The Evening UST MBA program offered by the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business is among the best in the country, according to the annual Bloomberg Businessweek Best Business Schools 2015 list. Two Minnesota schools made the list, Opus College of Business at #57 and University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management at #59.
Criteria for Bloomberg Businessweek’s ranking were revised this year. For the first time, MBA graduates from 177 business schools were surveyed for more insight into what they can expect in their future careers. The survey gathered feedback from students who have graduated within the last year and from alumni who have graduated at least five years prior. Part-time MBA rankings are composed of 50 percent student survey scores and 50 percent alumni survey scores.
“This ranking is so meaningful because it speaks to the career value of our part-time MBA program – from the perspective of our students and alumni,” said Stefanie Lenway, Ph.D., dean of the Opus College of Business and Opus Distinguished Chair at the University of St. Thomas.
“We know that our graduates advance in their careers, enjoy well-paying jobs and become leaders in their communities,” Lenway added, “but this report also shows that our exceptional faculty and staff respond to students’ need for an individualized MBA experience.”
The part-time MBA program at the Opus College of Business draws the largest student enrollment of any graduate business program at the college. According to Corey Eakins ’09 M.B.A., director of the Evening UST MBA Program, part-time MBA students face unique work/life challenges that require added support and flexibility.
“The college excels at supporting part-time MBA students, who are incredibly busy with work and family,” Eakins said. “We focus on providing a quality student experience that’s not only flexible, but bankable – because we teach real-world skills that employers are seeking. That’s our strength as a business school.”
This year’s results are based on the broadest and deepest set of data in the history of the ranking. It also reflects a new emphasis on graduates’ insights. Students were surveyed after graduation to learn their expectations for future careers and to help assess how effectively the business schools catalyzed education into good jobs for its graduates.
Student survey questions focused on the student experience, including campus climate, effectiveness of career services, and responsiveness of faculty and administrators. Alumni were questioned about their rate of compensation following graduation and job satisfaction, as well as the impact of the business school on their career paths and opportunities.
Through its Find Your Answer initiative, the Opus College of Business also fosters diverse perspectives and divergent views while focusing on practical approaches to management. It poses provocative questions via banner advertising and asks that prospective students, current students, business leaders and others join the conversation and share their views at www.stthomas.edu/business/find-your-answer/.
Find more on Bloomberg Businessweek’s Best Business Schools 2015 and complete rankings here.
