Pre-Business
Communications Part A
Complete one of the following:
English 100 (3 credits), Introduction to College Composition
Com Arts 100 (3 credits), Introduction to Speech Composition
ESL 118 (3 credits, non-native English speakers only)
Comm A courses are designated as "a" in the Course Guide/Class Search. Students who elect to take EPD 155 will still be responsible for 9 total credits of Communications (Comm A, Comm B and Literature). Students will receive degree credit for only one Communications Part A course taken on the UW-Madison campus.
Calculus
Complete one of the following:
Math 211 (5 credits), Calculus
Math 217 (5 credits), Calculus with Algebra and Trigonometry II (must complete Math 171 first)
Math 221 (5 credits), Calculus and Analytic Geometry
Economics
Complete one of the following:
Economics 101 (4 credits), Microeconomics
Economics 111 (4 credits, Honors course), Principles of Economics – Accelerated Treatment
Psychology
Complete one of the following:
Psych 201 (4 credits), Introduction to Psychology
Psych 202 (3 credits), Introduction to Psychology
Psych 281 (4 credits, Honors course), Introduction to Psychology
Communications
Students must complete nine (9) total credits of communications and include one course in each of the following three areas:
Communications Part A: Designated with 'a' in the Class Search/Course Guide.
Literature: Designated with 'L' in the Class Search/Course Guide.
Communications Part B: Designated with 'b' in the Class Search/Course Guide.
Courses used to complete the Communications requirement may also be used to fulfill similar requirements in the Liberal Studies and the Pre-Business requirements.
Students who are exempt from Communications Part A based on the UW Placement Exam must complete six (6) credits of communications, including one course in Literature and one course in Communications Part B. Students in this situation may not use Communications Part A courses to count toward their 6 required credits.
Liberal Studies
Students must complete at least one course per requirement. These requirements must be completed prior to graduation.
Communications Part B
Students must complete one Communications Part B (Comm B) course prior to graduation (minimum 3 credits). Comm B courses are designated with a "b" in the Class Search/Course Guide.
NOTE: In some courses, only specific sections are designated as Comm B. Refer to Class Notes for complete information.
Literature
One course (minimum 3 credits) designated as "L" in the Class Search/Course Guide.
Science
Completion of at least 6 credits of Biological, Natural, or Physical Science courses. These courses have the "B", "N", or "P" designators in the Class Search/Course Guide.
Courses with "W", "X", and "Y" designators will not satisfy this requirement. In addition, School of Business, Computer Science, Mathematics, and Statistics courses may not be used to satisfy this requirement.
Foreign Language
The Wisconsin School of Business requires students to complete at least three units of a single foreign language.
One unit equals:
1 year of high school OR
1 semester of college
For example, if a student complete 2 years of Spanish in high school, then the student must complete 1 semester of Spanish (at any level) in college. This same student may also choose to complete 3 semesters of a different foreign language in college to fulfill this requirement.
Ethics
Complete one of the following Philosophy courses:
Philosophy 241, Introductory Ethics
Philosophy 243, Ethics in Business
Philosophy 341, Contemporary Moral Issues
Philosophy 441, Environmental Ethics
Ethnic Studies
One ethnic studies course (minimum 3 credits). Ethnic studies courses are designated with an "e" in the Class Search/Course Guide. Students interested in business are strongly encouraged to fulfill this requirement in their first two years of coursework.
Humanities
One Humanities course (minimum 3 credits). Humanities courses are designated with an "H" or "Z" in the Class Search/Course Guide. The second literature (“L”) course taken may also satisfy the humanities requirement.
Social Science
One social science course (minimum 3 credits). Social science courses are designated with an "S" or "Z" in the Class Search/Course Guide.
Note: Economics courses, Wisconsin School of Business courses and Psych 202 (or equiv) may NOT be used to satisfy this requirement.
