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The University of St. Thomas is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (; 312-263-0456), an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

All University of St. Thomas education licensure programs within the School of Education are approved by either the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (651-539-4200) or Minnesota Board of School Administrators (651-582-8754).

The University of St. Thomas is registered with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education pursuant to sections 136A.61 to 136A.71. Registration is not an endorsement of the institution. Credits earned at the institution may not transfer to all other institutions. Contact information for the Minnesota Office of Higher Education is:

1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350
St. Paul, MN 55108-5227
Phone: (651) 642-0567
Toll Free: (800) 657-3866
Fax: (651) 642-0675

For more information about accreditation, including which programs have specialized (or discipline-based) accreditation, please go to the Accreditation website.

The program to assess student learning is an integral part of the university’s commitment to excellent teaching and effective learning. The assessment effort is sustained by the faculty and is fully supported by the administration. Information is systematically collected and examined both to document and improve student learning. The assessment program itself is routinely updated, and the information gained from the assessment process becomes part of on-going curricular development.

Currently, all curricula for majors and the undergraduate core curriculum are routinely assessed. Thus, students are asked from time to time to participate in testing, surveys, interviews, or other methods of collecting data for assessment purposes.

• Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of St. Thomas was founded in 1885 by Archbishop John Ireland, less than a year after he was installed as St. Paul’s third bishop. What began as the St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary – with 62 students and a faculty of five – has grown to be Minnesota’s largest independent university with three campuses and more than 10,000 students.

Built near a river bluff on farmland that was still considered “far removed from town” in the late 1800s, the university’s main campus is nestled today in a residential area midway between the downtowns of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

In its first decade, St. Thomas was a high school, college and seminary; students enrolled in either the preparatory, classical or theological departments. In 1894 the theological department moved to an adjacent campus where it became The Saint Paul Seminary. The preparatory and classical departments, meanwhile, remained on the original campus and became the College of St. Thomas.

The classical department gradually grew to a four-year college curriculum. The first baccalaureate degrees were conferred in 1910 and St. Thomas was officially accredited in 1916. The preparatory department became the St. Thomas Military Academy, a high school that moved to a suburban campus in 1965.

After 92 years of all-male enrollment, St. Thomas became coeducational in 1977. Today, 50 percent of the undergraduates and 55 percent of the graduate students are women.

Coeducation, coupled with new graduate programs as well as new campuses, contributed to St. Thomas’ growth over the past three decades. Enrollment increased from under 2,500 students in 1970 to 10,245 today. The undergraduate program currently enrolls approximately 6,240 students.

Long-standing graduate programs in business, education, professional psychology and social work offer degrees at the master’s, specialist, and doctoral levels.

St. Thomas’ original “classical” and “theological” departments came together once again in 1987 through an affiliation between the seminary and university. Together they created the School of Divinity, which offers graduate degrees in pastoral studies, divinity and theology. St. Thomas is also home to the undergraduate St. John Vianney Seminary.

In 1990, recognizing the many changes and the addition of graduate programs to the institution, the name of the College of St. Thomas was changed to the University of St. Thomas.

The university’s main, 78-acre campus anchors the western end of St. Paul’s historic Summit Avenue.

In 1992 the university opened a permanent campus in downtown Minneapolis, which is home to the Dougherty Family College, the School of Law, and programs in the Opus College of Business, the School of Education, and the Morrison Family College of Health

The Bernardi Residence in Rome, which opened in 2000, is a remodeled residential estate on the banks of the Tiber River. Serving as a home to students on the university’s core semester program and the Center for Catholic Studies' Rome program, the Bernardi Residence is also available for conferences, study tours and housing for faculty, students, and visitors to Rome.

Inspired by Catholic intellectual tradition, the University of St. Thomas educates students to be morally responsible leaders who think critically, act wisely, and work skillfully to advance the common good.

Convictions

As a community we are committed to:

• Pursuit of Truth
  We value intellectual inquiry as a life-long habit, the unfettered and impartial pursuit of truth in all its forms, the integration of knowledge across disciplines, and the imaginative and creative exploration of new ideas.
• Academic Excellence
  We create a culture among faculty, students and staff that recognizes the power of ideas and rewards rigorous thinking.
• Faith and Reason
  We actively engage Catholic intellectual tradition, which values the fundamental compatibility of faith and reason and fosters meaningful dialogue directed toward the flourishing of human culture.
• Dignity
  We respect the dignity of each person and value the unique contributions that each brings to the greater mosaic of the university community.
• Diversity
  We strive to create a vibrant diverse community in which, together, we work for a more just and inclusive society.
• Personal Attention
  We foster a caring culture that supports the well-being of each member.
• Gratitude
  We celebrate the achievements of all members of our community in goals attained and obstacles overcome, and in all things give praise to God.

The Undergraduate program follows a 4-1-4 calendar. The 4-1-4 calendar consists of a fall semester during the months of September through December, a four-week January term, and a spring semester during the months of February through May. Each Spring and Fall semester consists of approximately 14 weeks of classes and a four-day examination period.

Regular Semesters -

During the fall and spring semesters, a student normally enrolls in 16-18 credits.

The January Term -

Students may enroll in a maximum of four credits in a January term.

Summer Sessions -

The university offers two six-week sessions, one eight-week session and one twelve-week session during the months of June through August. A student may enroll in a maximum of eight credits a given session, with a maximum of sixteen credits for the summer.

Please note, the Dougherty Family College A.A. is not in the summer or J-term.

• Student Concerns and Complaints