Make an Impact in Business and on People
Learn from industry leaders. Build a wide, lifelong peer network. Gain the skills to design, implement, and manage strategic human resource policies that directly impact an organization’s business strategy.
Industry-driven curriculum aligned with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Large, engaged alumni network spans multinational corporations
HR-specific workshops, applied learning projects, case studies, mentoring, and industry visits
—Princeton Review, 2024
—Fortune, 2025
Benefit from a Pipeline to Top Employers
Career Opportunities
Top recruiting companies
Common career paths
- HR Leadership Development Programs
- HR Associate, Analyst, or Business Partner
- HR Manager
- Talent Management or Acquisition
- Succession Management and Workforce Planning
- Compensation Management
- Organizational Training and Development
Curriculum
The Wisconsin Full-Time MBA curriculum integrates a strong foundation in general management with highly focused preparation in strategic human resource management. You will begin taking specialization classes right away.
This specialized MBA program is recognized for its alignment with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM*). Our aligned curriculum gives students the opportunity to earn a SHRM-CP credential under SHRM’s Eligibility Program, providing a career advantage as you enter the job market.
*SHRM is the world’s largest HR professional society, representing 300,000+ members in more than 165 countries. Learn more about SHRM.
Year 1
First Semester
- Data to Decisions
- Financial Accounting
- Introduction to Financial Management
- Leading and Working in Teams
- Marketing Management
- Operations Management
- Strategic Human Resource Management
- Applied Learning in Human Resource Management
Second Semester
- Ethics, Integrity, and Society
- Consulting Practicum
- Business Strategy
- Economics for Managers
- Strategic Talent Management
- Leading Change in Organizations
- Applied Learning in Human Resource Management
- Elective(s) (optional)*
Year 2
First Semester
- Compensation: Theory and Administration
- Labor-Management Relations
- Bargaining, Negotiation, and Dispute Settlement
- Applied Learning in Human Resource Management
- Elective(s) (optional)*
Second Semester
- People Analytics
- Applied Learning in Human Resource Management
- Strategic Human Resource Management Capstone
- Elective(s) (at least one)*
*Students must take at least six (6) elective credits to achieve a minimum of 52 credits required for degree completion.
In addition to the courses listed here, you can incorporate open electives to enhance your cross-functional perspective on organizations.
Focus on an area of interest by pursuing one or more graduate-level certificates in topics such as business analytics, entrepreneurship, strategic innovation, and sustainability.
Applied Learning
Collaborate with executives in leading industries to create innovative solutions to their HR challenges
Exact Sciences. Students analyzed current trends and best practices in onboarding and researched technologies available to support onboarding needs for a blended and distributed workforce.
Spectrum Brands. Students determined inefficiencies in the company’s organization structure by interviewing staff, creating branding strategies, and providing recommendations for financial and human resources leadership.
UW Health. Students standardized position descriptions following a merge to align with long-term recruiting, employee engagement, and compensation initiatives.
Visit companies and hear from industry leaders
Human resource professionals with a broad range of expertise regularly provide insights into the latest strategies and best practices. Speakers from companies such as Robert W. Baird & Co., American Family Insurance, Cisco, General Mills, GE Healthcare, and Exxon Mobil have shared their experiences in organizational restructuring, talent management, and human resources in an international context.
Expert Support and Career Connection
Knowledge Center
The Strategic Human Resource Management Center, a knowledge center dedicated to developing strategic business leaders, is backed by extensive industry support and is a unique pillar of the Wisconsin MBA.
Participating industry experts and alumni:
- Lead applied learning experiences
- Contribute to the classroom
- Mentor students
- Assist with recruiting and placement
Center Leadership
Tanya Hubanks
Director Tanya Hubanks is an experienced human resources professional who holds a master’s degree in industrial relations and a law degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She practiced employment law, consulted small businesses, and was a senior human resources executive and leader in the financial services industry. She has a passion for developing strategic business leaders and is an active member of the national SHRM.
Charlie O. Trevor
Charlie O. Trevor is the academic director of the Strategic Human Resource Management Center. He is also a professor and the Ruth L. Nelson Chair in Business in the Department of Management and Human Resources at the Wisconsin School of Business. Charlie teaches courses on negotiations, employee compensation, research methods, and HR systems. He received his PhD in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University.
World-Class Faculty
Barry Gerhart
Barry Gerhart served as department chair at Cornell University and Vanderbilt University and as department chair, senior associate dean, and interim Albert O. Nicholas Dean at the Wisconsin School of Business. His research interests include compensation, human resource management, staffing, and international management.
Chia-Jung Tsay
Chia-Jung Tsay is an associate professor in the management and human resources department. Her research examines the psychological processes that influence decision making about performance. She investigates the role of perception, expertise, and nonconscious biases in professional selection and advancement.
Program Voices
Get Inspired at Our Annual Human Resources Conference
Students, alumni, and industry leaders come together for the program’s annual human resources conference (our SHR Symposium) to network and discuss current industry issues and forward-looking human resources trends and practices.
Join the Next Generation of Business Leaders
Avi Gomez (MBA ’23)
Avi is championing inclusion and creating opportunity. Her goal is to help company leaders understand the importance of putting a focus on equity, inclusion, and belonging, as well as the value of using data to tie them to the company’s strategic goals.
James Cox (MBA ’23)
James’ experience in Psychological Operations in the Army and as a behavioral health professional helped him understand how to connect with people on a grand scale and drove him to specialize his MBA in human resources. Driven by compassion and data, James hopes to work on the analytical side of management and pursue opportunities in people analytics.
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Your MBA. Your Career Success.
High staff-to-student ratio means you get unlimited support—and exceptional connections—as you step into your ideal career.
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