Northwood University – Building Future Leaders

The mission of Northwood University is to develop the future leaders of a global, free-enterprise society.

CORE VALUES STATEMENT

We believe in:

the advantages of an entrepreneurial, free-enterprise society.
individual freedom and individual responsibility.
functioning from a foundation of ethics and integrity.
promoting and leveraging the global, diverse and multi-cultural nature of enterprise.

CORE PURPOSE STATEMENT

The core purpose is to develop leaders, managers, and entrepreneurs with the skills and character to drive personal, organizational and societal success.

CODE OF ETHICS

The community of students, faculty, and staff of Northwood University affirms this code of ethics as the behaviors that advance our shared values.

Integrity: In all our actions, we shall be guided by a code of behavior which reflects our values, unimpeded by circumstance, personal gain, public pressure or private temptation.
Respect: We will treat all others with consideration for their circumstances and with thoughtful regard for their value as human beings.
Honesty: We will embrace truthfulness, fairness, probity and demand the absence of fraud or deceit in ourselves and others with whom we act.
Responsibility: We will be accountable for the care and welfare of others and responsible for the intended and unintended consequences of our actions.
Freedom: We will exercise personal freedom while insuring others be immune from arbitrary interference on account of condition or circumstance, insuring that freedom will be constrained only by our responsibility for its consequences.
Empathy: We will endeavor to understand the feelings, thoughts and notions of others in order that compassion and fairness of our actions may result.
Spirituality: We will seek the spiritual development necessary for our happiness and growth and encourage an environment that supports this growth for all.
Achievement: We will exercise our skills to create high achievement and applaud the high achievement of others.

OUTCOMES

Our graduates will:

Understand the tradition of freedom.
Have a broad practical understanding of their chosen field.
Are familiar with the ideas driving enterprise leaders.
Communicate effectively in speech and writing.
Understand complex global issues.
Have a constant attraction to new ideas.
Can explain their personal values.
Understand the aesthetic, creative, and spiritual elements of life.
Are effective self-evaluators.
Are action oriented.
Are skilled at detecting and solving problems.
Seek lifelong education.

The Northwood Idea

We view a Northwood University education as an investment in your future. Any person who devotes time to a Northwood education gives up the opportunity to devote that time to all the other pursuits he or she might engage in during that time.

The Value of The Idea

We believe that competitive, productive effort can overcome obstacles, solve problems, and achieve goals; that human beings can make a difference in the world in which they live; that political and economic freedom are of paramount importance in releasing creativity and productivity; that sacrifice–savings–is a necessary prerequisite to progress; that equality of opportunity based on contribution and inequality of reward using the same criteria are not only appropriate, but the necessary conditions; in a system not forced into conformity with some master plan; that it is the differences among us that make us interesting and useful to each other; in the freedom to fail. We must be free to bear the positive and negative consequences of our actions; that in a competitive system, all who participate benefit from it; we dedicate ourselves to the elimination of artificial barriers to equal opportunity for all human beings. Racial, religious and sexual barriers are anathema to us; that an understanding and appreciation of the arts and humanities is a primary source of human enrichment in the lives of productive human beings; that education is never something that one person can do to another. It is, rather, something two people do together. This means that an educational institution is, primarily, a facilitator of knowledge.

We practice a healthy skepticism of large and powerful government because we think history has clearly demonstrated that such structures move rapidly from being of the people toward being over the people, and freedom is lost in the balance. Our intolerance of monolithic power is consistent across the business, labor, and government spectrum. We suspect, furthermore, that as a society we cannot gain from the establishment of legal monopolies except in a very few and constrained circumstances.

This is The Northwood Idea.

HISTORY

On March 23, 1959, two young men with an idea, a goal, and a pragmatic philosophy to encompass it all, broke away from their careers in a traditional college structure to create a new concept in education.

Their visionary idea became a reality when Dr. Arthur E. Turner and Dr. R. Gary Stauffer enrolled 100 students at Northwood Institute, using a 19th century mansion in Alma, Michigan, as a school building, a small amount of borrowed money for operating expenses, and a large amount of determination.

