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 |
|
| Other |
|
| 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 Requirements
All undergraduate students must complete both the following Core General Education (Core GenEd) and University Degree and Quality of Work requirements. The requirements below apply to students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution is Summer 2026 or later.
Students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution occurred before Summer 2026 should refer to the archived Guide for the requirements that apply to them.
Core General Education (Core GenEd) Requirements
| Civics & Perspectives | 3 credits of Civics & Perspectives coursework. |
| Communication & Literacy | 6 credits of Communication & Literacy coursework. This requirement may be partially satisfied by a qualifying placement test score. For more information see this tiny url: https://go.wisc.edu/qualifyingenglishplacement |
| Humanities & Arts | 6 credits of Humanities & Arts coursework. |
| Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning | 6 credits of Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning coursework. This requirement may be partially satisfied by a qualifying placement test score. For more information see this tiny url: https://go.wisc.edu/qualifyingmathplacement |
| Natural Science & Wellness | Complete both:
|
| Social & Behavioral Science | 3 credits of Social & Behavioral Science coursework. |
| Total Credits | 30 credits. |
For more information see the policy.
University Degree and Quality of Work Requirements
All undergraduate degree recipients must complete the following minimum requirements. Requirements for some programs will exceed these requirements; see program requirements for additional information.
| Total Degree | 120 degree credits. |
| Residency | Complete 30 credits in residence. A course is considered “in residence” if it is taken when in undergraduate degree-seeking status and:
|
| Quality of Work | Achieve at least the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, and/or academic program. |
| Math | Demonstrate minimal mathematics competence by: |
| English Language | If required to take the UW-Madison English as a Second Language Assessment Test (MSN-ESLAT), demonstrate minimal English language competence by:
|
| Language | Complete one:
|
| Major Declaration | Declare and complete the requirements for at least one major. |
School of Business BBA Requirements
The Wisconsin Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program combines UW–Madison’s core general education requirements, broad coverage of core business disciplines, and cutting-edge experiential learning and signature courses to create a strong academic foundation upon which students delve deeply into their majors.
Business Liberal Studies
Liberal studies requirements must be completed prior to graduation. A single course cannot be used to fulfill multiple liberal studies requirements.
| Communications A | Complete either:
|
| Microeconomics | Complete one: |
| Macroeconomics | Complete either: |
| Social Science | One 3+ credit course with the Social Science designation. Courses in or cross-listed with the following subjects do not satisfy this requirement: ACCT I S, ACT SCI, FINANCE, GEN BUS, INFO SYS, INTL BUS, M H R, MARKETNG, OTM, R M I, REAL EST. |
| Calculus | Complete either: |
| Literature | One 3+ credit course with the Literature designation. |
| Science | 6 credits with the Biological, Natural, or Physical Science designations. Courses in or cross-listed with MATH or STAT cannot be used to meet this requirement. |
| Ethnic Studies | One 3+ credit course with the Ethnic Studies designation. |
| Humanities | One 3+ credit course with the Humanities designation. |
| Ethics | Complete one: |
Business Fundamentals
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEN BUS 106 | Foundational Skills for Business Analysis | 1 |
| GEN BUS 107 | Introduction to Artificial Intelligence in Business | 1 |
| GEN BUS 301 | Business Law | 3 |
| GEN BUS 360 | Workplace Writing and Communication | 3 |
| ACCT I S 100 | Introductory Financial Accounting | 3 |
Business Analytics Sequence
Complete one of the sequence options below. Courses should be taken in subsequent semesters.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Option 1 | ||
| GEN BUS 306 & GEN BUS 307 | Business Analytics I and Business Analytics II | 6 |
| Option 2 (Required for Actuarial Science Majors): | ||
| MATH 331 | Introductory Probability | 3 |
| or STAT/MATH 309 | Introduction to Probability and Mathematical Statistics I | |
| GEN BUS 317 | Mathematical Foundations of Business Analytics (Recommended for Actuarial Science majors) | 3 |
| or STAT/MATH 310 | Introduction to Probability and Mathematical Statistics II | |
| Option 3 (Recommended for Economics Double Majors or Econ Certificate Students): | ||
