1999 Profile Update
School Statistics
Graduates' Comments
SURVEY DETAILS
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The University of Wisconsin's School of Business entered BW's Top 25 for the first time in 1998. It was propelled to the No. 23 spot based largely on higher scores on the graduate poll. In fact, the UW program experienced the third-greatest rise in MBA satisfaction. Two high points: the school's well-integrated use of technology in the curriculum and small class sizes. An average of just 25 students registered in one of the school's 108 electives (only Berkeley's electives were smaller), and on average, a scant 30 students enrolled in a core course -- tied (with Texas A&M) for the fewest of all the 61 schools BW reviewed. Still, of all the students surveyed in the Top 25, Wisconsin grads were the least likely to urge their friends to attend their school.
Their reluctance may have something to do with the school's placement situation: UW grads had the lowest pre- and post-MBA pay in the Top 25. Relatively meager pay packages -- averaging $83,298 -- were one reason the school's placement office was voted the third-worst in the Top 25. Another reason: Few compensatory perks to speak of. Just 6% of the surveyed class received tuition reimbursement from their employer, a mere 11% grabbed stock options, and only 26% negotiated a yearend bonus. Moreover, grads were disappointed by the office's weak professional contacts. This despite the tremendous growth in on-campus recruiters for second-years -- from 193 in 1997 to 271 in '98. Grads did, however, laud the office for its assistance and support of independent job searches. An overall plus for the school is its $16,634 nonresident tuition, among the lowest in the Top 25. As a result, UW grads marched out of B-school only $21,607 in the red, on average. Maryland grads were the only ones to fare better.
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STRATEGY FOR APPLICANTS
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If you have no prior business experience, but still want to go to B-school, Wisconsin may be the place for you: Some 10 percent of students enter the program without having worked in business. Dean Andrew Policano says that's because some of the niche programs are so specialized that prior experience is often irrelevant, and that the programs build in plenty of hands-on work to put on your resume. Application requirements and processes vary from program to program, so be sure to check out the specifics for the one you're interested in. The arts administration program, for example, requires two years' experience in arts management.
Wisconsin used to require two sets of applications to be submitted by B-school candidates, one to the university's Graduate School and another to the School of Business. As of 1999, that's changed -- you just have to apply to the B-school. Students applying for fall entrance must apply by the May deadline, with applicants admitted on a rolling basis; you can also apply in October to begin the program the following spring, with a December graduation four semesters later, as some 30 to 50 students a year do. Some of the M.S. programs complete coursework in just 16 months, without a summer internship; those students get their degrees in August.
The school's selectivity hit a glitch in 1998, when 47 percent of applicants were admitted compared with 33 percent two years earlier. Lisa Urban, director of marketing and recruiting, says the reason is because the school anticipated a big drop in Asian enrollment due to the economic crisis in that region, and so sent out a larger number of acceptances than usual to compensate. Don't expect that to happen again anytime soon; typically, about two-thirds of applicants are rejected. Wisconsin looks for a GPA of at least 3.0, and the average GMAT score, which had fallen below 600, now stands at 613. Personal interviews are not required, but can be requested; about 40 percent of admitted applicants in 1998 were interviewed on campus. The admissions office will arrange a tour of Grainger Hall, attendance in a B-school class, and meetings with current students if you decide to visit.
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CURRICULUM
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Electives available in 1998: 108
New electives in past three years: 14%
The core curriculum was last revised in: 1997
Accelerated MBA program offered?
Yes
New Courses in Past Three Years
International Accounting, Advanced Derivative Securities, Project Management, Human Resource Skills for Managers, The Management of Teams, Global Issues in Management, Organizational Evaluation, Weinert Applied Ventures Seminar, Developing and Commercializing Breakthrough New Products, Analysis of Commercial Databases, Principles of Carrier Management, Managing the Legal Environment, Managerial Communication, Principles and Techniques of Quality Management, International Technology Strategy
Most Popular Electives
Small Business Management, Real Estate Finance, Business Strategy
Most Popular Professors
Bob Pricer, Jan Heide, Jeff Inman, Ernie Hanson
Majors or Concentrations Added in Past Three Years
Agribusiness MBA, Entrepreneurship, Quantitative Math Finance,
Teaching Methods
Lecture: 50%
Case Study: 20%
Experiential Learning, Team Projects, Web-based Activities: 30%
| Full-time faculty members: |
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79 |
| Adjunct or visiting faculty: |
7 |
| Average core class size: |
30 |
| Average elective class size: |
25 |
Laptop computer required?
No
Grading System
Grading is based on 4.0 system with interim steps: A, A-, B+, B, B-, etc.
Exchange Programs or International Campuses
Thammasat University (Bangkok, Thailand); University of International Business and Economics (Beijing, China); Copenhagen Business School (Copenhagen, Denmark); Goethe Universitat (Frankfurt, Germany); Luigi Bocconi (Milan, Italy); Instituto Technologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (Monterrey, Mexico); AIFS and Ecole Superieure de Commerce de Paris (Paris, France); Pontificia Universidad Catolica (Santiago, Chile); National University of Singapore; Shanghai University of Finance and Economics; Wirschaftsuniversitat-Wein (Vienna, Austria)
Best Areas of Study
Real Estate, Applied Security Analysis/Finance, Marketing Research/Marketing, Distribution Management, Actuarial Science, Risk Management and Insurance, Accounting, Manufacturing, Technology Management
Areas School Would Like to Improve
Information Systems
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1998 PLACEMENT
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On-campus recruiters for graduates: 271
On-campus recruiters for first-year internships: 105
On-campus student full-time job interviews: approx. 974
On-campus student internship interviews: 702
Job opportunities posted via the Internet or E-mail: 2,616
Top Employers/Number of 1998 Hires
| Andersen Consulting |
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6 |
| US Bancorp |
5 |
| Procter & Gamble |
4 |
| Abbott Labs |
3 |
| General Mills |
3 |
| Hammes Co. |
3 |
| Hewlett-Packard |
3 |
| IBM |
3 |
| GTE |
2 |
| ACNielsen |
2 |
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ALUMNI NETWORK
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Number of living alumni: 9,524
Alums who gave to the school during the 1997/98 academic year: 10%
Median alumni gift: $50
Number of alumni clubs: 0
Number of dues-paying members: 0
Number of staffers devoted to MBA alumni relations: 0
Placement services offered for alumni?
Yes
Description of Alumni Placement Services
The Wisconsin Business Alumni office now has job listings and placement services available on a new alumni online community Web site (which was launched in late summer 1998). The alumni office also channels any alumni requests for placement information and/or services to the business school's Career Services Office.
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1999 Profile Update
School Statistics
Graduates' Comments
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Key Contacts
School Web Site
E-Mail:
uwmadmba@bus.wisc.edu
Address:
School of Business
Grainger Hall
975 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53706
Dean:
Andrew J. Policano
(608) 262-1758
Director of MBA Programs:
Randall Dunham
(608) 265-5030
Director of Admissions:
Lisa Urban
(608) 262-4610
Director of Alumni Relations:
Pam Benjamin
(608) 262-7426
Director of Financial Aid:
Ms. Casey Jordan
(608) 262-9817
Director of Career Services:
Karen Stauffacher
(608) 262-2810
Application Deadlines:
U.S.
May 1, 1999
International
May 1, 1999
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