2024-2025 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

Welcome to Grand Valley State University

About Grand Valley
Academic Excellence
Grand Valley Equals Grand Value
University Facts
Visiting the Campuses

About Grand Valley

A strong liberal education serves as the foundation for Grand Valley's wide array of undergraduate and graduate programs, fostering critical thinking, creative problem solving, and cultural understanding that prepares students for responsibility as local, national, and global citizens. Through personalized learning enhanced by active scholarship, we accomplish our mission of educating students to shape their lives, their professions, and their societies.

We're so glad you have decided to join our community of Lakers for a Lifetime.

There is a spirit at Grand Valley that bonds students, faculty members, staff members, and alumni. You'll discover it in our campus traditions. You'll find it in our classrooms and corridors. You'll carry it with you as you go through life. It is this bond, this spirit, that makes you a Laker for a Lifetime.

If you ask our alumni what it means to be a Laker, you'll consistently hear that all Lakers share traits, such as a diverse perspective and a willingness to embrace new ideas. They also have a curiosity and passion for learning, which is often inspired by working closely with a professor who became a personal mentor. You'll also hear about the value of service to others and giving back, learned as much outside the classroom as in it, through the West Michigan community, clubs or organizations, study abroad experiences, or simply engaging in campus life.

The roots of this spirit run deep, back to our founding in 1960. Grand Valley was started by visionary entrepreneurs and West Michigan citizens who wanted to make a difference in the community. Our first students were educational pioneers, willing to take a chance on a different type of college so they could make a difference in the world.

Now it's your turn to contribute to our campus with your talents and your passions, to be fully engaged in your communities, and to care for those around you, your Laker family.

Then, when it is time for you to graduate and give back, you'll be prepared to carry the torch for the students who will follow you. You'll lead by example, so that they can look to you and say, "That's what it means to be a Laker."

Thank you for choosing to be a Laker and for your commitment to being a Laker for a Lifetime.

Mission

At Grand Valley State University, we empower learners in their pursuits, professions, and purpose. The university enriches society through excellent teaching, active scholarship, advancement of equity, and public service.

Vision

Grand Valley State University will prepare globally minded citizens for the future they face and the communities they shape. Our community of educators will create and employ innovative approaches to liberal education and professional programs that center on and prepare students for a lifetime of continual learning and growth.

Values

Innovation: Puts ideas into practice, drives us toward excellence, and represents our forward-thinking mindset. We value entrepreneurship, risk taking, and interdisciplinary collaboration that solves local, regional, and global problems and advances the common good.

Integrity: Drives us to be accountable to ourselves and to others. Integrity moves us to actively pursue and sustain quality educational experiences rooted in research and evidence, and to be excellent stewards of our communities, resources, and planet.

Inclusive and Equitable Community: Fosters and sustains a sense of belonging, promotes diversity and respect, and addresses systemic issues that impact outcomes for those who have been historically excluded from higher education. Inclusion and equity are experienced through our physical campuses and in digital environments, as well as our interpersonal, institutional, and community engagements.

Inquiry: Encourages active questioning and problem solving to improve lives and strengthen communities. Building on our strong foundation of a liberal education and commitment to teaching excellence, we strive to provide opportunities that integrate theory and practice towards personal transformation and career success. Active scholarship, creative expression, and relevant co-curricular experiences drive learners towards fulfillment, prosperity, and justice.

International Perspectives: Support people, planet, and prosperity. We think and act on a global basis. Our efforts at supporting the well-being of individuals, groups, and ecosystems are important locally, nationally, and globally - all of which are interconnected and interdependent.

Affirmative Action: Grand Valley State University does not discriminate against students, faculty, or staff in any of its employment practices or in its educational programs or activities. Grand Valley State University is guided by values for inclusiveness and community, which are integral to our mission to educate students to shape their lives, their professions, and their societies, and to enrich the community through excellent teaching, active scholarship, and public service. The university is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution. It encourages diversity and provides equal opportunity in education, employment, all of its programs, and the use of its facilities. Members of the university community, including candidates for employment or admissions, and visitors or guests, have the right to be free from acts of harassment and discrimination, which are prohibited if they discriminate or harass on the basis of age, color, disability, familial status, height, marital status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, veteran or active-duty military status, or weight. In addition, Grand Valley is required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to ensure that none of its education programs and activities discriminate on the basis of sex/gender. Sex includes sex stereotypes, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and pregnancy or parenting status. The Office for Title IX and Institutional Equity serves as a resource for the GVSU community and assists individuals who may have been impacted by discrimination or harassment in connecting with resources, imposes measures that protect or support access to programs and activities, and oversees the university's grievance process for allegations of discrimination and harassment. Inquiries regarding the application of Title IX may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, 4015 Zumberge Hall, [email protected], (616) 331-9530.

Notice: All material in this catalog applies to the 2024-2025 academic year and reflects information available on the publication date. Grand Valley State University reserves the right to revise all announcements contained in this publication and, at its discretion, to make reasonable changes in requirements to improve or upgrade academic and nonacademic programs.

Academic Excellence

The university's highest priority is to offer outstanding teaching grounded in the liberal tradition in all undergraduate and graduate programs and vigorous engagement of students in the classroom and other learning environments. Grand Valley is known for excellence in student-centered teaching and learning. Ninety-three percent of regular faculty members have earned doctoral degrees or other appropriate terminal degrees. They are supported by a high-quality nonteaching professional staff and Grand Valley's exceptionally fine teaching facilities. The quality of instruction is enhanced further by small class size, individual student advising, and career counseling.

Our instructional offerings encompass more than 350 areas of study, including 101 undergraduate and 45 graduate programs.

Accreditation

Grand Valley is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Other accreditations and approvals appear below.

This complete list, along with links to the accrediting/certifying bodies can also be found on the Strategic Planning, Assessment, and Accreditation website at gvsu.edu/spaa/program-accreditations-and-approvals-21.htm

College of Computing

Computer Science (B.S.)

Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) of ABET

Information Systems (B.S.)

Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) of ABET

Information Technology (B.S.)

Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) of ABET

Occupational Safety and Health (B.S.)

Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission (ANSAC) of ABET

College of Education and Community Innovation

Health Administration (M.H.A.) Candidacy Accreditation

Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME)

Initial Teacher Preparation and Advanced Teacher Preparation Levels

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

Michigan Department of Education

Legal Studies (B.A., B.S.)

American Bar Association

Police Academy

Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES)

Public Administration (M.P.A.)

Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA)

Social Work (B.S.W., M.S.W.)

Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)

College of Health Professions

Applied Food and Nutrition (B.S.)

Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)

Athletic Training (MAT)

Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE)

Audiology (Au.D.)

Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA)

Clinical Dietetics (M.S.)

Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)

Cardiovascular Sonography (B.S.)

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)/Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology (JRC-CVT)

Diagnostic Medical Sonography (B.S.)

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)/Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS)

Health Information Management (B.S.)

Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)

Medical Dosimetry (M.S.)

Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT)

Medical Laboratory Science (B.S.)

National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS)

Occupational Therapy (M.S.)

Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)

Physical Therapy (D.P.T.)

Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)

Physician Assistant Studies (M.P.A.S.)

Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA)

Public Health (M.P.H.)

Council on Education of Public Health (CEPH)

Radiation Therapy (B.S.)

Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT)

Recreational Therapy (B.S.)

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)

Speech-Language Pathology (M.S.)

Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA)

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Art Education (B.A., B.S.)