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2024-2025 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

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College of Health Professions

Administration

Dean: Zhang

Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Studies: Beck

Associate Dean for Research: Bacon-Baguley

Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies: Hall

Website

gvsu.edu/chp

Mission

The College of Health Professions empowers learners to impact the health and well-being of individuals and society through experiential education, evidence-based practice, and meaningful community engagement.

Program Information

The College of Health Professions houses 21 majors and programs in the following 19 disciplines.

Doctorate Degrees
Audiology
Occupational Therapy
Physical Therapy

Master's Degrees
Athletic Training
Clinical Dietetics
Medical Dosimetry
Occupational Therapy
Physician Assistant Studies
Public Health
Recreational Therapy
Speech-Language Pathology

Baccalaureate Degrees
Allied Health Sciences with selection of an emphasis
- General Allied Health Science (minor required)
- Health Professional Degree Completion
- Histotechnology
- Prehealth Physical Therapy
- Prehealth Physician Assistant Studies
- Social Sciences
Applied Food and Nutrition
Cardiovascular Sonography
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Health Information Management
Medical Laboratory Science
Radiation Therapy
Recreational Therapy
Respiratory Care

Accreditation (Program and Accrediting Body)

Applied Food and Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics-Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), which is the accrediting agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND); Athletic Training-Commission on Accreditation on Athletic Training Education (CAATE); Cardiovascular Sonography-Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Program (CAAHEP) and programmatically through the Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology (JRC-CVT); Diagnostic Medical Sonography-Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRCDMS); Health Information Management-Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM); Medical Laboratory Science-National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science; Occupational Therapy-Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education(ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); Physical Therapy-Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA); Physician Assistant Studies-Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA); Radiation Therapy-Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT); Public Health-Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH); Recreational Therapy-Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) through its Committee on Accreditation of Recreational Therapy Education (CARTE); and Speech-Language Pathology-Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Admission

Undergraduate Secondary Admission

Six undergraduate majors in the College of Health Professions require a selective secondary admissions/application process: applied food and nutrition, communication sciences and disorders, health information management, medical laboratory science, recreational therapy, respiratory care, and allied health sciences in the following emphases: health professional degree completion and histotechnology. See the Academic Programs section of the catalog for details.

Admission into diagnostic medical sonography, cardiovascular sonography, and radiation therapy involves a competitive secondary admissions/application process. See appropriate Academic Program description for detailed information on undergraduate admission.

Graduate Admission

The doctorates of audiology, occupational therapy, and physical therapy, as well as the master's degree programs in athletic training, clinical dietetics, medical dosimetry, occupational therapy, physician assistant studies, public health, and speech-language pathology require completion of a baccalaureate degree and submission of a graduate application and corresponding materials; admission into these programs is competitive. See appropriate Academic Program description for detailed information on the admission requirements.

Student Services

The CHP Student Services office (CHPSS) is a key resource for academic advising services and admissions to Grand Valley's College of Health Professions (CHP) programs and majors. Grand Valley students who declare a major within the College of Health Professions are each assigned to a professional academic advisor and encouraged to meet with their advisor at a minimum once per year but preferably each semester. The majority of programs in CHP are competitive; it is in the student's best interest to get academic advising throughout their college career.

Prospective and admitted students can expect to receive the following services and support from the CHP Student Services director, admissions coordinator, office coordinator, and four academic advisors.

  • Academic plans: Development of achievable academic plans and access to resources for parallel plans.
  • Admissions: Invitation for prospective students to visit the Cook-Devos Center for Health Sciences (CHS) and learn about the CHP programs.
  • Advisor access: Academic advisors are available to students at Grand Valley's Allendale Campus and in Grand Rapids at the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences.
  • Program application: Navigation through CHP's undergraduate secondary admissions process and graduate program applications.
  • Orientation: Academic advising during freshmen and transfer orientation.
  • Policies and procedures: Clarification of university policies that pertain to and support degree completion.
  • Referrals: Introduction to and utilization of Grand Valley's campus resources, student success services, and faculty support.

The College of Health Professions encourages students to consider participation in any one of the following clubs as it pertains to program interest and eligibility.

  • Doctorate of Physical Therapy Organization
  • National Student Speech Language Hearing Association
  • Allied Health Sciences Student Group
  • Lab Scientists Student Organization
  • Medical Dosimetry Student Organization
  • Diagnostic Medical Sonography Student Organization
  • Pre-Occupational Therapy Club
  • Pre-Physician Assistant Club
  • Pre-Physical Therapy Club
  • Public Health Society
  • Student Occupational Therapy Association
  • Recreational Therapy Student Organization

Scholarship Resources

Numerous scholarship opportunities are available to students in their respective programs. Information regarding scholarships is available through the College of Health Profession's program websites or through Grand Valley's Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at gvsu.edu/financialaid.

Program Descriptions


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