Graduate Overview
MBA (Master of Business Administration)
Unlock your potential with an MBA
The Master of Business Administration program at the UW-Whitewater College of Business and Economics develops aspiring professionals who are capable of thinking globally, behaving ethically and leading innovation. This three-pronged orientation is evident in the content of every MBA core class, in teaching methods and assigned activities. You will have opportunities to practice using critical thinking skills as you make strategic decisions in cases and projects. You will learn to negotiate and persuade while you develop your skills in project management. You will assess your own behavior and improve your ability to work in teams. You will be a leader.
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater MBA offers:
- Delivery format: MBA breadth and emphasis courses are completed online.
- Flexibility: You can choose a full- or part-time course schedule to fit your schedule.
- Outstanding faculty: The faculty who teach MBA courses have doctoral degrees, teach full-time at UW-Whitewater, actively publish research in their fields, and undergo careful course reviews each time they teach their courses.
- Specialization: At UW-Whitewater you can choose from a number of unique emphases, including a customized emphasis, to personalize your education and make you stand out from the crowd.
- Strong connections: By joining a network with more than 30,000 active alumni, you can easily connect with influential professionals for advice, support, career connections, and friendship. And because only 5% of business schools worldwide can boast AACSB accreditation, you know you are part of an elite group.
- New opportunities: You don't need prior business education or a business background to succeed in the MBA program. Together with the common body of knowledge courses or the Graduate Business Foundations Certificate, the program can help you revitalize your career or learn to be a leader in a technical field.
Learn more
Request more information or attend an online information session.
In a survey of nearly 11,000 business school alumni
- 93% would pursue a graduate business degree again
- 97% would rate their education as an outstanding to excellent value
Source: Graduate Management Admissions Council Alumni Perspectives Survey Report 2018
To ensure a high quality graduate student group, all Master of Business Administration students must have a bachelor's degree from a recognized institution and meet graduate admission criteria, in addition to one of the MBA admission criteria provided below. Many applicants will qualify for admission without GMAT/GRE scores.
Our interactive evaluation form can also help you review the admission requirements and the documentation needed for official admission review.
If you do not meet the graduate admission requirements, please email us to determine if you could be admitted on a conditional basis.
International students must meet additional criteria and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Contact us for information and assistance.
Applicants must satisfy any one of the criteria from any of the following categories.
Military Service
- Qualified veteran or currently active military personnel
Education
- AACSB- or ABET-accredited bachelor's degree with a 3.0 GPA or higher
- Regionally-accredited bachelor's degree with a 3.25 GPA or higher
- Graduate degree from a regionally-accredited or equivalent institution
- UW-Whitewater graduate business certificate
Work Experience
- Four or more years of professional work experience
- Two or more years of professional work experience with a 3.0 GPA
- Approved professional certification
GMAT Scores*
- A composite score of at least 1,100 based on the following formula
- (GMAT score) + [200 x (overall undergraduate GPA based on a 4-point scale)]
- A composite score of at least 1,150 based on the following formula
- (GMAT score) + [200 x (last half of undergraduate GPA based on a 4-point scale)]
- A composite score of 950 - 1,100 for consideration of conditional admission based on the following formula
- (GMAT score) + [200 x (overall undergraduate GPA based on a 4-point scale)]
*GRE scores are converted to comparable GMAT scores
Overview
The Master of Business Administration degree requirements have been designed to prepare you for success as a student in the program and your subsequent career. To earn the UW-Whitewater MBA, you must:
- Complete the 36-credit course requirements, ensuring at least 30 of the 36 credits are numbered 730 and above.
- Breadth (24 credits)
- Emphasis (9 credits)
- Elective (3 credits)
- Complete Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) courses, as required.
- CBK requirements are determined based on transcript review.
- Candidates with an undergraduate degree in business may not need to complete CBKs or requirements may be very limited.
- Students must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in both their overall graduate work and emphasis courses.
More information on the program structure and courses can be viewed in the Graduate Catalog.
