It may be almost four months until the start of the new academic year, but 25 members of the incoming Class of 2012 had the opportunity to preview life as a Full-time UST MBA student on Saturday. Admitted students from the local area were joined by incoming students from as far afield as Texas and Massachusetts. International students from countries such as India and Venezuela who are currently living in the Twin Cities also participated in Admitted Student Day.
Dr. Christopher Puto, Dean of the Opus College of Business, addressed the incoming class at lunch, highlighting the importance of a rigorous MBA education in today’s competitive business world. He cited the Applied Business Research (ABR) course, in which teams of first-year students work with companies, non-profits, or internal University of St. Thomas clients, as a compelling advantage for students; no other MBA program in the U.S. has a required consulting project like ABR during the first year of MBA study. Dr. Puto also emphasized the benefits of XLINKS, one of the most sophisticated computerized business simulations available, during students’ final semester in the program.
A spring tradition at UST, this event gives incoming students the opportunity to learn about career services, financial aid, academic advising, and student activities. Expanded from a half-day to a full day this year, Admitted Student Day included a class led by Dr. Michael DeVaughn, who teaches the Full-time MBA Capstone course, as well as a Student Resource Fair. At the fair, incoming students spoke directly with current students about the wide variety of clubs and activities available in the Full-time UST MBA program.
Students also heard about the importance of networking—and they had the opportunity to hone those skills several times throughout the day, from an opening icebreaker to lunch with current students to an afternoon networking break. The busy Admitted Student Day schedule ended with a private reception at Brit’s Pub, where spouses and significant others joined our students.
The Full-time UST MBA admissions team is grateful to the many current students, faculty, and staff who volunteered their time on Saturday, and we definitely enjoyed the enthusiasm of the incoming class. Based on our experiences at Admitted Student Day, we’re looking forward to an outstanding first-year class this fall!
