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Be business ready

MS in Management

10-month, full-time master's program for non-business students

Jumpstart Your Career Journey With Real-World Business Skills

MS in Management – your key to unlocking a world of opportunities, designed exclusively for high-achieving students with non-business backgrounds.

MS in Management is a fast track to your early career, uniquely blending your undergraduate education with essential business and management knowledge. No matter your background – from engineering to English, psychology to political science – our immersive 10-month program ensures you gain the multidisciplinary knowledge to empower your skills and passions with the dynamic pace of business.

You’ll immerse yourself in core business concepts, fostering a style of leadership that’s both assertive and inclusive. Learn to collaborate effectively, nurture innovative thinking, and make decisions rooted in data. Supported by experienced faculty and mentors, you’ll transition seamlessly into any business setting, enriched with personalized coaching and interactive workshops.

In less than a year, you’ll emerge equipped with a set of business skills that will not only make you stand out to prospective employers but also give you the confidence to chart your own course. Ready for a future where your passions meet with endless professional opportunities?

Why Earn an MS in Management?

Discover the advantages of earning an MS in Management as a current student or recent graduate interested in fast-tracking your professional journey.
Student working on a laptop

Accelerate Your Career Journey

Building upon your undergraduate education in liberal arts or STEM, you can position yourself for early success within your organization and accelerate your career progress. By gaining business skills and knowledge through this program, you’ll stand out in the job market and become a top candidate for your dream job.
Student interviewing

Amplify Your Earning Potential

Graduates with an MS in Management enjoy an average of 27% increase in starting salary compared to those with only a bachelor's degree. This means that not only will you gain valuable business skills, but you'll also be rewarded with higher earnings potential over the course of your career.
(GMAC 2022 survey)
Group of students laughing

Build Your Business Expertise

You’ll learn essential business concepts and how the different parts of business impact each other and the organization as a whole. In addition, you'll gain proficiency in the language and terminology of business while improving your critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.

Program Overview

  • Pace and Format
  • Curriculum
  • Classroom Experience
  • Admissions Requirements
  • Pace and Format

    MS in Management is a 31-credit program that can be completed in as little as 10 months, allowing you to quickly launch a career in your area of expertise with greater readiness and confidence.

    Pace: Full-time, cohort

    • Before the fall semester begins, we provide the first 6 credits of business fundamentals courses online, allowing you to learn at your own pace and fit your studies into your busy schedule.
    • While the MS in Management is primarily designed for full-time students in the fall and spring semesters, it also offers students the flexibility to distribute their spring semester course load if needed.

    Format: Hybrid (on-campus and online)

    • Online, asynchronous business fundamentals courses (6 credits) taken during the senior year or prior to the start of fall semester. These online courses must be completed prior to the start of the business presence workshop.
    • In-person, week-long business presence workshop in late August
    • In-person, cohort – fall and spring semesters core courses
    • In-person, hybrid, or online - spring semester elective courses
    2024-2025 Academic Calendar

    Curriculum

    Designed for students from STEM and liberal arts backgrounds, the MS in Management immersive curriculum teaches students essential business concepts and includes experiential learning activities and career preparation. You’ll have the flexibility to customize your degree to your own career goals or interests with elective courses in areas like business analytics, innovation and entrepreneurship, marketing, and more.

    Our MS in Management curriculum consists of 31 credits taken in as little as 10 months.

    • 6 credits in Business Fundamentals
    • 1 credit in Professional Business Presence
    • 12 credits in courses emphasizing Organizational Effectiveness
    • 6 credits in courses emphasizing Business Applications
    • 6 credits in elective courses from a wide range of offerings
    MS in Management Curriculum

    Classroom Experience

    Collaborative Learning

    Students in the MS in Management program represent a diverse set of non-business majors – from sciences to engineering to humanities, with a common goal to accelerate their career. As you move through the program together, you’ll learn from the different perspectives, which empowers collaborative communication and collective problem solving.

