Overview
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at UW-Whitewater Online immerses students in a three-pronged approach. We develop aspiring professionals to think globally, behave ethically, and lead innovation strategically. You will broaden critical thinking skills to make strategic decisions in case studies and class assignments. Project management skills will be honed as you learn to negotiate and persuade. And your ability to work in teams will improve through self-reflection as you learn to lead fairly and effectively.
Why choose the #1 online, single-institution, MBA in Wisconsin? The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s College of Business and Economics is Wisconsin’s largest business school. Our program is:
- Flexible and convenient for your schedule
- Able to be customized with 13 unique emphases
- Taught by top-notch, 100% doctoral instructors (no TAs)
- Supported by a Strong alumni network of 30,000+
To earn the UW-Whitewater Online 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 courses, as required.
- Requirements (0 – 6 credits) are determined based on transcript review.
- Candidates with an undergraduate degree in business may not need to complete or requirements may be very limited.
- Students must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Program Description
With your MBA, you will broaden critical thinking skills to make strategic decisions in case studies and class assignments. Project management skills will be honed as you learn to negotiate and persuade. And your ability to work in teams will improve through self-reflection as you learn to lead fairly and effectively. With a number of emphases to choose from, you can tailor your degree to meet your career goals.
In addition, by applying your elective toward a second emphasis, you need just two more unique courses to graduate with a dual emphasis.
Emphases include:
The Accounting emphasis is ideal for individuals working or interested in accounting, who desire a breadth degree to develop their overall business acumen and leadership skills. MBA students that would like to earn an emphasis in Accounting must complete three courses (nine credits).
The Cybersecurity Management emphasis MBA addresses topics such as managing information assurance and security, cybersecurity and privacy law, intrusion detection and prevention, computer forensics, and ethical hacking. MBA students who would like to earn an emphasis in Cybersecurity Management must complete three courses (nine credits) in the subject.
The Cybersecurity Management emphasis is ideal for MBA students interested in pursuing cybersecurity careers such as security analysts and security managers.
Online MBA students who would like to earn an emphasis in Data Analytics must complete three courses (nine credits) from the available courses, which address contemporary topics such as data management, data mining, business intelligence, process innovation, and digital marketing.
The Data Analytics emphasis prepares students for managerial positions requiring a solid foundation in data mining and analytics.
The Environmental Safety and Health emphasis develops an understanding of occupational and environmental safety issues, and the need for businesses and organizations to effectively manage them. Students learn regulatory, financial and social rationales that support initiatives in the workplace. They also strengthen their ability to influence risk perception with appropriate communication strategies. Online MBA students who would like to earn an emphasis in Environmental Safety and Health must complete three courses (nine credits) from the available courses, which are all offered online.
The Finance emphasis provides a solid knowledge base in areas of corporate financial management, investments, and financial planning. Using state-of-the-art investment tools, students apply classroom knowledge to value financial assets and solve real-world problems while learning the newest theoretical developments. Instructors provide training on Bloomberg certification and other financial modeling techniques. Online MBA students that would like to earn an emphasis in Finance must complete nine credits from the available courses, which are all offered online.
The Human Resource Management emphasis is ideal for students interested in leading their organizations and employees to achieve success in a global business environment. Online MBA students who would like to earn an emphasis in Human Resource Management must complete three courses (nine credits) from the available courses, which address an array of contemporary issues in human resources.
The Information Technology Management emphasis prepares students for managerial positions involving the development and deployment of technology. The emphasis addresses the subject from a business perspective and focuses on the strategic alignment of technology and business strategies. Students are equipped to strategically utilize information technology in order to enhance business performance.
Online MBA students who would like to earn an emphasis in Information Technology Management must complete nine credits from the available courses. Students have the opportunity to choose electives that explore contemporary topics such as process innovation, business intelligence, disaster recovery and business continuity, and information technology service management.
With the increase in virtual and globally-dispersed work environments, it is critical for businesses to build cultural business intelligence and leadership. The UW-Whitewater MBA Emphasis in International Business emphasis prepares students for managerial positions in global corporations, as well as companies that recognize the need to succeed in a dynamic global context. Online MBA students who would like to earn an emphasis in International Business must complete nine credits from the available courses.
The Online MBA with Management emphasis prepares students for strategic leadership positions in their organizations. MBA students who would like to earn an emphasis in Management must complete nine credits from the available courses.
The UW-Whitewater MBA Emphasis in Marketing emphasis develops a strong foundation for managerial marketing with course offerings that include digital marketing, brand management, consumer behavior, entrepreneurial marketing strategy, and international marketing.
MBA students who would like to earn an emphasis in Marketing must complete nine credits from the available courses.
The UW-Whitewater MBA Emphasis in Project Management curriculum was developed by local project management experts and provides skills you can use to enhance your career and improve the productivity of your workplace. Individual classes in the curriculum include both theoretical knowledge and real-world skills that are most in demand in today’s workplace.
Online MBA students that would like to earn an emphasis in Project Management must complete three courses (nine credits).
Program instructors have professional project management experience, PMP® certification, and demonstrated success in teaching. Both the UW-Whitewater Online MBA emphasis and the Graduate Certificate in Project Management are based on A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide).
Project Management graduate courses count toward the 35-hour education requirements for earning PMI’s Project Management Professional (PMP®) credential and the 23 education hours for PMI’s Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) certification. For students that already hold PMP certification, our classes count toward the professional development units (PDUs) required to maintain the certification.
The UW-Whitewater MBA Emphasis in Supply Chain Management emphasis trains students to strategically plan and manage supply chain activities for competitive advantage. The emphasis covers topics essential to the efficient and effective management of supply chains, such as operations management, operations strategy, quality management, product development, sourcing, and logistics.
Online MBA students who would like to earn an emphasis in Supply Chain Management must complete nine credits of the available courses.
The Customized emphasis helps students tailor their MBA specialization by picking courses across emphases, or by including other graduate-level classes approved by the program.
Online MBA students who would like to earn a customized emphasis must complete 9 credits of graduate-level courses as approved by an advisor. Upon the recommendation of the student’s advisor and with the approval of the Online MBA Coordinator, a thesis of up to 6 units may be included in the 9-unit emphasis. Course prerequisites will vary depending on the courses selected.
Career Opportunities
Career outcomes for Online 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.
Additional research is available from the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), which shares its Alumni Perspectives Survey each year.
Quick Facts
- Seventy percent of responding business school alumni rate the value of their graduate management education as outstanding or excellent. A professionally rewarding experience is the primary driver of overall value of a graduate management education.
- Ninety percent of alumni say they would still pursue a graduate management education again knowing what they know now. A financially rewarding experience is the primary driver of alumni’s retrospective decision.
- Seventy-seven percent of professional MBA alumni express that their education prepared them for leadership positions. Professional MBA alumni express the most agreement that their education prepared them for leadership positions.
- Roughly two-thirds of respondents agreed that their graduate management program prepared them for their chosen career, offered opportunities for quicker advancement, and provided job security.
Admissions
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 criteria, 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.
MBA admission criteria
Applicants must satisfy any one of the criteria from any of the four 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