Advanced Calculus/Statistics
One of the following advanced mathematics/statistics courses:
Math 213 (3 credits), Calculus and Introduction to Differential Equations
Math 222* (5 credits), Calculus and Analytic Geometry (Students must take Math 221 or Math 171&217 in order to take Math 222)
General Business 304 (3 credits), Intermediate Business Statistics
Actuarial Science 654 (3 credits), Regression and Time Series for Actuaries
Economics 410 (4 credits), Introductory Econometrics
Statistics 310 (4 credits), Introduction to Mathematical Statistics
Statistics 312 (4 credits), Introduction to Mathematical Statistics
Statistics 333 (3 credits), Applied Regression Analysis
Business Preparatory
Statistics
Complete ONE of the following statistics courses:
Gen Bus 303 (3 credits), Business Statistics
Econ 310 (4 credits), Statistics: Measurement in Economics
Psych 210* (3 credits), Basic Stats for Psychology (*Students who take Psych 210 must also take Psych 225 in order to satisfy their statistics requirement)
Psych 280* (4 credits), Honors Basic Stats for Psychology (*Students who take Psych 280 must also take Psych 225 in order to satisfy their statistics requirement)
Stat 201 (3 credits), Principles of Statistics
Stat 224 (3 credits), Introductory Statistics for Engineers
Stat 301 (3 credits), Introduction to Statistical Methods
Stat 309 (4 credits), Introduction to Mathematical Statistics
Stat 311 (4 credits), Introduction to Mathematical Statistics
Stat 324 (3 credits), Introductory Applied Statistics for Engineers
Stat 371 (3 credits) Introductory Applied Statistics for Life Sciences
Math 431 (3 credits), Introduction to the Theory of Probability
Note: Most students take Gen Bus 303 or Stat 301 to satisfy this requirement. However, students planning on majoring in actuarial science should take one of Stat 309, 311 or Math 431. Students planning on double majoring or who have a parallel plan in Economics or Psychology may take Econ 310 and Psych 210/225, respectively. If you are unsure which course to choose, contact your academic advisor.
General Business 300 (3 credits), Professional Communication
*(Must be an admitted business student to enroll)
Accounting and Information Systems 100 (3 credits), Introductory Financial Accounting
Accounting and Information Systems 211 (3 credits), Introductory Managerial Accounting
Economics 102 (3 credits), Macroeconomics, OR
Economics 111 (4 credits, Honors Course, satisfies both Microeconomics-Econ 101 and Macroeconomics-Econ 102)
Business Breadth
General Business 301 (3 credits), Business Law
Complete two business courses (3 credits each) that are outside of your major from two separate Wisconsin School of Business departments. Courses taken to satisfy this requirement may not include Preparatory or Core Business Courses, General Business Courses, any 399 Course, or International Business courses cross-listed with a foreign language. Courses taken at another institution must be directly equivalent to a UW-Madison business course and title (i.e. not elective credit).
Note: Students with two majors in the Wisconsin School of Business or one major and a Specialization in Supply Chain Management need one business course (3 credits) outside their major/Supply Chain Management Specialization to satisfy this requirement. Students with three or more majors in business or two majors and the Supply Chain Management Specialization are not required to take additional breadth courses.
Some majors allow students to use courses outside their major department to satisfy major requirements. Even though these courses are outside the major department, these courses cannot be used to satisfy the breadth requirement for students in that major.
Business Core
Finance 300 (3 credits), Introduction to Finance
Marketing 300 (3 credits), Marketing Management
Management and Human Resources 300 (3 credits), Organizational Behavior
Operations and Technology Management 300 (3 credits), Operations Management
Credit Requirements
Candidates for the Wisconsin Bachelor of Business Administration degree (BBA) must meet all of the following credit requirements in addition to completing the required coursework.
120 Degree Credits
All students who plan to graduate from the University of Wisconsin - Madison with a bachelor's degree must complete a minimum of 120 degree credits. Please note that some courses do not count for degree credit (hyperlink to mybiz/academics/academic policies).
52-52 Credit Rule
The minimum 120 degree credits required for graduation must include:
52 Business/economics credits. Courses that are equivalent to Gen Bus 303 and 304 are also considered business courses.
Additionally, Computer Science 302 is required for the Information Systems major, so it counts toward the 52 business credits for all business majors.
52 Non-business/non-economics credits. This count excludes foreign language retro credits for students under the old requirements.
75 Credit Rule
Undergraduate students may not take more than 75 credits of Wisconsin School of Business courses.
GPA Requirements
Candidates for the Wisconsin Bachelor of Business Administration degree (BBA) must meet all of the following GPA requirements in addition to completing the required coursework.
Business/Econ GPA:
Business students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA on all Business and Economics courses taken at UW-Madison. Courses that are equivalent to Gen Bus 303 and 304 are also considered Business courses for the purposes of determining a student’s Bus/Econ GPA. Non-accounting majors cannot complete their degrees with a Bus/Econ GPA of less than 2.0. Accounting majors cannot complete their degrees with a Bus/Econ GPA of less than 2.5.