| ECON 310 | Statistics: Measurement in Economics | 4 |
| ECON 400 | Introduction to Applied Econometrics | 4 |
| or ECON 410 | Introductory Econometrics | |
Business Core
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT I S 211 | Introductory Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| FINANCE/ECON 300 | Introduction to Finance | 3 |
| MARKETNG 300 | Marketing Management | 3 |
| M H R 300 | Managing Organizations | 3 |
| OTM 300 | Operations and Supply Chain Management | 3 |
| Total Credits | 15 | |
Business Experiential Learning
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEN BUS 110 | Personal and Professional Foundations in Business | 1 |
| GEN BUS 210 | Artificial Intelligence Enabled Business Solutions Lab | 2 |
| GEN BUS 410 | Business Solutions Capstone | 3 |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
Business Signature
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Databases | ||
| International Business | ||
| The Real Estate Process | ||
| Principles of Risk Management | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 2 | |
| Human-centered Design and Business | ||
| Sustainable Capitalism | ||
| The Business of Health Care | ||
| Cloud Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Tools for Business | ||
| Total Credits | 5 | |
Business Graduation Requirements
| Cumulative Credits | Students must earn 120 degree credits. |
| Quality of Work | Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.000. |
| Residency | Students must complete 30 degree credits in residence at UW–Madison. |
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.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MARKETNG/OTM 421 | Fundamentals of Supply Chain Management | 3 |
| MARKETNG/OTM 422 | Logistics Management | 3 |
| MARKETNG 425 | Route to Market Strategies | 3 |
| MARKETNG/OTM 427 | Information Technology in Supply Chains | 3 |
| MARKETNG/OTM 423 | Procurement and Supply Management | 3 |
| Select ONE of the following four courses: | 3 | |
| Supply Chain Capital Management | ||
| New Product Innovation | ||
| Service Operations Management | ||
| Operations Analytics | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Learning Outcomes
- Assess the financial, marketing, and operational implications of fundamental supply chain strategies.
- Compare how supply chain strategies are applied by examining decisions made in various real-world settings.
- Create business value through the analysis of appropriate data using statistical and/or optimization techniques.
- Synthesize supply chain concepts into a business strategy that is implemented through a cross-functional business simulation.
- Effectively communicate ideas and recommendations to individuals in all functional areas of an organization.
- Evaluate opportunities and risks necessary to develop effective sourcing strategies.
- Assess costs and benefits in the formulation of appropriate go-to-market channels to reach desired customer groups.
Four-Year Plan
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Communications A | 3 | OTM 300 | 3 |
| ECON 101 or 111 | 4 | MATH 211 or 221 | 4-5 |
| Ethnic Studies | 3 | Humanities | 3 |
| Science | 3 | ECON 102 or 111 | 4 |
| GEN BUS 110 | 1 | ||
| GEN BUS 106 | 1 | ||
| 15 | 14-15 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ACCT I S 100 | 3 | ACCT I S 211 | 3 |
| GEN BUS 306 | 3 | GEN BUS 307 | 3 |
| MARKETNG 300 | 3 | GEN BUS 360 | 3 |
| PSYCH 202, SOC 211, ANTHRO 104, GEN&WS 102, or HDFS 263 (Human Behavior) | 3-4 | MARKETNG/OTM 421 | 3 |
| GEN BUS/DS 240, 250, or 308 (Take One) | 2 | M H R 300 | 3 |
| 14-15 | 15 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| OTM/MARKETNG 422 | 3 | MARKETNG/OTM 423 | 3 |
| MARKETNG 425 | 3 | FINANCE/ECON 300 | 3 |
| GEN BUS 250, 240, or 308 (Take One) | 2 | PHILOS 241, 243, 341, or 441 (Ethics) | 3-4 |
| Literature | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15-16 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Supply Chain Elective | 3 | MARKETNG/OTM 427 | 3 |
| GEN BUS 400 | 3 | GEN BUS 301 | 3 |
| R M I 300, REAL EST 306, INTL BUS 200, or INFO SYS 322 (Take One) | 3 | Science | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| 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 2024 with a supply chain management degree was approximately $74,000, while the average monthly internship salary was $3,934.
Some of the companies that recruit supply chain management majors include (but are not limited to):
- Amazon
- BCG
- BP Americas
- Cargill
- Deloitte
- General Mills
- John Deere
- Kimberly-Clark
- Kohler
- Kohl’s Department Stores
- Medtronic
- Milwaukee Tool
- Oshkosh
- PepsiCo
- Procter & Gamble
- Rockwell Automation
- SCJohnson
- Target Corporation
- Uline
- W.W. Grainger
More information on Career Pathways.
Accreditation
AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
Accreditation status: Accredited. Next accreditation review: 2026-2027.