This Is the Black School of Business
In the Black School of Business at Penn State Behrend, we empower students to adapt well to change, make informed decisions, solve problems effectively, and seek out opportunities to improve business performance in a sustainable, ethical, and socially responsible manner.
As the only school in the region accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) since 2003, a foremost standard of accreditation earned by fewer than 6 percent of business schools worldwide, we:
- Offer high-quality, relevant, and innovative undergraduate and graduate business programs through both residential and online instruction.
- Support faculty thought leaders who produce knowledge that matters to business and society.
- Develop future global business leaders through principled instruction built on a strong ethical and socially responsible foundation.
- Assist organizations in developing solutions to their business challenges.
- Provide a supportive student-centered learning environment with the opportunities of a major business school in an internationally known University.
- The Black School of Business supports over ten active and vibrant student clubs and several interactive events throughout the year.
Our vision is to support student success through:
- Learning by Doing – Consistent with Penn State Behrend’s Open Lab model of learning and discovery, the central focus of Learning by Doing is on giving students the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills through engagement and hands-on application of academic concepts to real-world situations. This concept goes beyond the mastery of content and encourages students to create their own paths to understanding and gaining knowledge through experiential learning.
- Innovating through Collaboration – This central value integrates academic preparation with the needs of industry and other stakeholders. The Innovating through Collaboration idea aligns with the college’s Open Lab concept, bringing students and faculty together with external partners to work on partner-identified projects. Predicated on the belief that we can achieve better and richer outcomes by working together, this concept encourages students to apply their classroom learning to address stakeholder needs and explore how cross-functional/cross-disciplinary thinking can be used to solve the challenges and enhance the competitiveness of businesses and organizations and to drive economic and community development.
- Advancing Knowledge – This idea is central to the Black School of Business’ identity as an academic institution. Through research and scholarship, we strive to advance knowledge of the theory, practice, and teaching of business administration beyond what is already known. Research advances knowledge when it is based on generally accepted research principles, validated by peers (typically pre-publication review), and disseminated to appropriate audiences. Knowledge is advanced when carefully conducted research and scholarship answer important questions, open new lines of inquiry, solve important problems, and lead to new ways of teaching and learning.
We carry out our mission, values, and vision through our strategic plan, Vision 2028 Strategic Plan. We invite you to visit the Black School of Business, where you’ll discover highly engaged faculty, student-centered curricular and co-curricular opportunities, and a comprehensive professional development program.
Dr. Ozgun C. Demirag
Director, Black School of Business
Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management