The School of Business offers two outstanding degree programs for those who wish to earn a degree while continuing their career. These programs now comprise a new portfolio known as Enterprise MBA Programs. The Enterprise Program was created to grow and leverage the strengths of Wisconsin MBA offerings designed for working professionals. This new entity is led by Executive Director Deborah J. Mitchell, Ph.D.

Continue reading "Two Ways Professionals Can Earn a Wisconsin MBA " »

The Wisconsin MBA, Executive MBA, Undergraduate program and Executive Education all performed well in several recent rankings.

Continue reading "School of Business Fares Well in Recent Rankings" »

This fall, the School of Business presented its Distinguished Business Alumnus Award to two top investment managers who are alumni of the Applied Security Analysis Program (ASAP) —Phill Gross and Paul Leff.

Continue reading "Top Investment Managers Receive Distinguished Business Alumnus Awards" »

In a look at the balance of nature vs. nurture, many have raised the question of why so many leaders are a product of Wisconsin. This same question first received national attention when Bloomberg Markets reported a study by Spencer Stuart that found 15 of the CEOs at S&P 500 companies held undergraduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin, putting it in a tie with Harvard for first place. Several events this fall have brought leading business practitioners to campus to further explore this phenomenon.

Continue reading "Wisconsin Grows Leaders" »

BusinessWeek has ranked the University of Wisconsin-Madison MBA program 4th in the nation for best investment. While Wisconsin MBA grads will only need about four and a half years to pay back their degree, Harvard grads work an average of 15 years before breaking even. BusinessWeek noted that “it may not pay to attend one of the top-ranked schools; a mid-tier school may be a better bet.”

Continue reading "BusinessWeek ranks Wisconsin #4 for fastest payback" »

A new initiative to continue creating the leaders Wisconsin has become known for recently has been established within the School of Business. One current and four former Accenture senior executives provided the financial support to endow the Accenture Leadership Center. Four of the five donors are alumni of the School of Business: Bob Christianson, MBA ’71; Chris Kozina, BBA ’92; Glenn Timmerman, BBA ’72, MS ’73; and Jim Wierzba, MBA ’79. John Leffin has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from UW-Oshkosh.

Continue reading "Accenture Leadership Center Officially Opened Its Doors this Fall" »

The Applied Security Analysis Program (ASAP) of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business is featured as producer of top fund managers in the January issue of Smart Money magazine, now on news stands.

Continue reading "ASAP Hailed by Smart Money Magazine" »

The United States remains the preferred country for foreign investors' real estate dollars, according to a University of Wisconsin-Madison survey of global real estate investors conducted on behalf of the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate (AFIRE).

Continue reading "Wisconsin Real Estate Center Surveys Foreign Investors " »

For the third time in five years, a team of accounting students from the UW-Madison School of Business has won a national case competition. Wisconsin students won the PricewaterhouseCoopers xTAX competition, held in Washington, D.C., the last weekend in January. In the national competition, teams of accounting students offer the best solution to a real-world tax policy problem.

Continue reading "Wisconsin Accounting Students Win National Tax Competition Yet Again" »

Almost 600 alumni and friends have generated nearly $11 million in donations for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Real Estate, which will be renamed in honor of the late James A. Graaskamp, a legendary figure in real estate education.

The program is more than halfway toward its goal of raising $20 million over five years to maintain Wisconsin as a premier real estate program nationally.

As part of the larger effort, alumni and friends raised $6 million to rename the center, starting with a $1.7 million challenge gift from alumni Bryant Wangard and Mike Arneson and other principals of TOLD Development.

That was followed by $1 million from an anonymous donor and another $1 million from Chuck and Kathleen Heath of Madison.

UW Foundation president Andrew Wilcox calls the campaign "a real triumph. It's a testament to Jim Graaskamp's effect on the lives of people." A special dedication ceremony is planned for April 25 in Madison.

James A. Graaskamp was a passionate teacher known for his devotion to students and intellectual oratory. He is credited with converting the field from a traditional finance emphasis to an eclectic mix of classes in behaviorism, physical science, and business administration.

Graaskamp also recognized the environmental and social impacts of development and investment and wove a deep concern for ethics into his approach to real estate education and his teachings about risk management, feasibility analysis, development and appraisal. Graaskamp, who joined the department in 1964, died in 1988.

The new James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate will build upon Graaskamp's legacy and carry it forward, says Timothy Riddiough, center director. "We are extremely grateful to our alumni, Center for Real Estate Board of Advisors, and friends for helping us achieve this important outcome," he says. "Our role is to act as the caretaker of Graaskamp's legacy, with the additional responsibility of fostering innovation in real estate research and education."

The undergraduate program, ranked second in 2006 by U.S. News and World Report, offers a comprehensive multidisciplinary curriculum and exposes students to global real estate opportunities through trips to France, China, Dubai, Chile and other countries.

The MBA curriculum deepens that understanding with comprehensive courses in feasibility analysis, development and real estate investment, in addition to required overseas trips to study international markets. UW-Madison also was first in the nation to offer the Applied Real Estate Security Analysis Program, which teaches MBA students to manage a $1 million portfolio of real estate investment stocks.

