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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

The Marketing Department offers two undergraduate majors (Marketing Management and Business Communications), plus a minor in marketing. It also offers courses in graduate studies as well, covering topics including digital marketing, reputation management, international marketing, brand management, and emerging technologies including artificial intelligence. 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
Email
sack4974@stthomas.edu
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:

    Undergraduate minors:

    Graduate programs:

    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:

    Undergraduate minors:

    Graduate programs:

    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

    Clinton Lanier headshot

    Clinton Lanier, Ph.D.

    Associate Professor, Marketing

    Clinton Lanier, PhD, teaches a variety of undergraduate courses such as Introduction to Marketing, Marketing Research and Marketing Strategy. He has also co-taught the Christian Faith and Management course with professors in the Department of Theology. He enjoys teaching and actively seeks to stimulate innovative thought and critical thinking in his students. He especially likes to stimulate a holistic view of marketing by teaching students how all of the parts fit together and inform each other.

    Read Clinton Lanier's Bio

    Priscilla Peña headshot.

    Priscilla Peña, Ph.D.

    Assistant Professor, Marketing

    Priscilla Peña is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of St. Thomas. She earned her Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Rhode Island. Her research focuses on inauthentic brand activism, often referred to as woke-washing, and its effects on consumer identity and well-being. She also examines brand recovery strategies following such accusations of woke-washing, with an emphasis on how firms can restore perceptions of brand morality and authenticity. Additional research interests include privacy-related harms and consumer protection behaviors.

    Read Priscilla Peña's Bio

    John Sailors headshot.

    John Sailors, Ph.D.

    Associate Professor, Marketing

    John Sailors, PhD, is a visiting associate professor in the Department of Marketing at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business. He was previously a tenured associate professor in the Department of Marketing, and he has also taught at the University of Michigan and the University of Scranton. His earned his PhD in marketing from Northwestern University. He typically teaches courses in marketing research, principles of marketing and research methods. He has corporate experience in the marketing research industry, leading studies for Proctor & Gamble, Ford and Harley Davidson (among others).

    Read John Sailors' Bio

    Marketing Faculty

    Emeriti Faculty

    • David Brennan
    • Yusen Liu
    • Rich Rexeisen
    • 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

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