The Product Management Certificate from the School of Business prepares students to contribute to product-driven organizations from day one of their careers. The certificate integrates foundational skills in operations management, consumer behavior, project management, and product strategy.
Product management sits at the intersection of business, technology, and customer insight — and organizations need people at every level who understand how products are built, prioritized, and brought to market. The Product Management Certificate prepares students to work effectively alongside product managers, contribute to cross-functional product teams, and apply a product mindset to roles in marketing, operations, business analysis, and beyond. Upon completion of the certificate, students will understand how successful organizations decide what to build and why, how to translate customer needs into business decisions, and how to collaborate across functions to deliver value to users and the market. This foundation equips graduates to enter the workforce in product-adjacent roles and to pursue product management as a natural future step in their career.
The goal of this certificate program is to be an add-on to any undergraduate major at UW–Madison so students can bring a product perspective to whatever field they enter.
How to Get in
The Product Management Certificate is open to undergraduate degree seeking students enrolled at UW Madison. To declare, students must have completed 24 credits in residence at UW-Madison or 12 credits in residence for transfer students and have earned a minimum GPA of 3.00.
To declare the certificate, complete the declaration form linked within the Contact Information box.
Students may not earn this certificate in conjunction with the exclusively online BBAs in Business Administration-Human Resources, Business Administration-Management, or Business Administration-Marketing.
Requirements
To be eligible to declare, students must meet the following requirements:
- 24 degree credits completed in residence at time of declaration (12 degree credits for transfer students)
- 3.00 minimum cumulative GPA at UW-Madison
- Currently enrolled UW–Madison student
- Undergraduate, degree-seeking student
Requirements
A minimum 3.0 GPA must be earned on all course work used to meet the requirements of the certificate program. All certificate credits must be earned in residence at UW-Madison.
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MARKETNG 305 | Consumer Behavior | 3 |
| or CNSR SCI 357 | Consumer Behavior | |
| OTM 300 | Operations and Supply Chain Management | 3 |
| OTM 401 | Product Management | 3 |
| OTM 452 | Project Management | 3 |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Note: Due to pre-requisites for some of the required courses, total credits to complete the Certificate in Product Management may be more than 12.
Certificate Completion Requirement
This undergraduate certificate must be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree. Students cannot delay degree completion to complete the certificate.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify and analyze stakeholder needs and market opportunities, translating insights into actionable business concepts. (Market-Driven Problem Identification)
- Develop strategies that integrate multiple business considerations and recognize the cross-functional nature of organizational decisions. (Integrative Strategic Thinking)
- Apply analytical methods to evaluate alternatives and make evidence-based decisions in business contexts. (Evidence-Based Decision-Making)
- Apply frameworks and processes for managing business initiatives from concept through implementation. (Process Management and Execution)
Advising and Careers
Academic Advising
Current BBA students who have declared the certificate can receive academic advising from their primary academic advisor. Certificate students not admitted to the School of Business will be assigned to the Business Certificate Advising Committee.
Drop-in advising and scheduled appointments are available to students who are declared in the certificate. Students can schedule their appointments via Starfish.
For more information on accessing academic advising, please see the Academic Advising page.
Please note enrollment in required courses is subject to availability. As a result, completion of the certificate within an individual student's intended graduation timeline cannot always be guaranteed.
Career Advising
All students declared in the certificate will be assigned a career coach in the School of Business. Students are encouraged to use their home school/college career services.
For more information about accessing career coaching, please see our Career Coaching page.