With a number of unique emphases and more than 50 electives covering the breadth of contemporary business issues, students can tailor the UW-Whitewater MBA program to meet their interests and needs. In addition, by applying their elective toward a second emphasis, students need just two more unique courses to graduate with a dual emphasis. Explore the emphases below for more information. Courses by emphasis are also listed in the Graduate Catalog.
Customized Emphasis: Students may contact the Graduate Business Office to discuss options for a customized emphasis. Depending on the courses selected, the emphasis may be completed online or on-campus.
On-Campus Emphases: Please note that the Customized and Management (limited courses) emphases are the only options that can be completed on-campus. All other emphasis courses are delivered online.
Career outcomes for MBA students — particularly salaries — vary greatly based on years of experience, geographic location, employment status and position prior to starting the program, as well as MBA emphasis and other factors. Information from surveyed UW-Whitewater MBA alumni by emphasis is provided below, including placement rate, highlighted employers, and common position titles. National average salary information has also been cross-referenced.
Additional research is available from the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), which shares its Alumni Perspectives Survey results each year.
MBA Emphasis |
Placement Rate1 |
Highlighted Employers1 |
Common Titles1 |
Industry Salary (national average with 1 to 20+ years of exp.) |
Business Data Analytics |
Insufficient response rate |
Insufficient response rate |
Insufficient response rate |
$79,000 |
Environmental Health & Safety |
Insufficient response rate |
Insufficient response rate |
Insufficient response rate |
$84,000 |
Finance |
100% |
American Family Insurance, Associated Bank, KPMG, Oshkosh Corporation, Royal Capital Group, UnitedHealth Group |
Accountant, Client Manager, Financial Analyst, Portfolio Manager, Risk Analyst |
$99,000 |
Human Resource Management |
100% |
Allstate Insurance, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Dick's Sporting Goods, Johnson Controls, Kohler Company, Robert W. Baird & Co. |
Director of Human Resources, HR Generalist, Payroll and Benefits Specialist, Store Manager, Talent Acquisition Manager |
$68,000 |
Information Technology Management |
100% |
First Bank National, GE Healthcare, Johnsonville Sausage, Sentry Insurance, Trek Bicycle Corporation, Wisconsin Dept. of Administration |
Business Analyst, IT Manager, Project Manager, Software Developer, Systems Analyst |
$102,000 |
International Business |
100% |
3M, Amazon, Aurora Health Care, Burberry, Dogfish Head Brewery, US Cellular |
Business Analyst, Global Supply Chain Analyst, International Brand Coordinator, International Plant Manager, Project Manager |
$94,000 |
Management |
100% |
Anthem, BMO Harris Bank, Caterpillar, Hewitt-Packard Enterprises, Nestle, Thermo Fischer Scientific |
Account Executive, Financial Analyst, National Sales Manager, Operations Manager, Supply Chain Analyst |
$84,000 |
Marketing |
100% |
Boston Scientific Corporation, Eli Lilly, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Proctor & Gamble, TDS Telecommunications, Under Armour |
Brand Manager, Marketing Manager, Pricing Analyst, Product Marketing Specialist, Supply Chain Analyst |
$92,000 |
Project Management |
Insufficient response rate |
Bose Corporation, Cameca Instruments, Cargill, Johnson Controls, Polaris Industries, Shopko |
Compliance Specialist, IT Manager, Operations Supervisor, Project Manager, Quality Assurance Analyst |
$82,000 |
Supply Chain Management |
100% |
American Transmission Company, Baker Tilly LLP, Briggs & Stratton Corporation, Eaton Steel Bar Company, Kraft-Heinz Company, Ryder System, Treehouse Foods |
Buyer, Director of Operations, Forecast Analyst, Import Specialist, Supply Chain Specialist |
$85,000 |
Customized |
100% |
Bank of America, Ernst & Young, MassMutual Financial Group, Mayo Clinic, Molson Coors, State of Wisconsin Investment Board |
Business Operations Specialist, Finance Manager, IT Analyst Programmer, Sales Consultant, Sr. Solution Designer |
Varies based on emphasis and industry |
1 Based on 2018 - 2019 survey data; many MBA graduates are employed when beginning the program and/or are employer-sponsored.