Quality of Work since Admission:
Business students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA on all coursework completed at UW-Madison after they are admitted to the Wisconsin School of Business. Students cannot complete their degree with a GPA since admission of less than 2.0.
Semester GPA:
Students must maintain a minimum semester GPA of 2.0 for each semester in which they are in the Wisconsin School of Business.
Cumulative GPA:
Business students must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA. Cumulative GPA includes all work completed at UW-Madison. Students cannot complete their degree with a cumulative GPA of less than 2.0.
Residency Requirement
Students admitted to the Wisconsin School of Business must complete a minimum of thirty credits of business courses on the UW-Madison campus to satisfy degree requirements for the Wisconsin Bachelor’s of Business Administration (BBA).
Curriculum & Degree Requirements for Students under the Old/Junior Admission Requirements
Students who matriculated prior to summer 2008 and do not fall under the 10 semester rule should refer to the information below to learn more about their requirements.
Pre-Business
Communications Part A
Complete one of the following:
English 100 (3 credits), Introduction to College Composition
Com Arts 100 (3 credits), Introduction to Speech Composition
ESL 118 (3 credits, non-native English speakers only)
Comm A courses are designated as "a" in the Course Guide/Class Search. Students who elect to take EPD 155 will still be responsible for 9 total credits of Communications (Comm A, Comm B and Literature). Students will receive degree credit for only one Communications Part A course taken on the UW-Madison campus.
Literature
One course (minimum 3 credits) designated as "L" in the Class Search/Course Guide.
Mathematics
Complete ONE of the following math sequences:
- Math 210 and Math 211
- Math 210 and Math 221
- Math 221 and Math 222
- Math 210 and Math 217
- Math 217 and Math 222
Notes for all students:
- Actuarial Science majors are required to take Math 221 and Math 222 (or Math 217 and Math 222)
- Finance majors are also required to take two semesters of calculus. Students who complete Math 211 may take Math 213. Students who complete Math 221 (or Math 217) may take either Math 213 or Math 222
- Math 217 is the second course in a year-long sequence with Math 171 (5 credits). Students must complete both Math 171 and Math 217
- Math 211 can be taken prior to Math 210.
Math Course Titles
Math 210 (3 credits), Topics in Finite Mathematics
Math 211 (5 credits), Calculus
Math 217 (5 credits), Calculus and Introduction to Differential Equations
Math 221 (5 credits), Calculus and Analytic Geometry
Math 222 (5 credits), Calculus and Analytic Geometry
Science
Completion of at least 6 credits of Biological, Natural, or Physical Science courses. These courses have the "B", "N", or "P" designators in the Class Search/Course Guide.
Courses with "W", "X", and "Y" designators will not satisfy this requirement. In addition, Wisconsin School of Business, Computer Science, Mathematics, and Statistics courses may not be used to satisfy this requirement.
Accounting
Complete Accounting and Information Systems 100 (3 credits), Introductory Financial Accounting
Economics
Complete one of the following options:
Economics 101 (4 credits), Microeconomics AND Economics 102 (3 credits), Macroeconomics, OR
Economics 111 (4 credits, Honors course), Principles of Economics – Accelerated Treatment
Foreign Language
The Wisconsin School of Business requires students to complete at least three units of a single foreign language.
One unit equals:
1 year of high school OR
1 semester of college
For example, if a student completes 2 years of Spanish in high school, then the student must complete 1 semester of Spanish (at any level) in college. This same student may also choose to complete 3 semesters of a different foreign language in college to fulfill this requirement.
Psychology
Complete one of the following:
Psych 201 (4 credits), Introduction to Psychology
Psych 202 (3 credits), Introduction to Psychology
Psych 281 (4 credits, Honors course), Introduction to Psychology
Communications
Students must complete nine (9) total credits of communications and include one course in each of the following three areas:
Communications Part A: Designated with 'a' in the Class Search/Course Guide.
Literature: Designated with 'L' in the Class Search/Course Guide.
Communications Part B: Designated with 'b' in the Class Search/Course Guide.
Courses used to complete the Communications requirement may also be used to fulfill similar requirements in the Liberal Studies and the Pre-Business requirements.
