By Matthew Debord

Copyright jalopnik

Before you complain that this type of academic training is far too specific, consider that the auto industry is, well, not like other businesses. And by “not like,” I mean utterly and completely unique. The role of motorsports within it is just one more aspect of that utter and complete uniqueness. It will certainly benefit, say, companies involved with IndyCar racing if new graduates can come to roles with some rudimentary understanding of how the business works.

When I was first exposed to the auto industry’s business side in the early 2000s, it took me several years just to figure out product cycles and how dealerships were structured in relation to the big carmakers. When the financial crisis hit and the entire industry was upended, it would have been nice if as a journalist I had possessed better technical knowledge of how credit fuels the business. There is no Khan Academy for this stuff, so if I were an aspiring automotive scrivener today, I’d perhaps take a look at Northwood’s offerings. But I would also note that Northwood is extremely dedicated to free enterprise, going so far as to embed the concept in its overall identity and pitch to students, and the school has a conservative/libertarian bent.