Graduate Academic Advising

Prospective students should review the general graduate admission information for UW-Whitewater graduate programs.

In addition, because the AACSB-accredited College of Business and Economics may have requirements that supersede or add to the university's guidelines, prospective students should review specific admission criteria on the corresponding program pages before submitting an application and non-refundable fee.

For priority consideration, all students are encouraged to apply by the dates below. However, you may be able to submit applications up to two weeks before semester classes begin.

• Fall Semester 1:  July 15
• Fall Semester 2:  October 1
• Spring Semester 1:  December 1
• Spring Semester 2:  February 15
• Summer Session 1:  May 1
• Summer Session 2:  June 1

The following application requirements must be met and received by the appropriate application deadline. To qualify for admission to the online master's program, you must meet graduate admission criteria. Deadlines vary by term and are subject to change without notice. Accurate and up-to-date admission deadlines can be found on the graduate admission deadlines website.

• When ready to apply, complete the Graduate Application using the online application portal, where you will register as a new user or login to complete your application. Please review the instructions in the application portal before completing your application.
• Pay the nonrefundable application fee. After submitting your completed application, you will be provided with the option to pay the application fee by credit card (Mastercard or Visa). 
• Submit transcripts. While unofficial transcripts may be used for admission decisions, official transcripts must be ordered and sent to UW-Whitewater for the application to be considered complete. Official transcripts should be sent directly to the School of Graduate Studies from the following institutions:
  • The institution(s) that granted your bachelor's degree(s)
  • The institution(s) that granted your master's (or higher) degree(s), or
  • Any institution(s) where you have completed graduate coursework that you intend to transfer into your desired degree program at UW-Whitewater.

  We will order all UW-Whitewater transcripts. Additional transcripts may be required, at the discretion of the School of Graduate Studies. Have official transcripts sent to gradtranscript@uww.edu.

• Review the status of your application anytime though the online portal. You will be able to upload additional documentation, and view the progress of your application.

Year after year, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the College of Business and Economics rank highly on Best for Vets and Military-Friendly lists. Our graduate business programs can help you transition the knowledge, skills, and experience you acquired in the military into a civilian career.

UW-Whitewater's Veteran Benefits Coordinator will be happy to provide specific details on veteran benefits to finance your degree program.  Veterans, active duty service members and U.S. Army Reserve/National Guard members with qualifying active duty service will receive a waiver of your application fee. Indicate your service in the online graduate application and your fee will be waived after submitting your application.

In addition, those who qualify for the application fee waiver will also qualify for streamlined admission into the Master of Business Administration or Master of Science in Finance programs. These individuals need only complete the online application and submit their transcripts, DD214 form or current assignment, and active military status certification to qualify for admission. 

See UW-Whitewater Veteran Resources for additional information.

International students with a three-year undergraduate degree from universities in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Sri Lanka and other non-Bologna Process countries often cannot enroll directly into a graduate degree program in the United States, where a four-year bachelor's degree is a prerequisite. The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has developed a 30-credit Business Master's Bridge Certificate program to span this gap.

Students can now apply to the UW-Whitewater Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree programs through the Business Master's Bridge Certificate program.

Application Process

• Prospective students will verify qualifications and admissions information by contacting Graduate Advising and then applying to the Business Master's program.
• The School of Graduate Studies will provide qualified students with a Form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status).
• The student will be provided with a letter of admission to the certificate program and an F-1 visa for one year.

Certificate Achievement and Graduate Studies Admission

• Completion of 30 units of UW-Whitewater coursework and a 2.5 UW-Whitewater cumulative GPA are required to earn the certificate.
• Students who complete the program with a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher and satisfy any additional program specific requirements will be admitted to the MBA or MPA program in good standing.
• Students who complete the certificate program with a cumulative GPA of between 2.5 and 2.74 and satisfy any additional program-specific requirements may be admitted on probation.
• The graduate advising office will notify the School of Graduate Studies upon completion of the program; the School of Graduate Studies will admit the student.
• The graduate advising office will also notify the Office of Global Experiences upon completion of the program; the Office of Global Experiences will change the graduate student’s visa status and time to degree.

Advising and Other Services

• Students will be advised primarily by the College of Business and Economics graduate advising office.
• Personalization and waivers of the common body of knowledge courses will be coordinated with the graduate student advisor.
• Students must maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA each semester to remain in good standing. They may be dismissed, pending appeal to the college Graduate Associate Dean, if they are not in good standing.

Tuition

• The university's cost calculator estimates traditional on-campus tuition and other expenses for non-resident students

Why Choose UW-Whitewater?

• International students can meet the requirements for Graduate program admission with 30 credits instead of the 60 credits needed to earn a second undergraduate major in the United States.
• Staff from the School for Graduate Studies, College of Business and Economics graduate advising office, and Office of Global Experiences will jointly support students in the certificate program.
• The City of Whitewater is a safe, welcoming community that blends university life with small town character.
• AACSB is the most rigorous business school accreditation worldwide, and only 5% of business schools in the world earn this prestigious accreditation.

UW-Whitewater's College of Business and Economics is the largest business school in Wisconsin accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The college was also the first regional comprehensive university in the UW System to achieve separate AACSB accreditation for accounting. Less than two percent of business schools worldwide can boast both credentials, which are marks of quality acknowledged by employers and other higher education institutions. AACSB accreditation ensures you will benefit from rigorous, relevant curriculum taught by highly qualified, full-time Ph.D. faculty. The college is also a member of the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) one of the world’s most prestigious networks of business schools. We are proud to be one of only 27 in the United States (as of January 2025).

To ensure you can balance a graduate education with family, career and other responsibilities, the College of Business and Economics has developed flexible, customizable master's degree programs. Depending on the program, classes are available online, at our Whitewater campus, and a corporate campus in Madison, Wisconsin. You may complete programs on a part-time or full-time basis, and if needed, can pause your studies to fulfill other responsibilities and re-enter the program when ready.

Most of our master's degrees cost less than $25,000, and we offer one of the most affordable AACSB-accredited MBAs in the region. The flat-rate tuition for online graduate programs is the same for all students — no matter if students are out-of-state, international, or from Wisconsin. View tuition rates and other costs for on-campus and online classes.