Detailed Information
Programs of Study
The Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas (UST) offers a Full-time UST M.B.A. (twenty-one months), an Evening UST M.B.A. for working professionals, a weekend Executive UST M.B.A., a Health Care UST M.B.A. for physicians and health-care professionals, a Master of Business Communication, an Master of Science degree in accountancy for CPA seekers, and an Master of Science degree in real estate. The goal of the College of Business is to be recognized nationally and internationally for its overall excellence in educating highly principled global business leaders. Faculty members are leading scholars in their fields who also understand the value of practical experience. This recognized combination of theory and practice gives students the relevance necessary for rapid advancement in their careers.
The Full-time UST M.B.A. offers a traditional business core curriculum augmented by unique learning laboratories that prepare students with advanced analytical, communications, and problem-solving skills. Special attention is given to understanding the process of ethical decision making in today’s complicated global environment. Elective options cover a variety of career tracks, and students have access to extensive career counseling and a network of successful alumni.
The Evening UST M.B.A. offers flexible class schedules to accommodate working professionals. Classes meet one night per week, with selected courses available on Saturdays. A similar variety of elective tracks enables students to tailor the program to support their career interests. The typical time to complete the degree is approximately four years. Industrious part-time students can finish in three years.
The weekend Executive UST M.B.A. is designed for leaders and managers who have the flexibility to attend class on a Friday and Saturday one weekend per month. The program is an accelerated M.B.A. with a curriculum that emphasizes strategic and conceptual managerial competencies across industries, organizations, and functions.
The Health Care UST M.B.A. offers course delivery through a combination of distance technology and intensive residencies to accommodate working health-care professionals from throughout the continental United States and Canada.
The Master of Business Communication is a part-time evening program designed for communicators who want to expand their communication expertise while building core business knowledge. The program includes specialties such as public relations, advertising, and marketing communication.
The Master of Science degree in accountancy program is designed for students with an undergraduate accounting major and prepares them for a fast track in the accounting profession while meeting the 150-hour education requirement.
The Master of Science degree in real estate program provides the opportunity for real estate professionals to enhance their business and real estate acumen to advance in the field of commercial real estate.
All programs feature smaller class sizes designed to enable each student to have regular interactions with members of the highly talented faculty. The Full-time UST M.B.A., the Executive UST M.B.A., and the Health Care UST M.B.A. are all cohort-based programs. Cocurricular activities include an investment management course in which students actively manage $2 million and a venture capital fund that invests in technology-based start-up businesses. Other activities include clubs and organizations such as the Accounting and Finance Club; Marketing, Consulting, and New Venture Clubs; and the UST MBA Student Association.
Research Facilities
The majority of graduate programs at the UST Opus College of Business take place at its downtown Minneapolis campus. This state-of-the-art facility offers comprehensive services and a dynamic educational environment. An 86,000-square-foot technology-laden School of Entrepreneurship opened in fall 2005. The College of Business also conducts classes and programs in St. Paul on the beautiful 78-acre original campus. In addition, graduate courses also take place in the surrounding Minnesota communities of Eagan, Maple Grove, Owatonna, Rochester, and Bloomington. Students have access to state-of-the-art computing facilities and leading-edge software. Comprehensive library resources, with more than 300,000 volumes, are located on both the Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses. All students in the Full-time UST M.B.A. participate in an applied business research course designed to give them extensive practical experience in collecting relevant information for business decisions.
Financial Aid
Financial aid is available through a variety of private, institutional, and federal programs on both a need and merit basis. For information on these programs, students should contact Student Financial Services at 651-962-6550. In addition, many employers pay or subsidize their employees’ tuition expenses.
Cost of Study
Tuition for 2009–10 is between $749 and $1399 per credit hour, depending on the program. Expenses for course materials vary by program and course. Nondegree professional development courses are also available for both companies and individuals through the UST Center for Business Excellence.
Living and Housing Costs
Most graduate students live off campus. Both Minneapolis and St. Paul offer a variety of reasonably priced housing options. Students who elect to live in St. Paul can take advantage of a free shuttle service that runs throughout the day between the campuses. A number of services and publications in the Twin Cities area provide off-campus residential listings. The Student Life Office in the Full-time UST M.B.A. program maintains a roommate referral listing service.
Student Group
Students in the part-time graduate business programs include a variety of working professionals, and students in the Full-time UST M.B.A. include individuals who have left the workforce to pursue full-time study. The student body has broad ethnic diversity and maintains close connections with the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) and the National Society for Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA).
Location
The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are among the country’s most vibrant cultural centers. The business community features a number of Fortune 500 corporations. The Twin Cities are also home to two world-class symphonies and internationally acclaimed theaters and art museums. In addition, Minneapolis features many professional sports teams and provides a wide range of opportunities for recreational athletes. The Mall of America in Bloomington is within minutes of the St. Paul and Minneapolis campuses.
The University
The University of St. Thomas is a comprehensive, coeducational, Catholic university. Founded in 1885, St. Thomas is now the largest private university in Minnesota. It is dedicated to providing career-oriented, value-centered education in a dynamic, stimulating environment. St. Thomas does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or disability in its programs and activities.
Applying
Admission requirements vary by degree program, especially with regard to previous work or managerial experience; however, most programs require official scores from the GMAT, transcripts from all undergraduate institutions attended, and TOEFL scores for those students whose native language is not English and who did not graduate from a North American undergraduate institution. Personal interviews are required for certain programs.
Students can apply online at the Web site (http://www.stthomas.edu/business) or through the traditional application forms available on the Internet or from the program office. Applications are considered on a rolling basis for most programs. The Full-time UST M.B.A. offers fall admission only, but applications are considered in five rounds, beginning in November. The other programs offer fall and spring admission. For specific information and application materials, students should contact the Opus College of Business.
The Faculty
- The St. Thomas full-time and adjunct faculty members, many of whom are leaders in their industries, bring a wealth of business and academic experience to the classroom. This unique mixture of expertise results in leading-edge curricula and the real-world applied approach that makes a University of St. Thomas degree so valued in the business community. Students benefit from this expertise through the accessibility resulting from small class sizes and the advisory or mentoring roles assumed by many faculty members.
- Deans and Directors of the Master’s Programs
- Christopher P. Puto, Dean.
- William Raffield, Senior Associate Dean.
- Bill Woodson, Assistant Dean, UST M.B.A. Programs.
- Dustin Cornwell, Director of Full-time UST M.B.A. Admissions.
- Corey Eakins, Director of Evening UST M.B.A. Admissions
- Nick Lauer, Director of the Executive UST M.B.A.
- John Militello, Director of the Health Care UST M.B.A.
- Mike Porter, Director of the Master of Business Communication.
- Tom Musil, Director of the Master of Science degree in real estate.
- Kristine Sharockman, Director of the Master of Science degree in accountancy.
Correspondence and Information
University of St. Thomas
Opus College of Business
TMH 100
1000 LaSalle Avenue
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403-2025
Telephone:
651-962-4200
800-328-6819 Ext. 2-4200 (toll-free)
Email:
cob@stthomas.edu
