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Gain Practical Knowledge

Marketing Department

Learn to develop creative marketing strategies and build a strong customer base in the marketing department at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business.

Learn the Art and Science of Marketing And Business Communication

Our marketing department offers graduate study options and undergraduate concentrations in both Marketing and Business Communication. Our courses are designed to offer an optimal balance of theoretical teaching with hands-on learning to reinforce key concepts. Case studies, simulations, real-world clients, and group projects give you the valuable experience that employers have come to expect of our graduates.

Our faculty has decades of experience in the classroom, in academic research and in the professional world, and they're passionate about preparing students to thrive in their careers. Some of our courses are taught via the Prof + Prof method, a unique team-teaching approach that pairs a Ph.D. professor with an experienced business leader.

The St. Thomas marketing department has strong connections to the local business and nonprofit communities, which opens up networking and internship opportunities for our students. By staying in sync with the professional community, we ensure that our course content aligns with what's happening in the industry.

Learn more about our programs, resources, and faculty. Have questions? Please contact us.

Undergraduate Students: (651) 962-5544
Graduate Students: (651) 962-4200

Contact

Aaron Sackett

Department Chair
Aaron Sackett headshot
Phone Number
(651) 962-5146

Explore the Marketing Department

  • Our Faculty
  • Academic Programs and Research Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Career Services
  • Our Faculty

    Our world-class faculty represents a blend of research active and clinical/client-focused professors. Healthcare, ethics, innovation, green marketing, consumer experiences, virtual reality (VR), and the interplay between sales and marketing are just a few of the fascinating topics our research active professors are known for.

    Our research-based professors leverage their research expertise and findings into the classroom setting, while our clinical faculty draw from their experience working with clients in the current marketplace. This creates a comprehensive, complementary learning environment.

    Academic Programs and Research Opportunities

    Whether you're an undergraduate or graduate student, St. Thomas has programs and courses to develop your marketing knowledge and skills. From general marketing management to our specialized graduate offerings, St. Thomas has a program to meet your career goals.

    Marketing students have a unique opportunity to do hands-on research in our Behavioral Research Center as part of the Introduction to Marketing (MKTG 200) course. MKTG 200 students must complete 2 hours of research - roughly equivalent to 2 different studies.

    Explore Marketing Studies

    Undergraduate majors:

    Graduate programs:

    Digital Experience Certificate

    Internships

    An internship is a great way to refine the knowledge you've gained in class and put your new skills to work. Local organizations approach St. Thomas seeking marketing interns because they know the quality of our education and of our students. Over 90% of marketing students hold an internship while at St. Thomas. We can help you identify the internship opportunities that best align with your professional goals. Most undergraduate students in Marketing or Business Communication find internships through St. Thomas’s very active jobs and internship site, Handshake. To learn more about how to use Handshake as a student or as an employer, visit HANDSHAKE.

    Career Services

    The experts in the Career Development Center can help you find internships, develop job-hunting skills, and put you in touch with business leads—both alumni and the University of St. Thomas connections in the broader Twin Cities business scene. We can help you:

    • Clarify your strengths and how they relate to majors and career fields
    • Map out a career plan
    • Create your résumé and prepare for interviews including mock interviews
    • Look into job opportunities

    For more information on this, visit CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTER.

    Our Faculty

    Our world-class faculty represents a blend of research active and clinical/client-focused professors. Healthcare, ethics, innovation, green marketing, consumer experiences, virtual reality (VR), and the interplay between sales and marketing are just a few of the fascinating topics our research active professors are known for.

    Our research-based professors leverage their research expertise and findings into the classroom setting, while our clinical faculty draw from their experience working with clients in the current marketplace. This creates a comprehensive, complementary learning environment.

    Academic Programs and Research Opportunities

    Whether you're an undergraduate or graduate student, St. Thomas has programs and courses to develop your marketing knowledge and skills. From general marketing management to our specialized graduate offerings, St. Thomas has a program to meet your career goals.

    Marketing students have a unique opportunity to do hands-on research in our Behavioral Research Center as part of the Introduction to Marketing (MKTG 200) course. MKTG 200 students must complete 2 hours of research - roughly equivalent to 2 different studies.

