A Focused Approach
The mission of the Wisconsin MBA is to be the school of choice for students who have a clear career objective. Our focused program facilitates real-world experiences, effective career networking and, ultimately, real success.
Focus and ExperienceProgram OverviewCurriculum
Let’s talk about focus.
Our MBA program combines the breadth of a great general management core curriculum and the depth of expertise in a critical career specialization. We achieve this expertise by designing programs that correspond directly to something real that companies need. For example, at Wisconsin you won’t major in marketing; you will choose a career specialization in brand and product management, marketing research or supply chain management.
If your career goals are less clear, we are happy to sit down with you before you apply to help find a good match in our program. We know from years of experience that students who lack a clear career objective from the outset are at a higher risk of falling short of their goals. We would like to help you achieve your career goals.
“There were many excellent business schools I could have attended if I had wanted a general MBA in finance. It was the appeal of the specialized training available through the Applied Security Analysis Program that convinced me to come to Wisconsin. Being able to manage a real stock portfolio while earning my degree gave a huge head start to my career. After more than a decade on Wall Street, I am even more convinced it was the best choice I could have made.”
Clare Schiedermayer, MBA `89, Applied Security Analysis
Managing Director, Merrill Lynch, New York City
And then there’s experience.
Top-tier firms look for strong candidates with significant expertise. At Wisconsin, you get both the tools you need to succeed in general management and the specialized experience needed to give you an edge early in your career. Our career specializations prepare you to be the perfect candidate. Each career specialization is lead by committed faculty members and is supported by professional staff who are knowledgeable about that particular career path.
Our specializations offer:
- Real experience integrated into our curriculum
- Connections to prominent alumni and friends within your chosen career specialization
- A cohesive community for students
The evidence of the value of our specialized approach is the employment successes of our students. Your preparation will distinguish you from your peers, and early career success will provide you with an opportunity for more rapid career advancement. Real focus leads to real success.
Producing Leaders
Wisconsin is known for producing business leaders. In fact, it tied Harvard in producing the largest number of CEOs of companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index according to a recent survey. (Bloomberg Markets, September 2004.) Each had 15 undergraduate alumni who made the CEO list. Wisconsin was eighth in terms of graduating MBAs who made the S&P list.
The Dean
“The School of Business has seen many tremendous advances in recent years, but I am particularly proud of our totally reengineered MBA program. Faculty, staff, students, alumni and business leaders all contributed to produce a program based on highly focused career specializations. The response to the new program from students and employers has been tremendous. Now we are seeing increased national recognition of the value of our approach.”
Dean Michael Knetter of the
Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
came to Wisconsin in 2002. Previously, he was with the Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College, as associate dean of its MBA program and professor of international economics. He served as senior staff economist on the President’s Council of Economic Advisors under former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.