The Acton School of Business is a MBA program in entrepreneurship in Austin, Texas. Offering a full-time program, the school is based on experiential learning. Students analyze over 300 business case studies and participate in simulations, such as building real assembly lines and selling products door to door.
The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs through Hardin-Simmons University.
The Acton 10,000 sq ft (930 m2) campus is located on the shores of Lady Bird Lake.
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."
Curriculum
Using the socratic case method, exercises and business simulations, Acton offers a MBA in entrepreneurship 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 school ranks #1 on Princeton Review's 2014 list of "Most Competitive Students." It also ranks #4 on the list of "Best Administered". 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 prior to being admitted.
Acton's application includes personal essays, letters of recommendation, resume, video essay and class visit. Admissions interviews are scheduled by appointment only. International students who did not attend an English-speaking university submit an official TOEFL iBT score.
Tuition
The cost of tuition 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
- The Acton School of Business
- The Acton Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence
- "Back to the Drawing Board" Spring 2012 issue of Philanthropy magazine
- Acton School of Business - Princeton Review Profile
Citations