Get your hands on some great loot. Win a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Wisconsin Alumni Association has some fantastic items lined up for the first-ever Big Badger Auction, including:

• Lunch with UW coach Bret Bielema
• Box seats at a Cubs game
• Babcock ice cream for a year
• Red and white Allen Edmonds shoes
• Conduct the Fifth Quarter
• Steve Miller signed guitar
• Fighter pilot for a day
• Weekend getaways
• And much more.

Check out the Big Badger Auction now.

You can also donate an item to the Big Badger Auction.

Questions?
Contact Rhonda Reese or call us toll free at (888) WIS-ALUM.

Proceeds benefit the Wisconsin Alumni Association’s mission to make meaningful connections for Badgers around the globe.

BusinessWeek magazine has ranked the undergraduate business program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business 28th in the nation and fourth in the Big Ten. Last year, Wisconsin was ranked 27th nationally and fifth in the Big Ten.

Wisconsin’s undergraduate business program received high marks for value. The magazine ranked Wisconsin 6th in the nation in terms of return on investment, based on tuition costs and median salaries.

The rankings were based on a satisfaction survey of graduating seniors; a poll of corporate recruiters on quality of graduates, curricula and career services; and other measures, such as starting salaries. An additional 30 business schools were included in the ranking this year, making it increasingly competitive.

Wisconsin is ranked 13th in the other major media ranking of undergraduate business programs conducted by U.S. News and World Report, based on a national survey of business school faculty and administrators.

Michael Knetter, dean of the UW-Madison School of Business, said he was pleased the school’s BusinssWeek ranking stayed virtually unchanged despite the additional schools ranked this year. He noted that both the undergraduate and MBA programs at UW-Madison have been ranked among the best in the nation for return on investment. (Wisconsin’s MBA program is ranked 4th in the nation for return on investment by BusinessWeek.)

“We consider rankings carefully,” Knetter said, “but our primary focus is on the fundamentals of our educational programs and student outcomes. “The caliber of students admitted to our undergraduate program is very high; they are highly sought after by employers and we are working on important changes to our undergraduate program that we think will improve the student experience and their success in the workplace.”

More detailed information on the rankings can be found at http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/07/undergrad/

Every individual gift made to one of the following funds between October 27 and December 31, 2007 will be matched dollar for dollar by one of our Wisconsin Naming Partners.

Make a gift to the Wisconsin School of Business Annual Fund
Make a gift to the Wisconsin School of Business MBA Annual Fund
Make a gift to the Wisconsin School of Business Undergraduate Annual Fund

Looking to the future, we recognize the difference all alumni can make by working together. For that reason, one of our Wisconsin Naming Partners has offered to match dollar for dollar every individual gift made to the Wisconsin School of Business Annual Fund from October 27 - December 31, 2007 up to a total of $1 million. There has never been a better time to invest in the Wisconsin School of Business.

The Wisconsin Naming Gift is another important step on a path we are traveling that will enable our school to deliver greater value for students, alumni, and the State. The fiscal challenges faced by the State of Wisconsin, combined with the rising costs of business education, have created the need for us to think differently about how to finance educational excellence. And all of our constituents have responded.

All of our stakeholders are playing an important role in taking our programs to a new level of excellence in spite of a difficult state funding climate. Alumni have funded significant investments in our restructured MBA program. Faculty and staff have parlayed those investments into a more prestigious program and developed and expanded outreach programs that bring new revenue to the school. Undergraduate and masters students have supported higher tuition for the business major. Last spring, 99% of our MBA students made a gift to the school upon graduation. And now, a group of generous alumni have provided the naming gift resources.

We have another important step to take on that road to excellence. We are fortunate to have an extremely large base of alumni - more than 36,000. The Wisconsin Naming Gift, combined with the investment of all alumni acting together, will have an enormous impact.

It will:

• Provide additional operating budget just as our Grainger Hall addition is being completed


• Finance our recent decision to move to sophomore admission at the undergraduate level


• Recruit and retain key faculty and staff members


• Solidify progress in the MBA program


• Expand our business certificate program, making business education accessible to more students at all levels

If every one of our more than 36,000 alumni made a $100 gift each year to the school, the impact on our budget will approximate that of the $85 million naming gift made by our generous Wisconsin Naming Partners. If you join with the Wisconsin Naming Gift Partners by making a commitment to the annual fund every year, it will facilitate an unprecedented transformation of our business school. It is time to seize the opportunity and put the Wisconsin School of Business and its graduates among the next generation of business leaders. The impact we will have on society will be worth our collective investment.

Please consider joining the Wisconsin Naming Partners by making a gift to the Wisconsin School of Business Annual Fund. All gifts made to the following funds will be matched:

Make a gift to the Wisconsin School of Business Annual Fund
Make a gift to the Wisconsin School of Business MBA Annual Fund
Make a gift to the Wisconsin School of Business Undergraduate Annual Fund

If you would like more information about the investment priorities of the Wisconsin School of Business, please visit www.bus.wisc.edu/invest.

A new issue of UPDATE is now available online. This special edition, marking a new era for the Wisconsin School of Business, details the unique $85 million naming gift.

Read UPDATE here