majorS aT GVSU
Grand Valley is known for a lot of academic programs. Some of which include: Anthropology, Athletic Training, Art Education, Biology, Chemistry, Dance, Earth Science, English, French, Geography, Geology, History, Journalism, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Political Science, Russian, Sociology, Spanish, Theatre, and Writing. Remember, these are just a few of the many majors Grand Valley provides. Grand Valley offers over 200 areas of study, including 82 undergraduate majors and 30 graduate programs. A liberal arts emphasis teaches students critical thinking and problem resolution. Grand Valley's strong academic focus creates a challenging and rewarding educational experience.
Honors program
After a bit of a break, I figure it’s probably time to talk about something significant. A topic some of you readers might be interested in is the honors college. The Frederick Meijer Honors College is a spectacular program, and not just because there is a brand new facility for it. In fact, I figure it’s probably best to just talk about the academic portion of the program for right now, and get back to the facilities later on.
One of the first big concerns is “how do I get into the program?” Why thank you for asking, reader. The honors college does require a secondary application, and if I recall correctly it does include a short essay as well as a submission of a previous work from High School. Your admission is also decided in part by your ACT and GPA in High School, but don’t think that these are the only factors, or that there is a minimum GPA. However, if they do have a 28 ACT and a 3.6 GPA, students are invited to apply (transfer or current students have different admissions requirements).
After being admitted, a big concern is in the particulars of the program; advantages and disadvantages, continuance requirements, etc. And believe me when I say this, there are a lot of advantages. But first we should probably talk about the requirements. Aside from needing to maintain a GPA, honors students are required to take three distinct courses. First, they have to take a civilization sequence (usually their freshman or sophomore year). This is a year long, 12 credit pair of classes that can cover a variety of subjects, such as Greek and Roman Civilization, the Making of America, European Civilization, or the Middle Eastern World. After this comes a Junior Seminar, or an intensive course of study in any one field of the student’s choice. The curriculum is capped off with a Senior Project, in which the student conducts a research project on a field within their major, with the approval of honors faculty, in an essentially “independent study” environment.
By now you’re probably ready to hear the advantages, and they greatly outweigh the costs. Honors courses require a lot of reading outside of class, and as a result, the courses themselves are extremely engaging. There’s less busy work and far more focus on significant projects or papers. Many of the courses are team taught, which means that for a single class you will have two different professors teaching from two different areas, giving you an array of perspectives on the subject. One other big advantage is a simple matter of saving time: honors students do not have to take a three course theme to graduate, as their theme is “Honors.” That of course isn't even bringing up the fact that these students have access to some of the newest facilities on campus. And of course the most obvious reason may be that a degree that alludes to an individual’s completion of a rigorous course of study tends to look quite impressive.
Having talked myself dry and probably bored you to death, I’ll stop here. If you've got concerns on the honors program, feel free to ask, as a lot of the admissions students are part of the curriculum.
-Kyle
One of the first big concerns is “how do I get into the program?” Why thank you for asking, reader. The honors college does require a secondary application, and if I recall correctly it does include a short essay as well as a submission of a previous work from High School. Your admission is also decided in part by your ACT and GPA in High School, but don’t think that these are the only factors, or that there is a minimum GPA. However, if they do have a 28 ACT and a 3.6 GPA, students are invited to apply (transfer or current students have different admissions requirements).
After being admitted, a big concern is in the particulars of the program; advantages and disadvantages, continuance requirements, etc. And believe me when I say this, there are a lot of advantages. But first we should probably talk about the requirements. Aside from needing to maintain a GPA, honors students are required to take three distinct courses. First, they have to take a civilization sequence (usually their freshman or sophomore year). This is a year long, 12 credit pair of classes that can cover a variety of subjects, such as Greek and Roman Civilization, the Making of America, European Civilization, or the Middle Eastern World. After this comes a Junior Seminar, or an intensive course of study in any one field of the student’s choice. The curriculum is capped off with a Senior Project, in which the student conducts a research project on a field within their major, with the approval of honors faculty, in an essentially “independent study” environment.
By now you’re probably ready to hear the advantages, and they greatly outweigh the costs. Honors courses require a lot of reading outside of class, and as a result, the courses themselves are extremely engaging. There’s less busy work and far more focus on significant projects or papers. Many of the courses are team taught, which means that for a single class you will have two different professors teaching from two different areas, giving you an array of perspectives on the subject. One other big advantage is a simple matter of saving time: honors students do not have to take a three course theme to graduate, as their theme is “Honors.” That of course isn't even bringing up the fact that these students have access to some of the newest facilities on campus. And of course the most obvious reason may be that a degree that alludes to an individual’s completion of a rigorous course of study tends to look quite impressive.
Having talked myself dry and probably bored you to death, I’ll stop here. If you've got concerns on the honors program, feel free to ask, as a lot of the admissions students are part of the curriculum.
-Kyle
Internships
An internship is no longer an option to be competitive in today’s job market, but a requirement. It will provide you the opportunity to do and see what you’ve been learning in the classroom. In addition, it’s a great way to find out if a particular career or work environment is a good fit for you. And don’t forget….it’s not all about what you know, but who you know (and who knows you!). An internship will open the door to your professional network and hopefully lead to a permanent position upon graduation!
What is an internship?
An internship is a way for you to get hands-on, supervised experience in the field you are studying. You are able to apply the concepts you are learning in the classroom to a work environment. An internship may be paid or unpaid, last at least one semester (concurrently with classes or independently) and depending on the organization and time of year, you may work full or part-time. You may also elect to receive academic credit for you internship, or do it for the experience alone.