BUSINESS PROGRAMS - OPUS COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

Undergraduate Business Programs Office
McNeely Hall (MCH) 128
cobundergrad@stthomas.edu
(651) 962-5544

Opus College of Business Web Site

The Opus College of Business majors all provide carefully designed curriculums that strive to balance practice and theory. Students begin by developing their analytical and critical thinking skills with allied courses in economics, statistics and mathematics, while a series of first and second-year common business core courses provide a broad foundational knowledge of all the key functional areas within business, including accounting, business law, finance, operations/supply chain, and management, and marketing.  A specific business ethics core course is also included, but ethical managerial decision-making is woven into the entire curriculum, helping students not only align their values with their future business practices, but helping them understand the conflicts and challenges modern business leaders face.

Most business majors provide students the opportunity to stack specialized, focused knowledge and skills in several different business areas (listed below) on top of the common business core, while the general business management major is an efficient program without focused specialization in a certain function. It is a good option for students seeking to combine business with a second major outside of business, and/or one or more minors in other fields.

Opus College of Business faculty provide students with hands-on, interactive learning experiences such as presentations, group projects, case studies, simulations, and guest speakers - as well as stimulating discussion and debate. Several business elective or specialized major courses offer opportunities for collaboration or consulting experiences with external companies and community/nonprofit organizations.

Academic Policies for Business Majors

All business and allied courses applied towards an Opus College of Business major or minor must be taken for a letter grade.  These courses may not be taken on a pass/fail basis.

It is expected that students earning an Opus College of Business degree will take their major coursework at St. Thomas. Once matriculated, students must have prior approval before registering for a business course at another university.  

All students who major in a business field must complete a minimum of 28 credits in Opus College of Business coursework at the University of St. Thomas, and at least 16 of these 28 credits must be in courses from the specific Opus department of the student’s major. For students completing the general business management major, the residency requirement is a minimum of 22 credits in Opus business courses, with at least 8 of these 22 credits in MGMT courses. Credits earned at ACTC colleges and through affiliated study abroad programs do not count toward this residency requirement. (London Business Semester coursework is considered in residence.)  

Opus College of Business courses taken more than eight years ago may need to be reviewed for alignment with the current major/degree requirements, and/or a student may need to petition the university’s Committee on Studies to graduate from a prior catalog.

Student Honor Pledge

The Opus College of Business aspires to develop and graduate highly principled global business leaders, so students are appropriately expected to maintain the highest standards of integrity while enrolled in the business program. Academic honesty is fundamental to the principle of independent learning and growth. The Honor Pledge (below) is signed by undergraduate business students at the time they declare their business major or minor, as an affirmation of their commitment to accept personal responsibility for their own behavior, and conduct themselves in an ethical manner with honesty and integrity in all their actions. 

Opus Student Honor Pledge: As a student in the Undergraduate Program of the Opus College of Business, I will adhere to the University’s academic integrity policies and act with honesty, integrity, respect, and accountability in all my actions.

Beta Gamma Sigma (Honor Society)

Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) is the International Honor Society for business students at AACSB accredited business schools. This is the highest academic honor that can be achieved in the Opus College of Business.  Each year, Opus students in the top 10% of their class by institutional GPA are invited to join BGS.

Business Majors

• Accounting
• Business Communication
• Entrepreneurship
• Financial Management
• General Business Management 
• Human Resource Management 
• International Business 
• Leadership & Management 
• Law & Compliance 
• Marketing Management
• Operations & Supply Chain Mgmt
• Real Estate Studies

General Business Management majors will earn a B.A. degree, while all other specialized business majors will receive a B.S.B.A. degree.