ACBSP Accreditation

The School of Business at Grove City College is comprised of the Departments of Accounting and Finance, Economics, Entrepreneurship, and Management and Marketing. Grove City offers the following programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), a premier accrediting agency in business-related academics:

Accounting
Business Analysis
Business Economics
Business Statistics
Entrepreneurship
Finance
International Business
Management
Marketing

"ACBSP's accreditation process follows the Baldrige model. The accreditation focuses on recognizing teaching excellence, determining student learning outcomes, and a continuous improvement model. ACBSP’s student-centered teaching and learning approach, which is measured and analyzed for quality, ensures that students gain the right skills from their educational investment. Institutions with programs accredited by ACBSP are committed to continuous improvement that ensures their business program will give students the skills employers want." – ACBSP.org

Grove City College has been recognized by ACBSP for its excellence in teaching business topics and for reaching the accrediting agency’s challenging standards in:

Leadership
Strategic planning
Focus on students and other stakeholders
Levels of student learning and performance
Credentials and performance of faculty
Quality and management of curricula and educational processes

Enrollment, Graduation, & Performance Information

The School of Business tracks a number of key data points to ensure that we are accomplishing our objectives. View key metrics related to enrollment, career outcomes, and performance on national tests – including performance on the Certified Public Accounting (CPA) licensure exam.

Vision

To be one of America’s most distinctive and comprehensive business schools where proficiency, purpose, and application combine with Christian principles.

Mission

The mission of the School of Business at Grove City College is to equip students to pursue their unique calling to business, preparing them to be effective and ethical leaders in business and society as a whole.

Learning Outcomes – School of Business

Learning outcomes describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation. These relate to the knowledge, skills, and behaviors that students acquire as they progress through the program.

Business Knowledge & Analytical Skills: Our students will possess the knowledge and analytical skills necessary in their professional field.
Communication Skills: Our students will demonstrate the written and verbal skills needed to communicate effectively within the business environment.
Ethics: Our students will develop an understanding of business which reflects its moral and ethical responsibilities to all potential stakeholders.
Global Perspective: Our students will demonstrate an understanding of the global and multicultural issues in the current business environment.

Learning Outcomes - Major Specific

The School of Business and thus its accreditation are centered on successfully accomplishing our mission and achieving the learning outcomes for the School of Business as well as the learning outcomes listed for each major.

Department of Accounting and Finance
Department of Entrepreneurship
Department of Management and Marketing

Department of Accounting & Finance

Accounting Knowledge & Skills

Finance Knowledge & Skills

Our students will demonstrate knowledge and skills that meet or exceed requirements to compete for entry-level positions in corporate finance and the financial services industry. This includes knowledge of finance principles, investments, and advanced topics in corporate finance.

Accounting & Finance Knowledge & Skills (double major)

Our students will demonstrate the ability to prepare and analyze financial information used in managerial decision-making and external reporting types of businesses and nonprofit organizations. Our students will demonstrate an understanding of accounting systems and their related internal controls and will demonstrate the ability to audit financial statements that are generated from these accounting systems. Our students will demonstrate the ability to apply federal tax law in the preparation of individual returns. Our students will demonstrate knowledge and skills that meet or exceed requirements to compete for entry-level positions in corporate finance and the financial services industry. This includes knowledge of finance principles, investments, and advanced topics in corporate finance.

Department of Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship Knowledge & Skills

Our students will demonstrate entry-level knowledge and skills necessary to successfully plan, launch, and operate start-up commercial and social enterprises and to develop new business models in corporate contexts. Students will acquire experience and competencies in ideation, lean start-up methodologies, competitive research, blended-value business modeling, digital technologies, and business planning and in the financial, legal, ethical, and redemptive dimensions of entrepreneurship.

Department of Management & Marketing

Management Knowledge & Skills

Our students will demonstrate entry-level knowledge and skills necessary to manage people and work processes. This includes knowledge of best practices in management and leadership generally and in human resources specifically, the human resource regulatory environment, leadership styles and practices, and current research on the antecedents and consequences of individual and group behavior in organizational contexts. This also includes demonstrating skill in teamwork and in the application of knowledge to realistic organizational problems and challenges.

Marketing Knowledge & Skills

Based on a solid understanding of customer motivations and competitor positioning, our students will demonstrate the entry-level marketing knowledge and skills necessary to successfully market products and services in a global business environment. These skills will encompass the identification of target audiences, establishment of a marketing strategy, and development of supporting tactical plans. Students will also gain knowledge in specific marketing competencies such as marketing research, new product development, advertising, digital marketing, sales, and retailing that will serve as the building blocks for their marketing skill set.

International Business Knowledge & Skills

Our students will demonstrate an understanding of the major functional areas of business and specialized knowledge in a chosen area of business (marketing, management, economics, finance, accounting, or entrepreneurship), an understanding of international business concepts and trends, and a second-language proficiency by completing an emphasis in Chinese, French, or Spanish.