Mission and Background

Our Mission and Vision

To prepare students for lives of significance and service through high quality professional and baccalaureate business and nonprofit management education.

This mission statement is based on the North Park University mission statement: The mission of North Park, as an intentionally Christian university of the Evangelical Covenant Church, is to prepare students for lives of significance and service through liberal arts, professional, and theological education.

The vision of North Park, building on our core institutional identity—Christian, urban, multicultural – is to fashion a university of uncommon character and enduring excellence where faith, learning, and service meet.

Our Philosophy

With a rich, centuries-old tradition, the resources of a world class city, and a commitment to education that spans both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, North Park University's School of Business and Nonprofit Management is uniquely positioned to provide students and professionals with management education that prepares them for lives and careers of significance and service.

Students at North Park can expect their education to be:

Personalized: We provide service and learning environments that are very personal. The average class size is 20. Faculty will know you by name. Your academic advisor is just a phone call, short walk, or e-mail away.

High Quality: North Park has great teachers many of whom hold advanced degrees from prestigious universities. Our curriculum was recently updated to reflect the latest advances in business and nonprofit education. We work hard to integrate theory and practice. This vital connection between the classroom and business environment allows you to make connections with skills you will need as you move through your career. Within the classroom, SBNM faculty are skilled teachers and mentors and employ a variety of instructional styles, including discussion, small group exercises, lecture, and team-based exercises. Many courses utilize the "case-method," which fosters group interaction and teaches the necessity of teamwork when solving complex management problems.

Ethically-focused: The SBNM integrates ethics and ethical models for decision making across the curriculum. A hallmark of our business and nonprofit programs since its inception is the examination of ethics within the workplace. A SBNM education will help you bring ethical perspectives into your future management practice and provide you with a framework for resolving ethical dilemmas.

International: Our student population comes from many different countries. The class discussions are rich with comparative materials from around the globe. For undergraduate students, we have overseas study programs in several different countries. For graduate students, we offer an international travel experience each year and elective courses in international business.  

Our Church Relationship

North Park University is owned and operated by the Evangelical Covenant Church—a protestant denomination of more than six hundred churches in the United States and Canada. The denomination was founded by Swedish immigrants in 1885 as a voluntary covenant of churches committed to working together in a shared mission to the world.

Students at North Park University are not required to sign a statement of faith—or adhere to any particular beliefs. North Park welcomes students of any faith background. North Park full-time professors are committed Christians from diverse faith traditions. Adjunct professors are subject experts who are attuned to the mission of North Park University and the School of Business and Nonprofit Management.

North Park classrooms provide a safe forum for discussion of ethics and faith--where students are able to explore, discuss, and decide upon issues that are important to our society. We focus on the important. We welcome students of all faiths to our learning environment!

Our Accreditation

The School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and by the International Assembly of Collegiate Business Education.

Our History

Business education has been a central part of North Park from its founding in the late 1800s. In fact, the name of the school that became North Park was the Minneapolis Business School and Bible Institute. North Park moved to its current location in Chicago in 1894. By 1910 the business program was housed in a “School of Commerce”. Classes were offered in such subjects as bookkeeping and basic business practice. North Park was a junior college until 1960, when the first four-year degrees were awarded. The business program at that time was a Department within the Social Science Division of the College. Degrees in both business and economics were offered. An Accounting major was added in the 1970s. In 1991 an MBA was offered through the creation of the “Center for Management Education” (CME). In the mid-1990s a degree of Master of Management was developed along with a certificate program. In 2002 the School of Business and Nonprofit Management was formed with both the undergraduate and graduate programs combined. A full time director, now dean, was brought in to lead the unit at the same time. A concentration in nonprofit administration was added to the Master of Management degree in 2003. The undergraduate major was reorganized in 2003 to offer a single major (Business & Economics) with several concentrations. In 2004 the SBNM took over administration of the Advertising major, which had been located in the Communications Department. A concentration in human resources was added to the Master of Management degree in 2004 and a concentration in Higher Education Administration was added in 2006. In 2008, the graduate program curriculum was completely revised and the School now offers the following five degree programs: Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Management (MM), Master of Human Resource Management (MHRM), Master of Nonprofit Administration (MNA), and the Master of Higher Education Administration (MHEA). The School also offers 17 graduate certificate programs that are designed for non-degree seeking and degree-seeking students who wish to sharpen their skills and knowledge in a specific area.

Today, the School serves approximately 700 undergraduate and graduate students. Approximately half of our student population is made up of women, and approximately 10% is made up of international students, adding a rich texture of background and experience to our courses. The program is founded on Christian principles, and the integration of ethics into our curriculum is of utmost importance. The School of Business and Nonprofit Management has also partnered with North Park Theological Seminary and the School of Nursing graduate program to offer dual-masters degree programs for our students.