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If you’d like to learn more about the University Transfer - Economics and Business program, we’d love to talk with you.
We’re here to answer any questions and guide you through our application process step-by-step.
Send us your contact information, and we’ll help you get started right away!
Financial Aid Available
Program Transfers
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Program Overview
An Economics or Business major offers a dynamic blend of analytical and practical skills. Economics provides insights into human behavior and decision making, public policy and global trends, while business majors learn about accounting, management, finance and entrepreneurship, among other business-related fields.
These versatile degrees open doors to careers in consulting, finance, government and beyond, empowering you to shape the future of industries and economies. Explore your potential at Madison College!
Start Your Four-Year Degree Here
Madison College’s University Transfer Economics and Business program is a wonderful starting point for your bachelor’s degree in business or economics.
At Madison College, you can complete your general education requirements alongside core major-specific courses, ensuring a strong foundation for your future studies.
Business Studies Certificate
Madison College provides a Business Studies Certificate specifically for university transfer students. This program equips you with essential skills in business organization, management, accounting and economics. The courses are tailored to cover the core business subjects typically completed in the first two years of business school.
Earning this certificate will enhance your competitiveness when applying for college transfer, jobs and internships!
Explore Business Career Paths
There are many pathways which people take to start their business careers. Madison College can help you explore business degree options that align your passions and abilities with your goals.
You’ll enjoy our Introduction to Business course that’s designed to help you visualize your potential career paths. We also have a variety of additional elective business courses to further your exploration.
Get a Customized Transfer Plan
Don't waste time and money taking courses that won't transfer. We’ll help ensure you take the ones you need for a seamless transfer!
Transfer Paths to Partner Schools
Specific agreements are available for transferring to several four-year colleges, including UW-Whitewater, UW-Platteville and UW-Madison’s Online program.
However, we’ll help you transfer anywhere.
Transfer to Where You Want To Go!
Meet with your academic and faculty advisors who will work with you to create a customized transfer plan based on your intended major and the transfer college or university of your choice.
Your customized academic plan will combine general education requirements with relevant foundational business coursework. The courses you take at Madison College will meet the course requirements to get you at junior-standing at a four-year school.
Academic Support and Guidance
Madison College’s economics and business faculty are experts in their fields, ready to share their knowledge and experience with you and support you in your academic success.
Madison College faculty, alongside your assigned academic advisors, can help with all questions about your chosen career path. To ensure you stay on track, they will help you with:
- Questions about your program.
- Choosing the best classes to meet your goals.
- Taking classes in the right order to stay on track.
Accounting and Business Lab Resources
Our state-of-the-art Accounting and Business Lab will help you learn new concepts more quickly! The lab offers in-person and online support for a variety of accounting, finance, business, business technology and computer software courses.
The Accounting and Business Lab at the Truax campus has roughly 40 computers in a 2,500-square-foot space where you can drop in for help getting “unstuck” on your current assignments. Flexible and Affordable Course Offerings
- Enjoy small class sizes and personal attention.
- Study close to home, whether in Madison or regionally at our Reedsburg, Portage, Fort Atkinson or Watertown campuses.
- Attend full- or part-time.
- Save money with the lowest per-credit tuition in the region.
- Experience a top-quality education that transfers!
Get Real-World Business Experience
Madison College offers students opportunities to gain additional experience outside the classroom.
Student Involvement Opportunities
- The Madison College Challenge is a business planning competition open to any Madison College student.
- The Center for Entrepreneurship features events and workshops on topics such as sales, marketing, intellectual property, freelancing and more.
- National Society of Leadership and Success is a leadership development program where you can participate in service and social opportunities.
- The Business Professionals of America (BPA) club can connect you with fellow business students to gain more knowledge and experience while having fun and building your professional network.
Business Internship Opportunities
Internships are a great way to gain experience and learn about potential areas of study in business. Sometimes, they lead to jobs during school and after graduation! Madison College works with businesses around Dane County to provide summer internship opportunities for business students.
Ready to Get Started?
If you’re ready to apply, create an account and begin the application process. Select the “Business” area of study and then choose “University Transfer - Pre-major: Economics and Business.”
