groups, professional development series, and student organizations.
• Internships are available and apply classroom learning to authentic work experiences.
• Campus is located in the heart of an exciting business environment in downtown Grand Rapids, MI.

A Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A) in general management covers diverse areas of management, allowing for the combination of interests in human resources, management information systems, operations management, and more. The management department also offers targeted majors in:

• Entrepreneurship
• Human resources management
• Management with an emphasis in MIS
• Operations management
• Supply chain management

Why Study Management At Grand Valley?

• Faculty members with distinguished credentials and business expertise work closely with students to form career goals and select courses to achieve those goals
• Current technology is integrated into courses by use of the Internet, e-commerce, and enterprise resource planning.
• Internships and mentorships, available in all business areas, allow you to earn money while gaining valuable business experience. Internships are set up to relate to your field of study and are scheduled around your classes.
• Take classes in the heart of the thriving business environment that is downtown Grand Rapids, MI.
• Network with major corporations and gain access to internships and jobs.

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.

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 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.

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 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 program offers a flexible, practical education in the theatrical arts. It prepares students for careers in the entertainment industry and for careers that require skills in creativity, collaboration, communications, and problem-solving. In addition, the program provides professional orientation and background within a broad liberal arts framework.

Why Study Theatre At Grand Valley?

• Coursework includes a solid foundation of theatre training taught entirely by faculty members with years of professional experience.
• Students may take courses outside of theatre, pursue a minor, or double major in other disciplines to expand their education.
• Participation occurs at every level and area in theatre production, so students graduate with many marketable skills and experiences.
• The Thomas J. and Marcia J. Haas Center for Performing Arts features the state-of-the-art Linn Maxwell Keller Black Box Theatre for intimate productions, as well as a traditional proscenium space.
• There are opportunities for students to participate in touring productions.

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.

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.