    Explore Marketing Studies

    Undergraduate majors:

    Graduate programs:

    Digital Experience Certificate

    Internships

    An internship is a great way to refine the knowledge you've gained in class and put your new skills to work. Local organizations approach St. Thomas seeking marketing interns because they know the quality of our education and of our students. Over 90% of marketing students hold an internship while at St. Thomas. We can help you identify the internship opportunities that best align with your professional goals. Most undergraduate students in Marketing or Business Communication find internships through St. Thomas’s very active jobs and internship site, Handshake. To learn more about how to use Handshake as a student or as an employer, visit HANDSHAKE.

    Career Services

    The experts in the Career Development Center can help you find internships, develop job-hunting skills, and put you in touch with business leads—both alumni and the University of St. Thomas connections in the broader Twin Cities business scene. We can help you:

    • Clarify your strengths and how they relate to majors and career fields
    • Map out a career plan
    • Create your résumé and prepare for interviews including mock interviews
    • Look into job opportunities

    For more information on this, visit CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTER.

    Featured Faculty

    Anupama Bharadwaj headshot

    Anupama M. Bharadwaj, Ph.D.

    Assistant Professor, Marketing

    Anupama M. Bharadwaj's expertise lies in behavioral marketing and consumer choices. She has a true passion for teaching and has had the opportunity to teach multiple courses pertaining to consumer behavior, market research, and digital marketing.

    Read Anupama Bharadwaj's Bio

    Gino Giovannelli headshot.

    Gino Giovannelli

    Clinical Faculty, Marketing

    Gino Giovannelli created Miles Interactive in 2006 to help clients identify how to best leverage the Internet to delight customers and maximize business success. Miles Interactive clients include Super Bowl 52 Host Committee, University of Minnesota Alumni Association, Caribou Coffee, SUPERVALU, Famous Dave's, Life Time Fitness and Sun Country Airlines. Prior to launching Miles Interactive, Giovannelli served as Vice President of Carlson Interactive, an interactive agency within Carlson Companies.

    Read Gino Giovannelli's Bio

    Avinash Malshe headshot.

    Avinash Malshe, PhD

    Professor, Marketing

    Avinash Malshe's research examines marketing strategy processes in business-to-business markets. His work is published in marketing, management and business journals, including: Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Service Research and the Journal of Management. Malshe is a recipient of the prestigious University Scholar Grant at St. Thomas and the Susan E. Heckler Research Excellence Award.

    Read Avinash Malshe's Bio

    Marketing Faculty

    Emeriti Faculty

    • David Brennan
    • Yusen Liu
    • Dick Sauter

    Experiential Learning

    Featured Course: Marketing Management

    In this hands-on course, Small Business Institute (SBI) clients present student teams with business problems. The student teams must then craft and present solutions to the clients, with the support and guidance of the course instructor.

    The Behavioral Research Center

    The BRC provides space for St. Thomas faculty and students to conduct marketing research. And the BRC gives students an opportunity to learn how behavioral research can yield new insights about marketing and consumer psychology. The laboratory and its resources accommodate a variety of project types.

    More About the BRC

    Tommie Marketing Club

    The Tommie Marketing Club is a student-run organization that provides its members the opportunity to network with marketing professionals and fellow students, either on campus or at corporations and agencies in the Twin Cities. Our off-site visits provide networking opportunities and the chance for students to experience various work environments.

    Faculty Advisors: Gino Giovannelli and Anupama Bharadwaj.

    Students in Buenos Aries outside of a building with art on side

    Study Abroad

    Traveling is a great way to learn.

    I had the opportunity to study International Marketing in Buenos Aires Argentina for the month of January and I have to say it was highlight of my college career. Not only did I build lifelong friendships, but I gained invaluable knowledge about international business. The unique thing about this program is that we visited 2-3 businesses a day and we were treated as business professionals when we were there. We were not treated as students but as businessmen and women. Outside of schoolwork we got to travel to a traditional Argentine ranch, take a tango lesson and an empanada cooking class. This was an exceptional experience and I think it really shaped me as a person. If you have the opportunity to take this course, do it!

    -Maggie Cremers '24