Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

I believe that the best insight that I have to offer when it comes to summarizing my pursuit for my Bachelor's Degree would be the diverse roles of my college experience. I was a two sport Athlete, had a full time job, and took no less then 18 credits per semester. There are multiple aspects of college I would have changed and some that I would keep the same. I lived a diverse life of both on campus and off campus living styles and pursuits which I believe would be an attribute to others when making... Read More decisions on furthering their education.

The Marriage and Family Therapy program at Saint Mary's is excellent. I made an educated decision when I applied and entered the program, but the experience has been even better than expected. I value the emphasis on clinical preparation that is supported by sound academic inquiry. I appreciate my professors who bring expertise, real-life experience, and deep respect for the work with them to their instruction. I feel honored to learn alongside my fellow cohort members and am so grateful for the... Read More meaningful connections and future professional networks we are already forging. I know that I am being prepared for licensing and am encouraged by the program's impeccable student passing record. And I can focus on all of these great learning opportunities without worrying about the price tag of the program because I know I am getting a great deal. I could not be more satisfied.

As a marriage and family therapy student, one of the very first lessons that one learns is of the interconnectedness and systemic nature of all human interaction. However, I was taught this at a very young age, not as an academic concept, but as a means of survival. In communities that I am from and work together with, it is not the individual that makes the community, but the community that makes the individual. With this notion I have always sought institutions and experiences that exemplify this,... Read More St. Mary's University of Minnesota is no exception. As an education institution, St. Marys is dedicated to the nurturing and empowering of learners to live lives of service and leadership and I believe they are able to do this because of their emphasis on community. The MFT program at St. Mary's has many appeals to it, but none so much as the small class size and the cohort model that allow for truly experiential learning. In this cohort model, I have had the opportunity to dialogue more than I have ever had before in my life with individuals with different viewpoints than my own. It is in these interactions that I have learned the most about myself and how I can best represent my communities. Beyond the empowering structure of the program, St. Mary's MFT program has garnered respect and notoriety in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, and Midwestern community with its dedication to advocacy and leadership in its educational programs and by it's empowering of transformational and innovative leaders within the field. In my advocacy work with the South East Asian Diaspora (SEAD) project I have benefited from training held by Hmong student groups available on campus led by members of the Twin Cities community. Beyond being taught by well respected students and community leaders, the professors strive to develop a depth of understanding of all minority experiences through the implementation of Intersectional and Queer theories. It is through those deliberate, meaningful, and profound experiences that drew me close to St. Mary's. The more research I did on the faculty and programming, two people immediately stood out to me based upon their courses taught, community involvement, and academic writing, S. Z. and L.V. As an advisor and program director, Ms. Z. has guided me to opportunities that have not only push me towards my goals, but opened my eyes to other possibilities to accomplishing these goals. Ms. Z. has shown utmost sensitivity and dedication to empowering minority youth by her suggestions of literature, training, and further education outside the scope of mental health. Prior to applying to St. Mary's MFT program, I hesitated doing so on the premise that I could not find someone who would be able to understand my way of thinking. After reading some of Lucas Volini's work, which included a study guide to the national licensing exam, I felt an immediate connection. Mr. Volini's has extensive experience working with Minority adolescents at his day treatment program. As a mentor his personality, teaching and learning styles closely match my own, with key values rooted in existential philosophy. It is his deliberate and thoughtful approach to mentoring that most beneficial in helping me achieve my goals. Overall, I chose the St. Mary's MFT program to help me accomplish my goals because of its reputation for inclusively and its integrative educational approach. It is critical for innovative programs to have a means for open and honest feedback. St. Mary's ability to provide this type of feedback has created a network resources that allow for the betterment of minorities inside and outside of the institution. Always seeking ways to improve, the MFT program staff are deliberate in acknowledging their limitations, pushing their students to create and seek out other ways to achieve their goals. As I have pointed out, St. Mary's quality staff, sense of community, and resources all come together to form an environment that greatly enhances my strengths. Ultimately, it is the air of deliberation and purposefulness that attracted me to St. Mary's MFT program. Without a doubt Saint Mary's not only has the resources to empower, but the community help me reach my goals.

St. Mary's University of Minnesota is an excellent university in a mid size town (Population around 30,000 during the school year). The campus is small, yet it has plenty of space for the diverse educational, athletic, and social activities one could want. The professors are always interested in each and every student and the student to teacher ratio was always aroun 8-10:1 in all my classes. It's location amid the bluffs of the Mississippi River valley make it an absolutely beautiful place to study.... Read More

Saint Mary's University has provided me with an excellent way to obtain my Masters degree with a flexible schedule. They have also provided me with an iPad to take my coursework every where I go. Most of the instructors have been wonderful and very attentive too! The workload is mostly reasonable; although there have been several occasions where working full-time and completing classes leaves me with no time for my family. Some homework is due every Wednesday and the remainder on Sundays. Unfortunately,... Read More it can be difficult to get the reading done by Wednesday to complete your homework competently. The other downside is your program schedule. The school sets your schedule and you have no say in what classes you want to take and when...you are automatically enrolled. Because of this, I didn't get to take the elective I wanted to take.

A pro of the Master's program in Accountancy are the professors. The professors at Saint Mary's University really take the needs of their students into account, and for the most part are always available for assistance and support on course materials and are even available to write Letters of Recommendations for their students who perform well too. The only con I have about the courses in the program is the length of the courses in the evening. I believe that after an individual student has possibly... Read More worked all day at their job that it is only feasible to expect they can contribute to a course for three additional hours. I don't believe having class for four hours in the evening produces a more productive student or is conducive to student learning.

I am in the Arts & Cultural Management Graduate Program at Saint Mary's University. It is a wonderfully accomodating institution for working adults. In my particular program, the alumni network is very strong, and in fact, it is the reason I chose this school over some other bigger universities with more resources to offer. The courses are taught by adjunct faculty who are working professionals. As a result, the faculty roster changes frequently as people become too busy with work or personal lives... Read More and new faculty members are added. If you wind up taking a class with a new faculty member who hasn't taught the class before, it can be a less than optimal experience.