    Learning by Doing

    From case studies, simulations and client-based consulting projects, you’ll apply the concepts and theories you learn in the classroom to real-world collaborative scenarios. With this practical experience, you’ll emerge from your studies with the confidence and expertise needed to excel in your professional pursuits.

    Career Preparation

    Our program is designed to support your career search activities, including skill development in the areas most important for success in your chosen field, networking skills, and interview techniques. Our co-curricular activities are tailored to help you secure internships and job opportunities in your desired industry, with personalized guidance every step of the way.

    Admissions Requirements

    Designed for students with STEM and liberal arts backgrounds, the MS in Management provides an invaluable bridge to gain real-world business knowledge, accelerate their careers and make a significant impact in their field.

    Ideal Candidates

    We are seeking candidates who are in their senior year of a STEM or liberal arts bachelor’s program or completed their undergraduate studies within the past two years. 

    Students with a business degree and/or more than two years of professional experience post-undergrad are encouraged to apply to our Part-time Flex MBA or another specialized master’s program.

    Application items

    Via our Online Application portal, you will submit:

    • Current resume that outlines your educational and work experience.
    • Answers to three essay questions explaining your interest in the program and your professional goals
    • Official transcript(s) from your bachelor’s degree

    The MS in Management will welcome the first cohort of students to campus in late August 2024. Students in this cohort will need to have completed the first 6 credits of asynchronous online course in spring and/or summer 2024.

    Students completing their undergraduate degree prior to Fall 2024, can enroll in the Business Fundamentals courses as part of their bachelor’s degree.

    The application for the 2024-2025 MS in Management cohort will open in August 2023.

    Admission & Tuition

    Pace and Format

    MS in Management is a 31-credit program that can be completed in as little as 10 months, allowing you to quickly launch a career in your area of expertise with greater readiness and confidence.

    Pace: Full-time, cohort

    • Before the fall semester begins, we provide the first 6 credits of business fundamentals courses online, allowing you to learn at your own pace and fit your studies into your busy schedule.
    • While the MS in Management is primarily designed for full-time students in the fall and spring semesters, it also offers students the flexibility to distribute their spring semester course load if needed.

    Format: Hybrid (on-campus and online)

    • Online, asynchronous business fundamentals courses (6 credits) taken during the senior year or prior to the start of fall semester. These online courses must be completed prior to the start of the business presence workshop.
    • In-person, week-long business presence workshop in late August
    • In-person, cohort – fall and spring semesters core courses
    • In-person, hybrid, or online - spring semester elective courses
    2024-2025 Academic Calendar

    Curriculum

    Designed for students from STEM and liberal arts backgrounds, the MS in Management immersive curriculum teaches students essential business concepts and includes experiential learning activities and career preparation. You’ll have the flexibility to customize your degree to your own career goals or interests with elective courses in areas like business analytics, innovation and entrepreneurship, marketing, and more.

    Our MS in Management curriculum consists of 31 credits taken in as little as 10 months.

    • 6 credits in Business Fundamentals
    • 1 credit in Professional Business Presence
    • 12 credits in courses emphasizing Organizational Effectiveness
    • 6 credits in courses emphasizing Business Applications
    • 6 credits in elective courses from a wide range of offerings
    MS in Management Curriculum

    Classroom Experience

    Collaborative Learning

    Students in the MS in Management program represent a diverse set of non-business majors – from sciences to engineering to humanities, with a common goal to accelerate their career. As you move through the program together, you’ll learn from the different perspectives, which empowers collaborative communication and collective problem solving.

    Learning by Doing

    From case studies, simulations and client-based consulting projects, you’ll apply the concepts and theories you learn in the classroom to real-world collaborative scenarios. With this practical experience, you’ll emerge from your studies with the confidence and expertise needed to excel in your professional pursuits.

    Career Preparation

    Our program is designed to support your career search activities, including skill development in the areas most important for success in your chosen field, networking skills, and interview techniques. Our co-curricular activities are tailored to help you secure internships and job opportunities in your desired industry, with personalized guidance every step of the way.

