Northwood University in USA is a specialised business institution with three residential campuses in West Palm Beach – Florida, Midland – Michigan and Cedar Hill – Texas. Furthermore, the University has five international programme locations including two cities in China, Malaysia, Switzerland and ANC in Sri Lanka.
“Its a unique school because we have a very strong mission of developing the future leaders of free enterprise while focusing on the entrepreneurial spirit,” said Mamiko Reeves, Dean of International Programmes at Northwood University. “So 35 percent of the students that graduate from Northwood start their own business within 10 years of graduation. As a result we have a lot of alumni who have their own business.”
The University has 17 different majors that include some pioneering and unique learning fields such as Automotive Marketing and Management, Sports and Entertainment Management and Supply Chain Management. As part of the curriculum all students are required to do an internship related to their majors while the University also offers a Masters of Business Administration, tailored to be concluded in one year.
The admission requirements for international students include submitting an online application, TOEFL or IESLT scores if English is not the official language, academic records and other documents such as financial statements (about USD 30,000 per year). For MBA applicants, an interview via Skype is also required. Mamiko Reeves said, “We look into not only their academic background but also if they demonstrate strong skills in speaking and debating. All Sri Lankan student applications can be processed through ANC-Uni Direct for prospective students convenience, also free visa and documentation guidance is provided to ensure student placement success.”
Upon admission, the students can choose to live in the dormitories or off campus. Part time job opportunities are also available and international students can work for up to 20 hours on campus under CEVAS regulations. Each of the campuses have various activities such as clubs, sports. “And for international students we have also created a job shadow experience as well,” affirmed Mamiko Reeves.
She further related, “We have two types of scholarships. For a freshman coming in for four years, depending on their SAT and ACT scores, academic records and activities, they would be able to receive anywhere from couple of thousand to USD 8000 per year. Transfer students who come in with a GPA of 2.7 or above can get USD 2,000 for the year or two of their studies.” The student faculty ratio is 1:25 and all faculty members are academically as well as professionally qualified.
When graduating from Northwood, students receive two transcripts, one for the academic performance and the other for their extracurricular activities including professional activities. “Our students go out to the world and make a difference. Every time I hear success stories of the students, I get really excited,” concluded Reeves.
