Year at a Glance

A quick look at some of the main accomplishments of the UW-Madison School of Business over the past academic year.

Wisconsin MBA

  • The Wisconsin MBA program moved up to 29th among all business schools in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, up two spots from the previous ranking and the program’s highest ranking since 1990.
  • Student quality, as measured by average GMAT score, is 656 for this fall’s entering class, up from an average of 635 for students enrolled in 2000.
  • Career placement for May 2007 grads was 96 percent within three months of graduation. Average starting salary was $82,000.
  • With the creation of the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate, nine of the 12 career specializations that make up the full-time Wisconsin MBA are supported by endowed centers.

Wisconsin Enterprise MBA Programs

  • The business school had its first full year of a new internal platform, Enteprise MBA programs, designed to leverage the strengths of the school’s degree programs for working professionals—the Wisconsin Evening and Wisconsin Executive MBA.
  • The Evening MBA offered its first international study trip. Second-year students traveled to China to gain a better understanding of issues involved in global business.
  • The Executive MBA offered its first seminar for program alumni, “What It Takes to Stay on Top in the Global Economy.”

Undergraduate Program

  • The Accenture Leadership Center was launched in fall 2006 to offer a unique laboratory atmosphere in which undergraduate business students can practice leadership principles. More than 250 students participated in the center’s inaugural year.
  • The latest U.S. News & World Report ranking of undergraduate business programs placed UW-Madison 12th among all business schools in the United States, up one spot from the prior year. Two programs within the school made the magazine’s top five list—Real Estate and Insurance.
  • A team of undergraduates earned second place in a national case study competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
  • Two undergraduate marketing students won first place and $10,000 in the G. Steven Burrill Technology Business Plan Competition.

Executive Education

  • Executive Education served more than 1,500 companies with high-quality open enrollment programs and customized employee development programs.

Construction Progress

  • Construction continued on schedule for the $40.5 million addition to Grainger Hall. The addition, which will house Wisconsin MBA programs, is scheduled to open in fall 2008.

Other Accomplishments of Note

  • The undergraduate and graduate accounting programs were both ranked in the top 10 in the nation by Public Accounting Report.
  • The Applied Security Analysis program was named a CFA Program Partner by the CFA Institute, one of the first 25 business schools in the world to receive this designation.

CEO Summit Brings Leaders to Campus

UW-Madison held its first CEO Summit in fall 2006 to raise Wisconsin’s national visibility in producing business leaders. The summit also provided an opportunity for leading alumni to interact with each other and learn about new knowledge being created at Wisconsin.

The CEO Summit was one of many initiatives over the past year that brought business leaders to campus.

The summit was organized by John Morgridge, BBA ’55, chairman and former CEO of Cisco Systems. More than 30 CEOs and leading executives gathered in Madison to learn from industry and university experts. Topics covered included the future of energy, paths to leadership and important scientific research being conducted at UW-Madison. Response to the summit was so positive that a CEO Summit was planned for fall 2007.

Bootcamp Offers “Crash Course in Entrepreneurship”

The Wisconsin School of Business launched the first-ever Wisconsin Entrepreneurial Bootcamp in summer 2007. Three veterans of Silicon Valley shared their business expertise with more than 50 graduate students in life sciences and engineering. The students had the benefit of five days of case studies, financial statements and real-world advice on patenting, sales channels and other topics. The bootcamp was led by two alumni of the business school, John Morgridge and G. Steven Burrill, CEO of Burrill & Company.

Wisconsin MBAs Launch Record-Setting Giving Campaign

Graduating MBA students sent a strong message of endorsement and support in 2007. An astounding 99 percent of the Wisconsin MBA Class of 2007 participated in a class gift campaign, compared to 30 percent the prior year. Gifts by the graduates were matched by members of the Dean’s Advisory Board. The students collectively contributed more than $62,000.