Preparing future business leaders
Gilbert College of Business at Manchester University is named after Arthur L. Gilbert, professor emeritus of accounting, focuses on academic, personal, and professional growth to prepare students to become the next generation of business leaders.
Students find rich opportunities in Manchester’s diverse programs, including Accounting, Business Management, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Marketing, Professional Sales and Sport Management. The College’s renowned Accounting program is recognized as a leading program in the Midwest. As a result of the comprehensive preparation that students receive and their performance on the CPA exam, top accounting firms return to Manchester annually to recruit interns and new graduates.
Manchester’s small class sizes offer students intimate faculty access to support student development and success. The rigorous curriculum offered in each program challenges students to think critically and develop key leadership skills. Business students at Manchester are also required to complete at least one internship to gain real-world experience and establish career connections with businesses and other potential employers.
Career Preparation
Manchester University’s Arthur L. Gilbert College of Business programs prepare students for a wide variety of business careers, and students acquire the knowledge, experience, skills, and global perspective needed to be well prepared for the competitive job market.
Manchester is widely recognized for its Accounting program, which has been one of the best in the Midwest for decades. Because of the program’s reputation for excellence, some of the most respected accounting firms in the United States recruit here, tapping Manchester students for internships and full-time employment. Upon graduating, most accounting students from Manchester begin their careers in the field of public accounting.
In addition, the Gilbert College of Business provides outstanding opportunities in finance, business management, marketing, sport management, entrepreneurship, and professional sales. Recent Manchester graduates have found success as marketing coordinators, human resource generalists, product managers, commercial credit analysts, marketing research assistants, inventory managers, and inside sales representatives – to name a few. In addition, a number of business graduates have become attorneys, joining some of the largest and most prestigious law firms in Indiana.
We’re especially excited about the opportunities that will be available for graduates of our innovative professional sales program. As a major or minor, expertise in sales is a valuable business skill, regardless of your chosen career. Sales touches every organization – large and small, for-profit and not-for-profit – and demand for sales professionals is strong and is expected to grow.
In the Gilbert College of Business at Manchester University, the academic programs are rigorous and the expectations are high. In turn, upon completing the program, graduates are equipped to compete as they enter the work force.
The Lockie and Augustus Chinworth Center
The Arthur L. Gilbert College of Business makes its home in the Lockie and Augustus Chinworth Center, occupying the entire second floor since the center’s opening in the fall of 2019. With more than 14,000 square feet, the College of Business houses innovative and flexible classroom spaces, designed for hands-on, collaborative learning; faculty offices in close proximity for one-on-one advising and easy access to professors; and comfortable spaces for studying and relaxing.
About Herb Chinworth
Alumnus Herb Chinworth, whose generosity made possible the naming of the Lockie and Augustus Chinworth Center to honor his parents, credited them for teaching him the importance of hard work, perseverance and taking care of each other.
Chinworth studied at Manchester from 1938 to 1940. Though he completed his chemical engineering studies at Purdue University, he and his wife, Arlene, continued to support Manchester in many ways through the years. He never forgot the education he received here and the professors who encouraged and mentored him.
He enjoyed a long and successful career with The Dow Chemical Co. in Michigan.
About Art Gilbert
The Arthur L. Gilbert College of Business is named for Art Gilbert, professor of accounting who served on Manchester’s faculty from 1958 to 1998.
“Art led the growth of accounting at MU and, with his colleagues, made it one of the most respected accounting programs in the Midwest. That reputation was a point of pride for all of us, whether or not we majored in accounting,” said MU President Dave McFadden upon the University’s naming of the College.
“The Arthur L. Gilbert College of Business will pay tribute to his excellent teaching and the immeasurable impact he had on the University and the students who walked through his classroom door,” McFadden added.
Gilbert, a 1953 alumnus of Manchester, died in 2019 at the age of 87.
Fostering Economic Growth
DepaRTMENT Life
College of Business Club
The College of Business Club (CBC) is designed to provide members with opportunities to develop leadership experiences; to provide exposure to business professions through presentations from guest speakers, both inside and outside the classroom; to provide a social organization for students to develop relationships with their peers as well as with prospective business partners and employers; and to relate what is learned in the classroom to the business world.
Students are eligible to join CBC immediately upon entering Manchester University, and the Club provides numerous opportunities for students to get involved. A number of committees exist within the Club that provide interested students with many leadership opportunities.
Department Goals and Acheivements
Mission & Values
Building on the Mission and Vision of Manchester University, the Arthur L. Gilbert College of Business creates a learning environment in which students may acquire and develop the knowledge, experience, skills, and global perspective needed to succeed in their chosen fields of business and in graduate school. The College’s learning environment is built on the following values:
- Integrity—developing a strong ethical foundation for making difficult decisions in a complex business environment
- Respect—fostering a culture of collaboration, inclusion, and stewardship
- Excellence—striving to create an atmosphere in which the performance of students surpasses even their own expectations
CPA Exam Success
If an accountant has the letters “CPA” following her or his name, that sends a strong message to the rest of the business world about the high-quality of work that individual is capable of providing, and the most critical step required to earn this important certification is to pass the rigorous four-part CPA exam administered by the state. Today, Manchester students who follow the protocol established by the College of Business continue the storied success of their predecessors by far exceeding the national average in the number of parts of the exam that they pass on the first attempt.
CPA Exam Success Comparison
Percentage of CPA exam sections passed on first attempt; national v. Manchester University Performance:
| National 2011-2019* | Manchester 2011-2021** |
| 55% | 76% |
Sources:
*NASBA Uniform CPA Examination Candidate Performance [by year]
**Students who follow Manchester’s protocol: elective courses or master’s courses, review course, sit for all four parts within one year of graduating.
Meet the Faculty
Jenny Simmers
Howard and Myra Brembeck Professor of Business and Professor of Accounting
Joe Messer
Mark E. Johnston Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of Entrepreneurial Studies Program
