Grand View University - Overview
Community and Engagement
At Grand View University, students are immersed in a way of growing, discovering, and learning that is called the Viking EDGE. It's not so much a program as it is a way of life that unites students with the campus community and prepares them for their lives ahead. It's a web of people, services, and opportunities that characterize the unique college experience students have at Grand View. With challenging academics, encouraging professors, championship athletics, and experiential opportunities, students establish their interests, reach their goals, and carve their niches in the world.
Grand View appreciates and respects the dignity and worth of each individual, honoring a community of open interaction, personal integrity, active intellectual engagement, and academic honesty among students, faculty members, and staff members. As a university of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Grand View embraces students from all backgrounds and traditions.
Des Moines: Opportunities for Internships and Experience
With a metro population of over half a million, Des Moines offers opportunities and activities for everyone. The city's many cultural attractions, sporting events, and downtown nightlife -- in addition to an array of campus activities -- provides students with a well-rounded life outside of the classroom.
The opportunities in Des Moines go beyond mere diversions. As the capital city of Iowa, Des Moines is a center of government, business, research, and finance. Many nationally recognized companies call Des Moines home, including Meredith Publishing, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, and Principal Financial. In fact, in April of 2010, "Forbes Magazine" rated Des Moines as the top city in the nation for business and careers and as the 3rd most livable city in the US in 2009. The city provides students with a great place for internships and job opportunities!
The result is that the majority of Grand View students have challenging internships and graduate with significant experience in their chosen fields, leading to successful careers. For more than a decade and a half, nearly 100 percent of Grand View graduates have secured jobs or gone on to graduate school within 6 months of graduation.
A Wide Range of Academics for a Diverse Student Body
With Grand View's 38 undergraduate majors, certificates, and pre-professional programs, students find the majors that are right for them. For more than a century, Grand View's strength has been its faculty -- with the faculty members' commitment to academic challenge supported by the close relationships they establish with students. This faculty commitment, combined with a rigorous curriculum and practical experience, creates a quality academic grounding that serves Grand View alumni well.
Although the largest concentrations are in business administration, nursing, and education, the smaller programs have outstanding reputations as well. For example, GV's graphic design graduates win awards across the Midwest, and pre-professional students consistently gain acceptance to graduate and professional schools. Grand View also offers the Master of Science in Innovative Leadership, with tracks in business, education, and nursing, as well as 16 accelerated evening majors for nontraditional students.
Vibrant Student Life and Championship Athletics
Grand View is a member of the Midwest Collegiate Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Midwest League of the Mid-States Football Association. Twenty-four men and women's varsity sports teams compete at the national level, with athletic scholarships available to qualified student athletes. Viking teams consistently excel in their conferences, winning not only championships but also All-American Scholar-Athlete honors.
Student life is an important part of any college experience. Grand View has more than 40 clubs and student organizations that help students connect outside of the classroom. Among the opportunities available are an active student government, leadership program, campus ministries, choir, academic clubs, honor societies, and Diversity Alliance, as well as opportunities to study abroad.
An Unparalleled Value
Students find that with affordable tuition and generous ability- and need-based financial aid, Grand View is one of the best educational values in the Midwest. Year after year, Grand View outscores its peers on the National Survey of Student Engagement for presenting an academic challenge and outscores similar institutions nationwide in measures of effective teaching. A challenging curriculum coupled with first-class teaching leads to the high-level skills that land jobs for Grand View grads.