A young woman at a desk examining a screen full of data, while a young man perches on the desk and gestures to the screen

The field of supply chain management (SCM) is a critical area of competitive advantage for businesses around the world. SCM integrates business functions concerned with the movement of goods, services, and information along the value chain with the goal of creating value for the end customer. SCM is a cross-functional discipline involving many components of business including product development, marketing, demand/supply planning, sourcing, production, inventory, logistics, customer service, and the relationships between businesses and their channels of distribution. In today's complex business environment, there is a need to coordinate these supply chain functions not only within the firm, but with business partners and customers. As a result, SCM is a critical, strategic component of business, and students with SCM education and expertise are in high demand in the marketplace.

The supply chain management major is open to all undergraduate students enrolled in the School of Business and is administered by the Grainger Center for Supply Chain Management at the School of Business. Students will have the opportunity to interact with business leaders, participate in experiential learning and social activities, have access to a global trip/experience, and be eligible for scholarship opportunities from the Grainger Center.

It is important to appreciate SCM from both the theoretical and applied perspectives. Students declared in the supply chain management major will have the opportunity to participate in a large number of speaker events, site visits, and employer networking opportunities. Additionally, students will be eligible to participate in annual global trip opportunities led by the Grainger Center for Supply Chain Management. These trips allow for the exploration of SCM in new and different locations throughout the world.

For questions or additional information about the major in supply chain management, please visit the Grainger Center (3450 Grainger Hall).

How to Get in

Current UW–Madison Students

Requirements Details
How to get in Application required. Meeting the requirements listed below does not guarantee admission. (https://admissions.wsb.wisc.edu/BbaPreBusiness)
Courses required to get in Students are required to complete each of the 4 requirements below. Requirements can be completed via coursework, test credit, transfer work, or placement exam (if applicable).

Communication A
Quantitative Reasoning A
Economics
Human Behavior
GPA requirements to get in Minimum 3.0 UW-Madison GPA.
Credits required to get in
  • If you started at UW-Madison as a first-year student, 24 credits completed/in-progress at UW-Madison are required for application.
  • If you started at UW-Madison as a transfer student, 12 completed/in-progress at UW-Madison are required for application.
  • In-progress course credits towards this minimum must be completed at the end of the spring application term.

Other
  • Pre-Business 101 workshop required during the intended application year.
  • 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.
Semester Deadline to apply Decision notification timeline
To apply for a fall start Mid March On or before July 1st.
To apply for a spring start This program does not accept applications to start in the spring.
To apply for a summer start This program does not accept applications to start in the summer.

Prospective First-Year Applicants

All prospective UW–Madison students must apply through the central Office of Admissions and Recruitment.  Prospective high school students may be considered for direct admission to Business based on their application to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Simply list a Business interest as your top academic area of interest on the University application.

Prospective Transfer Applicants

Transfer students at University of Wisconsin System campuses or Wisconsin Technical Colleges may apply separately for admission to both the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the School of Business during the spring term for fall enrollment. Information for prospective transfer students can be found here: https://business.wisc.edu/undergraduate/admissions/transfer-students/.

Additional Information

Students declared in Business: Supply Chain Management cannot earn the Summer Certificate in Business Fundamentals, Certificate in Business, or the Certificate in Entrepreneurship due to curriculum overlap.  

University General Education Requirements

All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.

General Education
  • Breadth—Humanities/Literature/Arts: 6 credits
  • Breadth—Natural Science: 4 to 6 credits, consisting of one 4- or 5-credit course with a laboratory component; or two courses providing a total of 6 credits
  • Breadth—Social Studies: 3 credits
  • Communication Part A Part B *
  • Ethnic Studies *
  • Quantitative Reasoning Part A Part B *

* The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements.

School of Business Requirements

The Wisconsin Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program combines UW–Madison’s general liberal education requirements, broad coverage of core business disciplines, and cutting-edge signature courses to create a strong academic foundation upon which students delve deeply into their majors.

School of Business BBA Requirements
Complete requirements:
School of Business Liberal Studies Requirements
Business Fundamentals Requirement
Business Core Requirement
Business Signature Requirement

Business: Supply Chain Management (SCM) Major Requirements

It is recommended that the undergraduate core courses OTM 300 Operations and Supply Chain Management and MARKETNG 300 Marketing Management be taken as early as possible in preparation for this major. 

