Admissions Advice: Wisconsin MBA

Representatives of Wisconsin-Madison's business school participated in an online chat with potential applicants. Here's the transcript

Betsy Kacizak
University of Wisconsin-Madison

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The University of Wisconsin-Madison's School of Business is unique, say its administrators, for its specialized courses in the second year. Students can focus on disciplines from brand management to entrepreneurship. Some students who responded to the 2007 BusinessWeek survey praised the school for its practical, applied lessons and personalized touches.

Recently, in a live chat event, Betsy Kacizak (BetsyWisconsin), director of MBA Admissions & Financial Aid at the school, and second-year student Ben Burney (BenWisconsin) fielded questions from audience members and BusinessWeek.com reporter Francesca Di Meglio (FrancescaBW). Here are edited excerpts of their conversation:

FrancescaBW: For starters, why don't you tell us what you look for in an MBA student?

BetsyWisconsin: We look for candidates who have a clear career focus. At Wisconsin, we offer career specializations in several functional areas. Work experience is important, but it does not have to be in business. We look for transferable skills that will demonstrate leadership.

khouck: Are we allowed to apply for two specializations at the same time?

BetsyWisconsin: No. Students will select only one career specialization when they apply. It is normal for students to have multiple interests, and in the second year you will have some flexibility to take classes in other areas.

Carlos_Flor: I would like to know how the MBA program at the University of Wisconsin will benefit me in my area of work, which is telecom. I have worked as field engineer in the past and more recently as project manager. My goal is to advance my career into the role of operations manager.

BetsyWisconsin: We have a specialization at Wisconsin in Operations & Technology Management. With your background as an engineer and interest in telecom, this would be an ideal fit. The specialization prepares students in ops management, and the advisory board for the Erdman Center [for Operations & Technology Management] has many professionals in this area to help you grow as a professional through a mentorship program.

Devyani: Can I work and attend classes at the time? Is it possible to take courses in the evenings and on weekends?

BetsyWisconsin: The Wisconsin MBA program has a full-time program (which I am the director of) and part-time programs. In the full-time MBA program, students can work part-time. I recommend working no more than [a few] hours a week. Your employer would need to be flexible as classes are held mostly during the day, and you have group projects. If you want to work full-time, I would suggest you consider the part-time MBA program. This program is designed for working adults and classes are held Monday and Thursday evenings.

NathanWenk: What are the general concepts/areas of learning that I can expect the first year?

BenWisconsin: The classes during the first year are primarily core classes—marketing, finance, and accounting, among others. Every student takes the core courses. This was tremendously beneficial to me for my internship this past summer and for other students as well. Students take two to three specialization courses during the first year of the program.

neelaabh: I would like to know how the admissions committee looks at people who have advanced degrees like PhDs? Having a PhD means significantly less work experience. Would you say that is a negative for admission?

BetsyWisconsin: Having an advanced degree can be a benefit. We would want you to share with us your career goals and why you made the choice to attend a PhD program. For example, students in our SMILES (or Strategic Management in the Life & Engineering Sciences) program tend to have advanced degrees. In this program, it is helpful. If you are switching careers, the PhD might not have as much impact, but it might explain why you would need an MBA.