Admissions
Start on Your Path to an MA in Arts and Creative Enterprise Leadership Degree
Selecting the right master’s program for your career goals is important. Our admissions team is here to help you at every stage, from inquiry to application. Schedule a phone or video consultation with one of our team members to get started.
Application Deadlines for Fall 2025
- October 31, 2024
- January 30, 2025
- March 11, 2025
- May 1, 2025
We offer multiple deadlines to apply. Apply for the deadline that best works for you. If you submit between deadlines, we will review your completed application after the next deadline. If admitted, your enrollment deposit date will be communicated to you in your online admission letter.
Tuition & Fees
The tuition will be $27,764.80 for residents and $51,413.28 for non-residents for the entire one-year program. There are segregated fees of $1,596.62.
International applicants
Once admitted, international students must apply for a visa. This process can take weeks to months. Please see the “Student visas” section under “International Applicants” for more information.
What You’ll Need for Your Application
Demonstrated knowledge of business fundamentals completed or expected completion by start of program. Coursework can be done at any accredited university or college. Below are ways to meet this prerequisite. Only one is needed to fulfill this requirement:
- Undergraduate degree with business major or minor
- Completion of a Certificate in Business or Summer Certificate in Business Fundamentals at UW–Madison
- Earning a minimum 3.0 GPA in intermediate college coursework covering such areas entrepreneurship, strategy, marketing, or general business
- General Business 310 or 311 at UW–Madison. These courses are offered every semester and during the summer. Applicants may complete these courses as a special student.
- At least one year of full-time work experience in one of the business disciplines mentioned above
Essay responses are limited to 600 words each.
- Please explain why you are applying to the MA in Arts Business Program, and why at this point in your life? Tell us your career goals and how the Bolz Center will help you achieve them.
- The Bolz Center is committed to supporting and amplifying people, voices, ideas, and information from a multitude of communities within the arts and cultural sector. Effective leadership requires the ability to foster connections, cultivate relationships, and build partnerships with stakeholders within and outside of your organization. What experiences do you have interacting with individuals who are different from you, and how would you incorporate these principles into your work as an arts and cultural leader?
- Tell us about a specific event, program, or other arts experience that you participated in or are familiar with that was a catalyst for change in a community. Describe the event or experience. Who were the stakeholders and what was the impact?
- Having a successful career in arts and cultural management and entrepreneurship requires the ability to collaborate with a variety of stakeholders as you work towards a common vision. Tell us about a time that you were part of a successful team. What was your role in the process? Why was the outcome successful?
Please use this optional essay to communicate additional information about yourself that is not otherwise represented in the application, and that you feel would benefit the admissions committee. Limit essay response to 600 words.
Include past work experience, educational accomplishments, demonstrations of leadership, and ways in which you have grown professionally. Please include any volunteer board or committee service.
Your past academic history—particularly your four-year degree—indicates to us your ability to succeed in a structured study program.
- Bachelor’s degree from an approved (accredited) institution is required.
- You can submit your application with unofficial transcripts; certified copies of transcripts from your degree institution are required once admitted.
- The preferred method to receive official transcripts is electronically from your institution. Please access the Parchment website or contact your institution to make this request and send to masters@wsb.wisc.edu. Official transcripts may also be mailed directly from your undergraduate institution in a sealed and stamped envelope sent to:
MBA & Master’s Program Office
Wisconsin School of Business
2450 Grainger Hall
975 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53706Official transcripts must be received on or before August 1.
International applicants are required to have the equivalent of a four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree. View the minimum degree equivalents for different countries. You may wish to have your transcript evaluated by World Education Services (WES) to ensure you meet the four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree equivalency requirements.
- $75 for both domestic and international students (additional $6 processing fee for international students).
- Fee waivers available if active duty in the U.S. military within five years of applying.
- Payment by credit or debit card through the online application system; receipt required to learn of admissions decision.
- Admission interviews are by invitation only.
- Conducted in person or by videoconference.
- No GMAT Focus/GMAT or GRE test score is required as part of the admission process.
- A TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score is required for international students. The requirement can be waived if you have an undergraduate or master’s degree that was taught in English.
You may submit a letter of recommendation as part of your application; however, it is not required. Select a recommender who is qualified to evaluate your potential for leadership or management. They should have a strong understanding of your abilities and be familiar with solid examples of your accomplishments. This individual may be a current or past supervisor or manager, a client or vendor, or a representative of a volunteer or community organization in which you are involved.
International Applicants
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
Applicants whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate instruction was in a language other than English must achieve a score of 100 or higher on the Internet-based TOEFL (or score of 600 on the paper-based TOEFL) within two years of the intended start. Waivers are available if your four-year undergraduate degree and/or master’s degree was in English or you worked in an English-only speaking company for at least 2 years. Please direct the Educational Testing Service to forward your test results to the University of Wisconsin–Madison (institution code: 1846)
Results of the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) or PTE (Pearson Test of English, institution code: NML-ZH-25) will also be accepted. An IELTS minimum score of 7.5 or higher, or a PTE internet-based score of 73 or higher or paper-based score of 80 or higher, is required.
An international applicant whose four-year undergraduate degree and/or master’s degree (minimum of eight semesters total) instruction was in English, or who will complete such a degree prior to matriculation at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, may request a waiver. To request a waiver for the language test requirement, please select the TOEFL test type in your online application and select “Request a Waiver” for the English proficiency test. We will confirm that English is the language used at the academic institution where your degree was conferred.
Financial statement
Evidence of adequate financial resources for the anticipated duration of the program is required by the federal government for visa documentation upon admission to the MA in Arts and Creative Enterprise Leadership Program. It is not required as part of the MA in Arts and Creative Enterprise Leadership application.
Student visas
To enter the United States, you will need a student visa, usually an F-1. The process of acquiring a visa can take a long time, so please begin as early as possible.
Here is how you will get your visa. Please note, these steps MUST be completed in this order:
- Accept your offer of admission.
- Set up your Terra Dotta portal via your MyUW Student Center. This will be your student immigration portal during your time as an F-1 or J-1 student at UW–Madison.
- Submit a request for your Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Form I-20 through Terra Dotta. It may take three to four weeks for you to receive this form.
- Once you have received your I-20, schedule an interview appointment at your country’s American consulate or embassy. Because most consulates and embassies schedule visa interview appointments several weeks or even months in advance, it is essential to do this as early as possible.
Have questions? Get it touch with UW–Madison’s International Student Services Office.
For more information on student visas, visit the Office of Visa Services at the U.S. Department of State.
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