MARKETNG/​OTM  421 Fundamentals of Supply Chain Management3
MARKETNG/​OTM  422 Logistics Management3
MARKETNG 425 Marketing Channel Strategy3
MARKETNG/​OTM  427 Information Technology in Supply Chains3
MARKETNG/​OTM  423 Procurement and Supply Management3
Select ONE of the following four courses:3
Supply Chain Capital Management
New Product Innovation
Service Operations Management
Operations Analytics
Total Credits18
 

University Degree Requirements

Total Degree To receive a bachelor's degree from UW–Madison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements.
Residency Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. "In residence" means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UW–Madison Study Abroad/Study Away programs.
Quality of Work Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Assess the financial, marketing, and operational implications of fundamental supply chain strategies.
  2. Compare how supply chain strategies are applied by examining decisions made in various real-world settings.
  3. Create business value through the analysis of appropriate data using statistical and/or optimization techniques.
  4. Synthesize supply chain concepts into a business strategy that is implemented through a cross-functional business simulation.
  5. Effectively communicate ideas and recommendations to individuals in all functional areas of an organization.
  6. Evaluate opportunities and risks necessary to develop effective sourcing strategies.
  7. Assess costs and benefits in the formulation of appropriate go-to-market channels to reach desired customer groups.

Four-Year Plan

Freshman
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Communications A3OTM 3003
ECON 101 or 1114MATH 211 or 2214-5
Ethnic Studies3Humanities3
Science3ECON 102 or 1114
GEN BUS 1101 
GEN BUS 1061 
 15 14-15
Sophomore
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ACCT I S 1003ACCT I S 2113
GEN BUS 3063GEN BUS 3073
MARKETNG 3003GEN BUS 3603
PSYCH 202, SOC 211, ANTHRO 104, GEN&WS 102, or HDFS 263 (Human Behavior)3-4MARKETNG/​OTM  4213
GEN BUS/​DS  240, 250, or 308 (Take One)2M H R 3003
 14-15 15
Junior
FallCreditsSpringCredits
OTM/​MARKETNG  4223MARKETNG/​OTM  4233
MARKETNG 4253FINANCE/​ECON  3003
GEN BUS 250, 240, or 308 (Take One)2PHILOS 241, 243, 341, or 441 (Ethics)3-4
Literature3Elective3
Elective4Elective3
 15 15-16
Senior
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Supply Chain Elective3MARKETNG/​OTM  4273
GEN BUS 4003GEN BUS 3013
R M I 300, REAL EST 306, INTL BUS 200, or INFO SYS 322 (Take One)3Science3
Elective3Elective3
Elective4Elective4
 16 16
Total Credits 120-123

Advising and Careers

Advising

Advising is an integral part of any student’s educational journey in the School of Business Undergraduate Program. Starting at Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR), we encourage all students to connect with academic advisors. Business academic advisors have a wealth of knowledge about courses on campus, as well as policies and procedures.

Business career coaches help students with career exploration, internships, resumes, job search, interviewing, and more. We encourage students to connect with their career coach once they arrive on campus.

Business academic advisors and career coaches are passionate about student success. Students experiencing academic difficulty or personal struggles are encouraged to talk to their advisor about how their individual situation may affect their academic performance.

Assigned Academic and Career Coaches

Admitted business students will have one assigned academic advisor. Career coaches are assigned by academic major to be able to provide industry-specific career guidance. If a student has more than one major, they may have more than one assigned career coach. Students can find their assigned advisor and coach by logging into the Starfish portal through MyUW.

For students not yet admitted to the School of Business, there is a team of pre-business advisors available.

Accessing Advising

Drop-in advising and scheduled appointments are available for admitted business students. Pre-business students may also schedule an appointment with a pre-business academic advisor or utilize drop-in academic advising. 

For more information on accessing academic advising, please see our Academic Advising page.

For more information on accessing career coaching, please see our Career Coaching page.


Additional Advising Information for Supply Chain Students

Students are offered a variety of applied learning events, site visits, a Supply Chain Management career fair, as well as a global experience trip. These activities enhance classroom learning and allow students to gain hands-on knowledge about the industry.

In addition to the advising offered through the School of Business, Supply Chain Management students are also offered degree-specific career and academic coaching from the Grainger Center's Assistant Director. It's encouraged that students connect with the Assistant Director every semester, as well as participate in the many events that the Center offers each year.

Careers

Students enrolled in the supply chain management major have access to excellent internship opportunities and earn some of the highest salaries at the School of Business. The average full-time salary for members of the graduating class of 2022 with a supply chain management degree was approximately $72,500, while the average monthly internship salary was $3,739.

Some of the companies that recruit students with a specialization in supply chain management include (but are not limited to):

  • 3M
  • Accenture
  • Amazon
  • BP Americas
  • Cargill
  • Deloitte
  • Ford
  • Georgia-Pacific
  • KBX Logistics
  • Kohler
  • Kohl’s Department Stores
  • Macy’s
  • Milwaukee Tool
  • Nestle
  • Procter & Gamble
  • Rockwell Automation
  • Target Corporation
  • Uline
  • Wayfair
  • W.W. Grainger

More information on Career Pathways.

People

For more information about the faculty and their research interests, please visit the directory.

Accreditation

AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business

Accreditation status: Accredited. Next accreditation review: 2026-2027.