About Northwood University

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Our Mission

We develop free-enterprise leaders who drive global economic and social progress.

A smiling Northwood University Student on stage at graduation in her cap and gown waiting to cross the stage. Students can be seen behind her waiting in line

Our Vision

We inspire human potential through immersive learning to advance economic freedom, for everyone, everywhere.

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Our Values

We affirm the natural yearning in every human heart to be free. Our academic community welcomes individuals, their distinctive talents, and their potential to make a difference through a life well spent. We believe in:

The advantages of an entrepreneurial, free society
Individual freedom and personal responsibility
Leading from a foundation of ethics and integrity
Embracing the global and multicultural nature of enterprise
Celebrating individual uniqueness and diversity of perspectives in an inclusive community

Code of Ethics

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

Freedom

Exercise personal freedom and accountability that uplifts and respects individual freedom for all.

Respect

Treat all others with consideration for their circumstances and with thoughtful regard for their value as human beings.

Empathy

Show compassion for the feelings, thoughts, and conditions of others.

Spirituality

Seek the spiritual development necessary to create our happiness, inspiration, reverence, meaning, and purpose.

Honesty

Embrace truthfulness, fairness, and probity, and demand the absence of fraud or deceit in ourselves and others with whom we act.

Achievement

Demonstrate persistence, determination, and effort in order to achieve our goals and applaud the high achievement of others.

Integrity

Be guided by a code of behavior which reflects our values, unimpeded by circumstance, personal gain, public pressure, or private temptation.

Responsibility

Be accountable for the care and welfare of others and responsible for the intended and unintended consequences of our actions.

Outcomes and Attributes

Common Degree Outcomes

A university education encompasses learning through courses and co-curricular experiences which allow our graduates to achieve Common Degree Outcomes. Our learning community promotes the achievement of six outcomes which become competencies our graduates share.

Articulate and apply the principles and values of freedom and free-enterprise.
Communicate effectively in speech and writing.
Demonstrate critical thinking, analytical skills, and problem-solving proficiency.
Demonstrate foundational knowledge of the functional areas of business.
Demonstrate acumen applied to the global business environment.
Demonstrate effective leadership, teamwork, and interpersonal skills.

Attributes of our Graduates

At Northwood, we emphasize qualitative personal development. Through purposeful programming and course offerings we develop individuals who: can explain their personal values; appreciate the aesthetic, creative and spiritual elements of life; seek lifelong education; are effective self-evaluators and action-oriented.

These attributes encompass our holistic approach to developing the future leaders of a global free-enterprise society.

History of Northwood

In 1959, Dr. Arthur E. Turner and Dr. R. Gary Stauffer founded Northwood Institute in Michigan, with a vision of incorporating the principles of American free-enterprise society into higher education, and over the years, it evolved into Northwood University, continuing to uphold these core values and expanding its programs and international presence.

Northwood History

This image depicts a bronze statue on the Northwood University campus. The statue is of a young man reading an open book while on horseback. The young man is dressed in professional clothing and the horse has it's head down.

The Northwood Idea

Northwood University emphasizes education as an investment in the future, promoting competitive effort, freedom, diversity, and the arts while advocating for equal opportunity and skepticism of large government.

Northwood Idea