Please note that taking a course that is both Lit and Comm B (both designations) will not exempt you from meeting the 9 total credits required for the Communications requirement. Students will still need to take an additional Lit or Comm B course in order to reach the 9 credit minimum.
Students who are exempt from Communications Part A based on the UW Placement Exam must complete 6 credits of communications, including one course in Literature and one course in Communications Part B. Students in this situation may not use Communications Part A courses to count toward their 6 required credits.
Liberal Studies
These requirements must be completed prior to graduation.
Communications Part B
Students must complete one Communications Part B (Comm B) course prior to graduation (minimum 3 credits). Comm B courses are designated with a "b" in the Class Search/Course Guide.
NOTE: In some courses, only specific sections are designated as Comm B. Refer to Class Notes for complete information.
Ethics
Complete ONE of the following Philosophy courses:
Philosophy 241, Introductory Ethics
Philosophy 243, Ethics in Business
Philosophy 341, Contemporary Moral Issues
Philosophy 441, Environmental Ethics
Ethnic Studies
One ethnic studies course (minimum 3 credits). Ethnic studies courses are designated with an "e" in the Class Search/Course Guide. Students interested in business are strongly encouraged to fulfill this requirement in their first two years of coursework.
Humanities
One humanities course (minimum 3 credits). Humanities courses are designated with an "H" or "Z" in the Class Search/Course Guide. The second literature (“L”) course taken may also satisfy the humanities requirement.
Social Science
One social science course (minimum 3 credits). Social science courses are designated with an "S" or "Z" in the Class Search/Course Guide.
Note: Economics courses, Wisconsin School of Business courses and Psych 202 (or equiv) may NOT be used to satisfy this requirement.
Business Core
Statistics
Complete ONE of the following statistics courses:
Gen Bus 303 (3 credits), Business Statistics
Econ 310 (4 credits), Statistics: Measurement in Economics
Psych 210* (3 credits), Basic Stats for Psychology (*Students who take Psych 210 must also take Psych 225 in order to satisfy their statistics requirement)
Psych 280* (4 credits), Honors Basic Stats for Psychology (*Students who take Psych 280 must also take Psych 225 in order to satisfy their statistics requirement)
Stat 201 (3 credits), Principles of Statistics
Stat 224 (3 credits), Introductory Statistics for Engineers
Stat 301 (3 credits), Introduction to Statistical Methods
Stat 309 (4 credits), Introduction to Mathematical Statistics
Stat 311 (4 credits), Introduction to Mathematical Statistics
Stat 324 (3 credits), Introductory Applied Statistics for Engineers
Stat 371 (3 credits) Introductory Applied Statistics for Life Sciences
Math 431 (3 credits), Introduction to the Theory of Probability
Note: Most students take Gen Bus 303 or Stat 301 to satisfy this requirement. However, students planning on majoring in Actuarial Science should take ONE of Stat 309, 311 or Math 431. Students planning on double majoring or who have a parallel plan in Economics or Psychology may take Econ 310 and Psych 210/225, respectively. If you are unsure which course to choose, contact your academic advisor.
General Business 300 (3 credits), Professional Communication*
*(Must be an admitted business student to enroll)
General Business 301 (3 credits), Business Law
Accounting and Information Systems 211 (3 credits), Introductory Managerial Accounting
Finance 300 (3 credits), Introduction to Finance
Marketing 300 (3 credits), Marketing Management
Management and Human Resources 300 (3 credits), Organizational Behavior
Operations and Technology Management 300 (3 credits), Operations Management
Business Breadth
Complete two business courses (3 credits each) that are outside of your major from two separate Wisconsin School of Business departments. Courses taken to satisfy this requirement may not include core courses, courses required by or cross-listed with the student's major, General Business 100, any 399 (Readings and Research) course, or International Business courses cross-listed with language departments. Courses taken at another institution must be directly equivalent to a UW-Madison business course and title (i.e. not elective credit).
Note: Students with two majors in the Wisconsin School of Business or one major and a Specialization in Supply Chain Management need one business course (3 credits) outside their major/Supply Chain Management Specialization to satisfy this requirement. Students with three or more majors in business or two majors and the Supply Chain Management Specialization are not required to take additional breadth courses.
Some majors allow students to use courses outside their major department to satisfy major requirements. Even though these courses are outside the major department, these courses cannot be used to satisfy the breadth requirement for students in that major.
Business Major
Click here to view Wisconsin BBA majors.