Admissions Advice: Wisconsin MBA

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Betsy Kacizak
University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Devyani: What kinds of team-building or extracurricular activities await Wisconsin-Madison students?

BenWisconsin: There are some traditional team-building exercises during orientation outside of projects, etc. I've found that the best team building occurs during projects though—and there are plenty of them, especially first semester, which are quite challenging. As for extracurriculars, there are a variety of clubs from the Graduate Business Assn. events, to the MBA Running Club, the Wine Club, the Real Estate Club, the Finance Club, Net Impact, and so on. Madison has lots of arts, culture, outdoors, and sports activities.

bpcoker: What are the benefits of an MBA over an MS?

BetsyWisconsin: At Wisconsin we no longer offer an MS degree so this may vary by program. However, when we did have MS and MBA programs, the big difference was the types of classes one would take. In an MS program, it typically is done in less time and the focus is on classes in the specific functional area. With an MBA, some courses are what would be considered general management and additional courses in the functional area.

At Wisconsin, we moved to an all-MBA program because we felt (as did the students and employers) it was important to deliver a program that builds on a solid foundation of core management skills. The students at Wisconsin get this in the first year. However, we also felt it was important to balance it with courses in your specialization, so in both the first and second semester of year one, you take career courses.

In the second year, we focus on career courses (much like an MS degree) to give the students the functional expertise they are looking for. We created a balance between offering a general management degree with a highly specialized program.

Carlos_Flor: Would it be possible for me to get in contact with a student in the Operations & Technology Management specialization at your program?

BetsyWisconsin: Yes, you can either contact me at ekacizak@bus.wisc.edu or Andy Jakubczak at ajakubczak@bus.wisc.edu. Andy is the director of the Operations & Technology Management program.

NathanWenk: I took seven years off in the middle of undergrad and was a manager for Chili's Grill & Bar. Can this count as the professional work experience?

BenWisconsin: In my mind, that certainly counts as work experience, and I'm sure you learned a lot from it. The key is to tell your story. It sounds like it could be an interesting one. In your application essay questions, you might explain why you made the decision to take time off of undergrad, what skills you gained from it, etc.

Carlos_Flor: Does your program offer any project management assistantships?

BetsyWisconsin: We do have project assistantships for the MBA students. This might be different from what you are thinking of as a project management position. As a PA, or project assistant, students are assigned to a department or center to do various project work. For example, I have a few MBA students who work in admissions and recruiting to help organize events, answer questions, and host visitors. In return their PA provides great benefits such as free tuition, a monthly stipend, and health insurance. The PAs are awarded as merit aid at the time of admission.

Eugene: I am Eugene from South Korea, and I was wondering what my chances are to get a job in Madison without having a U.S. citizenship if I earn my MBA degree from UW Madison with a concentration in general management/strategies.

BenWisconsin: The full-time Wisconsin MBA program does not offer a general management/strategies concentration. I believe that the part-time program does, however. It is hard to say what your chances of getting a job in Madison are. Upon graduation, most students move out of Madison to Chicago, New York, Boston, San Francisco, and elsewhere.