Acton School of Business
The Acton School of Business is a school for entrepreneurship, located in Austin, Texas. Offering a full-time program, the school is based on experiential learning. Students analyze business case studies and participate in simulations, such as building real assembly lines and selling products door to door.
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Motto in English | Acton's mission is to prepare talented and dedicated students for extraordinary lives as principled entrepreneurs. |
|---|---|
| Type | Private |
| Established | 2002 |
| Director | Garrett Weber-Gale |
| Location | , , United States |
| Campus | Urban, 2.5 acres (10,000 m2) |
| Website | www |
Acton originally offered a MBA program, which was replaced by its own Next Great Adventure (NGA) program. The school was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs through Hardin-Simmons University. It is currently unaccredited.[1]
History
Acton grew out of the curriculum developed by the Acton Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence (AFEE). Founded by Jeff Sandefer, an entrepreneur and teacher at the University of Texas, AFEE was created to publish entrepreneurship cases and notes and spread entrepreneurship curriculum to schools across the United States. While at UT, Sandefer was ranked one of the top ten entrepreneurship professors in the country by BusinessWeek. In 2002, Sandefer and fellow teachers Phil Siegel, Vaughn Brock and Jack Long left the University of Texas over a dispute about the future of the program. After their final class attracted 130 students, they decided to use the curriculum to launch a free-standing business school and founded the Acton School of Business. Acton graduated its first class in 2004. The school derives its name from Lord Acton, a 19th-century scholar and originator of the famous quote "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."[2]
In October, 2018, due to a loss of funding, Hardin-Simmons University, ended a number of programs. This included closure of its Acton MBA Program campus extension, ending Acton's accreditation.[3] Acton is currently unaccredited, and offers its own Next Great Adventure (NGA) program to replace its MBA degree.[1]
Campus
The Acton 10,000 sq ft (930 m2) campus is located on the shores of Lady Bird Lake, in Austin, Texas.
Curriculum
Using case reviews, Socratic discussions , exercises and business simulations,[2] Acton offers its NGA entrepreneurship program in under a year. Unlike traditional MBA programs, Acton offers only a core curriculum with no additional elective courses. The program's curriculum is divided into three sections, Integrative Courses, Tools Courses and Life of Meaning.
Admissions
The average undergraduate GPA of an admitted student is 3.3, the average age is 30 (median is 29), and the average GMAT score is 637. Most students have about four to six years of work experience on enrollment.
Tuition
The cost of tuition (totaling $65,000 in 2019) includes all fees and course materials. Not included in tuition costs are housing, utilities, food, personal insurance, or computers. While Acton students are not eligible for Federal Financial Aid, many students choose to secure student loans through private lending institutions.
External links
References
- "Frequently Asked Questions". Acton School of Business. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- Noer, Michael (Oct 9, 2013). "Startup School: An MBA Designed For Entrepreneurs, Not I-Bankers". Forbes. Retrieved 10 Apr 2020.
- Chipp, Timothy (October 15, 2018). "Hardin-Simmons University president announces layoffs, program closures in Monday email". Abilene Reporter News. Abilene Reporter News. Retrieved 10 Apr 2020.