Northwood was created as the world was changing. The Russians had launched Sputnik and America was soon to follow. Stauffer and Turner watched the race to space. They envisioned a new type of university-one where management led the way. While the frontiers of space were revealing their mysteries, Stauffer and Turner understood all endeavors – technical, manufacturing, marketing, retail, every type of business – needed state-of-the-art, ethics-driven management.

Time has validated the success of what these two young educators called “The Northwood Idea” – incorporating the lessons of the American free-enterprise society into the college classroom.

Dr. David E. Fry took the helm in 1982. Continuing with the same ideals as Drs. Stauffer and Turner, never wavering from the core values, the University grew and matured. Campuses were added in Florida and Texas; academic curricula expanded; Northwood went from being an “Institute” to an accredited “University,” the DeVos Graduate School of Management was created; the Adult Degree Program and the program centers expanded to over 20 locations in eight states; international program centers were formed in Bahrain, Malaysia, People’s Republic of China, Sri Lanka, and Switzerland; and significant construction like the Hach and Countess De Hoernle Student Life Centers added tremendous value to the Northwood experience. New endeavors such as the Sloan Family Building for Aftermarket Studies on the Michigan campus, the Swalwell Student Union on the Texas campus, and the opening of Northwood’s fourth residential campus in Montreux, Switzerland, speak to an enriched experience for all our students.

Our founders had a vision and they articulated it well – free-enterprise, global perspective, and ethical behavior. With over 33,000 graduates who have passed through our halls and a 50th anniversary upon us, we are pleased to report The Northwood Idea is alive and well with a bright future unfolding.

Academics

The Adult Degree Programs (ADP) academics are created with adult learners in mind. We have several degree programs that fit your lifestyle – You choose.

A Northwood education honors your commitments to family, community, employers, and employees. The courses you enroll in are taught by faculty who are academically prepared at the master’s level or better and are experienced business professionals. The coursework you take is delivered succinctly and cohesively.

Northwood University’s mission to develop the future leaders of a global, free-enterprise society resoundingly creates a learning environment that meshes with the global society in which we live and work. Through our Ethics and Outcomes, our programs drive you to discover the leader in you.

BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DEGREES OFFERED*

*Degrees vary by location.

COURSE DELIVERY OPTIONS

Classroom Courses: Day and Night classes and Weekend classes
Mini Sessions
Seminars
Online Coursework: Distance Education Program Center
Independent Study Coursework: Open-Book Comprehensive Exam
Projects
Transfer Credits
- Transfer a maximum of 144 quarter hour credits.
- Students must complete a minimum of 36 quarter hours in order to receive a degree from Northwood University.
Prior Learning Assessment

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Admissions

AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION

The Adult Degree Program is designed for you – the busy adult – to realize your educational and career goals. We understand you, and we have developed an admissions and enrollment process that puts you in the classroom when you’re ready.

Northwood University offers a quality bachelor of business administration education in various formats that accommodate the adult lifestyle. Learning formats include evening, weekend, and online courses at over 20 program centers throughout the United States. To motivate you further, we evaluate transfer credits and a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). The PLA allows you to utilize current and prior work experience to accelerate your degree path by earning college credit.

Locate a Program Center Near You

Once you have selected a program center and applied online, make an appointment to meet with the Program Center to receive:

an overview of the program requirements and benefits.
an estimate of your Prior Learning Assessment (if applicable).
tuition and financial aid information.
a personalized educational plan.
a projected date of graduation.

GET THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS STARTED

Request Transcripts

Request official transcript(s) from applicable institutions and have them mailed to the ADP/MBA Registrar at 4000 Whiting Drive, Midland, MI 48640 as soon as possible to have credits evaluated.
Students who have received an associate’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university will receive a credit evaluation that identifies equivalencies and electives acceptable for transfer.
Any courses completed after the associate’s degree was awarded will be transferable as long as a grade of “C” (2.0) or better has been earned and if applicable to the curriculum.
Students transferring without an associate’s degree will have their transcripts evaluated for equivalent Northwood credit. Students in this category will be permitted to transfer equivalent courses and electives with grades of “C” (2.0) or better.