Automotive Entrepreneurs and Leaders Certificate

Mission Statement

The W. P. Carey School of Business Certificate for Automotive Entrepreneurs and Leaders (CAEL) enriches the knowledge and skills acquired in the W. P. Carey School of Business by exposing students to the intricacies of an exciting industry. In the past 20 years, automotive dealerships have become increasingly more complex enterprises due to industry consolidation, advances in information technology and supply chain management issues. Dealers/owners, along with other automotive-related firm executives and managers, need the skills that students are acquiring at the W. P. Carey School to effectively manage their operations.

Please click the above graphic for a video of CAEL students.

CAEL Program Description

Students in the CAEL program learn the workings of the industry from the inside through coursework focused on automotive issues and an internship or comparable experience. The in-depth content presented in classes and the hands-on enrichment of the internship builds on basic business knowledge such as finance, accounting, marketing, management, economics and computer information systems.

The Certificate for Automotive Entrepreneurs and Leaders is available to Business majors in the W. P. Carey School of Business, the Business Administration major at the Morrison School at the ASU Polytechnic campus, and the School of Global Management and Leadership at the ASU West campus.

Leadership Education for Automotive Dealerships Program (LEAD)

An alternative delivery method of the CAEL program is available to business and economics majors at other universities and those candidates who already have a Bachelor's degree in Business or Economics. This special program has a focus specifically on automotive dealership management. The LEAD program is offered as a cohort class that consists of two weeks of intensive classes at ASU and a summer internship at an automotive dealership or alternate project. The first week is Winter Session, January 3-9, when students will take a three credit hour dealership management class or three one credit hour classes in human resources, accounting and finance, and customer service and loyalty, as they apply to an automotive dealership. The internship (or alternate project with the approval of the CAEL program director) will take place during the summer. Students will enroll in a three credit hour internship class and will be required to submit weekly journal entries of the dealership experience, along with the completion of a process study. All coursework for the internship will be handled via e-mail. The second week of intensive coursework at ASU will be January 3-9 following the summer internship. An additional six hours of classes that are taken at the student's home university, or are part of a completed business or economics degree program (must be approved by the CAEL program director) complete the 15 hours of coursework required for the certificate. For further information on the LEAD program, please go to the Ford website at www.dd.ford.com.

Post-graduate opportunities that are unique to the CAEL and LEAD programs are available to qualified women and minority applicants at Ford Motor Company in the Automotive Dealership Education Program for Minorities (ADEPM). The ADEPM program is offered through Ford Minority Dealer Operations. More information on the ADEPM program can be found on the Ford Dealer Development website at www.dd.ford.com.

Admission to the CAEL and LEAD programs is competitive and based on application materials.

Application
Download the application

Coursework
Download Coursework

CAEL Internships & Syllabus
Download Internships & Syllabus

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Gail Christian, Assistant Director
BA 109, W. P. Carey School of Business, Undergraduate
Phone: 480.965.9640
Fax: 480.965.3846

E-Mail: Gail Christian