    Admissions Requirements

    Designed for students with STEM and liberal arts backgrounds, the MS in Management provides an invaluable bridge to gain real-world business knowledge, accelerate their careers and make a significant impact in their field.

    Ideal Candidates

    We are seeking candidates who are in their senior year of a STEM or liberal arts bachelor’s program or completed their undergraduate studies within the past two years. 

    Students with a business degree and/or more than two years of professional experience post-undergrad are encouraged to apply to our Part-time Flex MBA or another specialized master’s program.

    Application items

    Via our Online Application portal, you will submit:

    • Current resume that outlines your educational and work experience.
    • Answers to three essay questions explaining your interest in the program and your professional goals
    • Official transcript(s) from your bachelor’s degree

    The MS in Management will welcome the first cohort of students to campus in late August 2024. Students in this cohort will need to have completed the first 6 credits of asynchronous online course in spring and/or summer 2024.

    Students completing their undergraduate degree prior to Fall 2024, can enroll in the Business Fundamentals courses as part of their bachelor’s degree.

    The application for the 2024-2025 MS in Management cohort will open in August 2023.

    Admission & Tuition

    How Long Will It Take?

    Earn your MS in Management in as little as 10 months. The courses are drawn from a set of required and elective courses.

    Business Fundamentals

    6 credits, online, asynchronous

    Once admitted to the program, you’ll complete two Business Fundamentals courses to introduce you to functional areas of business. These online, asynchronous courses can be completed during your senior year or in the summer, prior to joining the cohort in the fall semester.

    • Business Fundamentals I
    • Business Fundamentals II

    Business Fundamentals

    6 credits, online, asynchronous

    Once admitted to the program, you’ll complete two Business Fundamentals courses to introduce you to functional areas of business. These online, asynchronous courses can be completed during your senior year or in the summer, prior to joining the cohort in the fall semester.

    • Business Fundamentals I
    • Business Fundamentals II

    Business Residence Workshop & Professional Business Presence

    1 credit, in-person

    Prior to the start of fall term, you’ll join your cohort for a weeklong, on-campus Business Residency Workshop.

    Organizational Effectiveness

    12 credits, in-person/hybrid, cohort

    • Fundamentals of Organizational Communication
    • Business Ethics Foundations
    • Preparing for Change
    • Entrepreneurial Thinking
    • Leadership in Organizations
    • The Inclusive Leader
    • Group Dynamics and Team Effectiveness
    • Data Analysis and Decision Making

    Business Residence Workshop & Professional Business Presence

    1 credit, in-person

    Prior to the start of fall term, you’ll join your cohort for a weeklong, on-campus Business Residency Workshop.

    Organizational Effectiveness

    12 credits, in-person/hybrid, cohort

    • Fundamentals of Organizational Communication
    • Business Ethics Foundations
    • Preparing for Change
    • Entrepreneurial Thinking
    • Leadership in Organizations
    • The Inclusive Leader
    • Group Dynamics and Team Effectiveness
    • Data Analysis and Decision Making

    Business Applications

    6 credits, in-person/hybrid

    • Emerging Technology
    • Competitive Strategy
    • Applied Business Consulting

    Business Electives

    6 credits, in-person/hybrid/online

    You’ll choose from MBA-level electives that align with your career goals:

    • Management
    • Marketing
    • International Marketing
    • Innovation and entrepreneurship electives
    • Business analytics electives
    • Accounting electives
    • Interdisciplinary electives
    • Other MBA electives
    Spring internship encouraged.

    Business Applications

    6 credits, in-person/hybrid

    • Emerging Technology
    • Competitive Strategy
    • Applied Business Consulting

    Business Electives

    6 credits, in-person/hybrid/online

    You’ll choose from MBA-level electives that align with your career goals:

    • Management
    • Marketing
    • International Marketing
    • Innovation and entrepreneurship electives
    • Business analytics electives
    • Accounting electives
    • Interdisciplinary electives
    • Other MBA electives
    Spring internship encouraged.
    Students wearing VR headsets

    Business Fundamentals II

    Immersive Business Simulator

    In the Business Fundamentals II course, students engage in a dynamic learning experience with our VR coffee shop business simulator. As virtual owners of a Tommie-themed coffee shop, you'll face real-world business challenges, making pivotal decisions that influence profitability, customer satisfaction, team morale, and employee well-being. Through the use of virtual reality headsets, you'll delve deep into the practicalities of managing a business, enhancing your learning through interactive, hands-on experimentation.

