Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance

at Grand Valley State University USA

Majoring in geography provides students with the knowledge and technical skills to find long-term, place-based solutions that are socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable.

Both a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees are offered. In addition to the general geography degree, there are four distinctive areas of emphasis:

• Climate change mitigation, adaptation and resiliency planning
• City and regional planning
• Environment and global development
• Geospatial technology using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and satellite imagery

Why Study Geography At Grand Valley?

• Coursework includes research and community engagement opportunities that provide hands-on, real-world experience and networking connections.
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and planning are in the top 10 hot jobs in the country.
• Students acquire skills in research and analysis using the latest technology, leading to exciting, well-paid jobs both foreign and domestic, all while enhancing graduate school admissions.
• Career preparation and skills for academia, business, government and non-profits.
• The 2019 median pay for a geographer with a bachelor's degree was $81,540 per year and $39.20 per hour.

• 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.

The CSAT major combines with one of two majors in the College of Education; it leads to certification in elementary education with one of the following specialized endorsement areas: special education, Spanish (paired with the Spanish elementary education minor), English as a Second Language (ESL) (with the Applied Linguistics-ESL minor), or early childhood (with the Early Childhood Education minor). A Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) may be earned. For certification, the student must:

• Complete both the CSAT major, the education major, and the complementary minor (if required) with a GPA of 2.7 or better
• Have an overall GPA of 2.7 or better
• Pass the MTTC Elementary Education and endorsement-area tests

Why Study Csat At Grand Valley?

• Courses are designed specifically for the major and are taught using best practices identified in research literature.
• The strong pedagogical skills CSAT students develop are valuable in settings outside the school system, where an understanding of effective teaching and learning is important.
• Two of the endorsement areas within the special education major could lead to a master's degree.
• Students have many extracurricular opportunities, such as professional organizations (Student Council for Exceptional Children), service learning in area schools, and becoming active members of the community.
• Elementary education teachers with a Spanish endorsement or an ESL endorsement are in-demand locally and across the country.

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.

The Professional Science Master's (PSM) in biotechnology offers a series of high-impact life science courses, as well as training in biostatistics and bioinformatics. The PSM program also includes training in scientific communication, ethics and professionalism in science, and business-related topics like project management and business plans. An internship serves as the culminating experience.

The thesis-based (research emphasis) track focuses on an intensive, 15-18 month research project that results in a publishable thesis. Students work closely with a research mentor and are expected to present the results of their research at a professional conference.

Why Study Cmb At Grand Valley?

• The interdisciplinary core program of the PSM provides students with a cross-disciplinary perspective not possible within a single major.
• Courses are taught in a region that is quickly developing into an important center for biotechnology research, industry, and education.
• Rewarding internships are available at the Van Andel Research Institute, Michigan State College of Human Medicine, Spectrum Health Research Labs, Walter's Greenhouses, and other area organizations.
• Faculty members are actively engaged in research, much of it carried out with students.
• Laboratories provide students with hands-on experience using state-of-the-art equipment.

The integrated science major is designed for students seeking certification to teach at the elementary and/or middle school levels. It provides students with broad exposure in all of the sciences and emphasizes the connections among the scientific disciplines and their relevance to society.

Why Study Integrated Science At Grand Valley?

• Coursework is designed specifically for the major and taught using best practices identified by the research literature.
• Limited class sizes maximize interactions between faculty and students, as well as among students.
• There is a high success rate in passing the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification on students' first attempts.
• There are many opportunities to be extensively engaged in scholarship and professional growth, professional organizations, and conferences.
• Integrated science majors are active in the community and involved in service learning in area schools.

Psychology is the science of mind and behavior. This basic and applied science includes the study of thought, action, and emotion. Psychologists study how people influence and interact with one another, how they develop, and the role that biological mechanisms play in psychological processes.

Why Study Psychology At Grand Valley?

• Faculty members have diverse interests and training that cover the field of psychology with both breadth and depth, so there are a wide range of courses available in the curriculum.
• Offering a high quality, student-oriented education is the focus in psychology.
• Students are immersed in an atmosphere of inquiry, integrity, engagement, community, curiosity, and creativity among peers, staff, and faculty.
• There are opportunities for advanced undergraduate psychology students to work closely with a faculty member on research. There are also internship opportunities to work with organizations outside the university.
• Students have many study abroad opportunities to choose from.

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.

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.

Microbiology encompasses the study of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasitic protozoa, which are organisms that inhabit every corner of our biosphere, and whose impact on human affairs, both positive and negative, is immense. Understanding the biology of microbes has important applications in biotechnology, medicine, public health, and ecology.

The program provides a strong foundational preparation in genetics, biochemistry, physics, and mathematics. These courses in the field focus on critical thinking, research methods, and hands-on laboratory experience.

Students are provided with the foundational tools necessary to progress into subsequent graduate academic programs at the master's and doctorate levels in a variety of disciplines, including microbiology, cell and molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry.

The program can be tailored to meet the needs of students who plan to enter professional programs, such as medical, dental, or other health professions, after completing the undergraduate degree.

Why Study Microbiology At Grand Valley?

• The microbiology major fulfills the requirements of most graduate and professional schools.
• A majority of courses are taught by experts with a doctorate in their respective fields.
• The laboratory-rich, hands-on aspect of this major prepares graduates for opportunities in a variety of fields requiring these technical skills.
• Students have opportunities to contribute to scientific research while receiving one-on-one mentoring.
• Many students travel to professional meetings with their faculty mentors to present research findings and meet other experts outside of Grand Valley, which provides networking opportunities and strengthens presentation skills.