There’s a school in Michigan called Northwood University that offers classes in various areas of the automotive industry. It has an Automotive & Mobility MBA program, an auto marketing and management program, and an aftermarket management program. As of Fall 2025, the school will also have a Motorsports Essentials workshop series. Next year, it’s adding a course called Fundamentals of Motorsports (management, not driving).
I hadn’t heard of Northwood until this press release about the school’s programming came across my desk this week. But there are something like 6,000 colleges in America, and my high school guidance counselors never really discussed any institutions outside New England when I was looking into higher ed myself.
For those of you course-shopping now, if you’re into cars, this might be something worth putting on your radar. The auto biz and aftermarket management classes have been established, but the new motorsports programming starts this fall (just about a month from now, actually).
The school posted that “students will complete a combination of Northwood courses and experiential learning opportunities at motorsports industry events, in addition to the motorsports workshop series,” going through a Motorsports Essentials workshop program. And, you get a little badge on your degree, I guess. Next year, the school’s going to have its Fundamentals of Motorsports class for new and current students.
The first workshop will be held on October 18th, 2025, at the Northwood University Idea Center. “Hear from a mix of Northwood faculty and guest lecturers from the motorsports and sports management industries, including executives, media personalities, engineers, and team principals,” the school’s catalog states.
A Mr. Steve Madincea, Northwood alumnus that the school credits with “creating innovative commercial activities in Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar, and IMSA,” will lead the motorsports-focused programming, wrangle guest speakers, and so on.
“The motorsports workshop series and motorsports fundamentals course will be taught by a mix of Northwood faculty and guest lecturers from the motorsports and sports management industries, including executives, media personalities, engineers, and team principals. Its experiential learning model ensures graduates will leave with comprehensive academic knowledge and highly valued real-world experience from high-profile global motorsports enterprises and events,” says Northwood’s release.
I can’t say if the value of this curriculum will equal the cost (Northwood approximates its cost of attendance at $49,600), but I dig the idea of being able to study the inner workings and business complexities of motorsports. All I’ve ever heard about the economics of car racing is that “if you want to make a small fortune in motorsport, start with a big one,” so, here’s hoping the people who go through these classes will be able to do a little better.
Got a story tip? Or know about any other automotive classes that sound interesting? Drop me a line at andrew.collins@thedrive.com.
Automotive journalist since 2013, Andrew primarily coordinates features, sponsored content, and multi-departmental initiatives at The Drive.
