Pre-Business Admissions Policies
The pre-business application is for current UW–Madison students or transfer students seeking enrollment in the undergraduate business program.
Application Open Period: Once per year, Spring term
Pre-Business Admission Eligibility Requirements
Application Open Period
The pre-business application is open once per year during the spring term, typically for two weeks in the first-half of March
Maximum Chances to Apply
1 attempt
Application Window, Counting Spring Application term
Within first four terms (Fall/Spring) at UW–Madison, based on enrollment date
Required Credits in Residence, Excludes pre-enrollment college credits
24 credits completed/in-progress at UW-Madison. In-progress course credits towards this minimum must be completed at the end of the spring application term.
Minimum GPA, See GPA details below
3.0 Overall GPA in UW–Madison coursework
Prerequisite Course Requirements
Yes. See Four Pre-Business Prerequisite Courses section below.
Required Enrollment Status
For all applicants, enrollment is required at UW–Madison or transfer institution during the spring application term.
Required Pre-Business 101
Pre-Business 101 workshop is required during the intended application year.
Enrollment is required in the School of Business for the ensuing fall term, if admitted.
Application Open Period
The pre-business application is open once per year during the spring term, typically for two weeks in the first-half of March
Maximum Chances to Apply
1 attempt
Application Window, Counting Spring Application term
Within first four terms (Fall/Spring) at UW–Madison, based on enrollment date
Required Credits in Residence, Excludes pre-enrollment college credits
12 credits completed/in-progress at UW-Madison. In-progress course credits towards this minimum must be completed at the end of the spring application term.
Minimum GPA, See GPA details below
3.0 Overall GPA in UW–Madison coursework only
Prerequisite Course Requirements
Yes. See Four Pre-Business Prerequisite Courses section below.
Required Enrollment Status
For all applicants, enrollment is required at UW–Madison or transfer institution during the spring application term.
Required Pre-Business 101
Pre-Business 101 workshop is required during the intended application year.
Enrollment is required in the School of Business for the ensuing fall term, if admitted.
Application Open Period
The pre-business application is open once per year during the spring term, typically for two weeks in the first-half of March
Maximum Chances to Apply
See Direct Transfer details below
Application Window, Counting Spring Application term
See Direct Transfer details below
Required Credits in Residence, Excludes pre-enrollment college credits
See Direct Transfer details below
Minimum GPA, See GPA details below
3.0 Overall GPA in transfer institution coursework
Prerequisite Course Requirements
Yes. See Four Pre-Business Prerequisite Courses section below.
Required Enrollment Status
For all applicants, enrollment is required at UW–Madison or transfer institution during the spring application term.
Required Pre-Business 101
Pre-Business 101 workshop is required during the intended application year. Transfer students can access the Pre-Business 101.
Enrollment is required in the School of Business for the ensuing fall term, if admitted.
Pre-Business Admission Policies
Application Information
- Pre-Business applicants may apply once within their first four terms (Fall/Spring) at UW-Madison, based on enrollment date. There is no credit maximum.
Pre-Business 101
- Applicants are required to attend one Pre-Business 101 Workshop during the intended application year
- Workshops are offered both in-person and virtually
- Current UW-Madison students can register for Pre-Business 101 through the Pre-Business Experience Canvas Course
- Transfer students can register for Pre-Business 101 using the OHR Registration System
Minimum Overall GPA
- A 3.0 Overall GPA is required at the time of starting the application, and at the end of the spring application term.
- Overall GPA is based on UW–Madison coursework only.
- Direct Transfer applicant Overall GPA is based on transfer coursework.
Four Pre-Business Prerequisite Courses
- Must be completed for a letter grade. Pass/Fail is not accepted. Institution-approved non-letter passing grades due to COVID-19 are accepted (i.e. “SD” at UW-Madison).
- Must be completed or in-progress at the time of submitting the application. In-progress courses must be completed at the end of the spring application term.
- Prior to entering UW–Madison, transferrable pre-business courses (ie: AP, IB, CLEP, coursework from other institutions) will be accepted.
- Once enrolled at UW–Madison, any unfulfilled prerequisite courses must be completed at UW–Madison or through a UW–Madison sponsored study abroad program.
One of:
- English 100 (3 credits), Introduction to College Composition
- Comm Arts 100 (3 credits), Introduction to Speech Composition
- English 118 (3 credits, non-native English speakers only), ESL: Academic Writing II
- Life Science Communication 100 (3 credits), Science and Storytelling
- or complete through UW–Madison English Placement
One of:
- MATH 112 (3 credits), Algebra
- MATH 114 (5 credits), Algebra and Trigonometry
- MATH 171 (5 credits), Calculus with Algebra and Trigonometry I
- COMP SCI 102 (3 credits), Introduction to Computation
- or complete through UW-Madison Math Placement
One of:
- Economics 101 (4 credits), Microeconomics
- Economics 111 (4 credits, honors course), Principles of Economics — Accelerated Treatment
One of:
- Psychology 202 (3-4 credits), Introduction to Psychology (or equivalent)
- Sociology 211 (3 credits), The Sociological Enterprise
- Anthropology 104 (3 credits), Cultural Anthropology and Human Diversity
- Gender and Women’s Studies 102 (3 credits); Gender, Women, and Society in Global Perspective
- Human Development and Family Studies 263 (3 credits); Development from Adolescence to Old Age
Eligible applicants are prospective transfer students that have also applied to UW–Madison for the ensuing fall term at the time of the pre-business application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure application requirements are fulfilled between these two separate processes.
Qualifying transfer institutions include UW System and Wisconsin Technical College System institutions.
Overall GPA for Direct Transfer applicants must be a 3.0 across pre-enrollment coursework at the time of starting the application, and at the end of the spring application term.
Direct Transfer applicants that are ultimately admitted to UW–Madison and enroll, but are not admitted to the undergraduate business program, may apply a second time within their first four semesters (Fall/Spring) at UW–Madison. For this second application attempt, overall GPA would be based on UW–Madison coursework only and must be a 3.0 or higher at the time of starting the application and at the end of the spring application term.
Current UW–Madison students and transfer students offered admission to the Wisconsin undergraduate business program must enroll at UW–Madison the following fall semester (or be on a university-sponsored study abroad experience). If an admitted student is unable to attend in the fall term, the student must decline the offer of admission. Students who meet eligibility requirements may reapply at a later date.
The Direct Admit offer to the Wisconsin undergraduate business program to incoming high school students that have been granted a one-year deferred enrollment request by the UW–Madison Office of Admissions and Recruitment will also carry over for one year. Students must successfully complete the reentry process with the UW–Madison Office of Admissions and Recruitment as an incoming freshmen student. Students planning to defer should contact the undergraduate business program admissions team.
Any applicant found to have plagiarized or manufactured false content (of any kind) as part of the application will be automatically disqualified and may lose privileges to apply later. The applicant may also be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards at the University of Wisconsin–Madison for follow-up.
Letters of recommendation and other supporting documents will not be reviewed as part of the Wisconsin undergraduate business application. This includes any documentation submitted separately from the formal application.
Students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree may not apply for admission to the Wisconsin undergraduate business program.
Students enrolled in the Wisconsin undergraduate business program may not apply to the Certificate in Business (CIB) Program.
Applicants who wish to appeal an admissions policy must submit a policy appeal to the undergraduate business admissions team by March 1 of the term in which the student applies. A meeting with a pre-business advisor is required before submitting an appeal.