    This immersive method not only enriches the learning experience but also hones vital skills like adaptability, creativity, and collaboration — competencies that are in high demand in the contemporary job market.

    Events

    The St. Thomas Difference

    We shape aspiring and career-ready professionals with the necessary skills, knowledge, and ethical foundation needed to excel in dynamic and ever-changing business landscape.

    Immersive Curriculum

    Gain essential business knowledge, while building on your critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills you need to be successful. With a focus on practical applications, our program takes you beyond the basics, exploring topics such as entrepreneurship, data-driven decision making, and emerging technologies.

    You'll learn how to create value for society and navigate complex situations with ethical integrity. With a strong focus on social impact, you’ll be equipped to positively impact the world and navigate ethical dilemmas in any situation.

    You won't just learn business. You'll experience it.

    Hands-on Learning

    At the Opus College, we believe in the power of hands-on learning. Cases, business simulations and client-based projects are integrated into the culture of the program, ensuring that you get the most out of your education.

    As part of the Applied Business Consulting course, you'll collaborate with a team of peers to solve business challenges for a real client – a great way of gaining practical skills while forging valuable industry connections.

    This hands-on experience is essential for preparing you for success in your career. As a result, you will tell a compelling story to recruiters and solve complex problems with confidence.

    Collaborative Learning

    Join a dynamic and diverse community of like-minded peers who will enrich your experience, provide support, and celebrate your successes both in and out of the classroom. Our program welcomes students from all non-business backgrounds, from engineering to English and biology. Together, you'll share a common goal of accelerating your careers.

    You'll have the opportunity to work in multi-disciplinary teams, preparing you for the real-world workplace where it's essential to interact and collaborate with many departments. Gain more than a first-class business education - be challenged by your classmates' diverse ways of thinking and inspired by their unique perspectives.

    Career Acceleration

    Your career development is our top priority. From career exploration activities, workshops, and career coaching, our program is designed to help you achieve your goals and succeed in your chosen field.

    Our co-curricular activities are tailored to your individual goals, providing personalized guidance every step of the way as you secure internships and job opportunities in your desired field. Plus, you'll have the opportunity to connect with our alumni and industry professionals to build a strong network of support.

    We're dedicated to ensuring you have the skills you need to thrive in your career.

    Exceptional Faculty

    Known for creating an engaging community of learning, our faculty are thought leaders, researchers and mentors. Because many of them have industry experience, they know how to bridge the gap between theory and practice.

    Rama Hart

    Rama Hart, PhD

    Associate Professor, Management

    Dr. Hart has spent the past 20 years as an educator and consultant in the areas of leadership and organization development, virtual team collaboration and communication and management consulting. She teaches The Inclusive Leader course and mentors students as they navigate their complex work and academic lives. Her research focuses on global/virtual team communication and relationships, organizational change, and issues of inclusion and equity in workplaces.
    Rama Hart Bio
    Kyle Goldschmidt

    Kyle Goldschmidt, PhD

    Associate Professor, Operations and Supply Chain Management

    Dr. Goldschmidt teaches Data Analysis for Decision Making and graduate and undergradute business courses in decision sciences, operations management, and quality management. His innovative teaching practices have been featured in the Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education. His research interests lie in the field of strategic supply chain management, with a focus on the impact of supply chain disruptions on managerial decisions.
    Kyle Goldschmidt Bio

    Get in Touch

    St. Thomas Opus College of Business is an incredible place to learn, network, meet inspiring peers and mentors, and build a strong career path. Don't just take our word for it—experience Opus firsthand. Visit a class, attend an info session, or chat with the admissions team.