March 15 was a big day at The Opus College of Business. The Full-time UST MBA program vaulted from being previously unranked to being ranked among the top 25 percent of the nation’s accredited business schools, as published by U.S. News & World Report.
This was the first opportunity for the Opus College of Business to be ranked by U.S. News because the news outlet only considers schools that hold accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International. UST’s Opus College of Business gained that accreditation in December 2010.
“We always believed we had an outstanding business school but there wasn’t a good way to demonstrate that,” commented Dr. Christopher Puto, dean and holder of the Opus Distinguished Chair in Marketing. “To move from being unranked to the top 25 percent is a wonderful affirmation. This initial ranking recognizes the efforts of our faculty, staff, students and benefactors. I could not be more grateful or proud of what they have accomplished.”
In its first year of eligibility, the Opus College of Business’ full-time MBA program was ranked 104th among the 441 U.S.-based, AACSB accredited programs able to take part in the survey. U.S. News only published its top 102 ranked programs but listed St. Thomas as having a “rank not published” in its report and corresponded directly with the school about its rank. MBA programs belonging to Stanford and Harvard tied for first in the country and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business notched third place.
So what does this mean for the UST MBA programs? It means we’re on the rise. Our cutting-edge curriculum, exceptional faculty, and gifted student body are propelling this program into the spotlight. It means the world is beginning to recognize what we’ve known all along; the UST MBA programs bring in the best and brightest and develop them into even better leaders and scholars, people capable of changing society in significant ways. We’re excited to continue on this path of excellence!