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Curriculum and Experience
Prospective program students, the information below reflects the basic requirements for students admitted for the 2025-2026 academic year. To learn more about Madison College, visit us.
Current and newly admitted program students, go directly to your Degree Progress Report to view:
- Progress toward your specific requirements
- Alternative (in lieu of) courses to meet specific requirements
If you have questions after reviewing your degree progress report (advisement report), please see Advising Services.
60 credits minimum to complete the program by satisfying the all requirements as defined.English and Speech (9 credits)Six credits must be in composition - English 1 and one other composition course. Three credits must be in public speaking. (Students should consult with an advisor to determine the best choice for their second composition course.)Composition CoursesPublic Speaking CoursesKinesiology/Health/Wellness (1 credit)Completion of one of the listed courses is required.Kinesiology CoursesHumanities/Fine Arts (12 credits)Completion of courses from three disciplines is required. Choose courses from the following disciplines: art, art history, drama, film, literature, music, philosophy, world languages, writing and communication, and interdisciplinary humanities. Remaining credits to fulfill the requirement can be selected from any Humanities and Fine Arts courses offered within the AA degree.Art CoursesArt History CoursesDrama CoursesFilm CoursesLiterature CoursesMusic CoursesPhilosophy CoursesWorld Language CoursesWriting and Communication CoursesInterdisciplinary Humanities CoursesMathematics and Natural Science (10 credits)Select one mathematics course at the level of Intermediate Algebra or higher. Select one biological science course and one physical science course; one of the courses must include a laboratory. If lab is a stand-alone course, the associated lecture component is also required.Recommended Mathematics CoursesAdditional Mathematics CoursesBiological Science Lab CoursesBiological Science Courses without LabPhysical Science Lab CoursesPhysical Science Courses without LabSocial Science (12 credits)Required Social Science CoursesCompletion of six additional credits from two additional disciplines is required. Choose courses from the following disciplines: anthropology, education, history, political science, psychology, sociology, and interdisciplinary social science. (After satisfying the required number of disciplines, if there are any remaining credits needed, they can be selected from any Social Science courses offered within the AA degree, including economics.)Anthropology CoursesEducation CoursesHistory CoursesPolitical Science CoursesPsychology CoursesSociology CoursesInterdisciplinary Social Science CoursesElectives (16 credits)Select any courses offered within the Liberal Arts Transfer program or from the list of additional electives below. Most Internships and Honors Project credits may also be applied (20-code courses only).Consult with your advisor to determine which courses are best for your intended transfer program (major and transfer institution). Recommended electives are listed first in the list below.Ethnic Studies (One course)Course may also count toward Humanities/Fine Arts, Social Science, or Electives.World Languages (One course)May be met with one year in high school with a grade of "C" or better OR one semester in college. College courses may also count toward Humanities/Fine Arts or Electives.If requirement was satisfied with high school courses, email: enrollmentservices@madisoncollege.edu.See World Language Courses under the Humanities and Fine Arts Requirement above. -
Admission
To Apply
Earning a degree is a great way to advance your career development opportunities, so apply today!
International students who wish to apply for, maintain, or transfer their F-1 student visa status to Madison College are required to complete the International Admission Process.
Note: It is recommended to only apply for a semester that has already started if you are currently enrolled in classes or you have verified that classes are still available for that semester.
Application Dates
Spring 2025
- Application open
- Application completion deadline is April 15, 2025
Summer 2025
- Application open
- Application completion deadline is July 15, 2025
Fall 2025
- Application open
- Application completion deadline is November 15, 2025
Spring 2026
- Application open
- Application completion deadline is April 15, 2026
Admission Requirements
All materials must be submitted by the application deadline.
1. Admission Application
The online application allows you to save your work as you complete it and ensures fast, secure delivery to our office.
2. Education Completion
Submit official transcripts from the institutions you attended that indicate one of the following:
- High school completion (current high school seniors may submit an in-progress transcript)
- GED/HSED completion
- College transcript or Madison College experience showing:
- Completion of an associate degree or higher, or
- At least 30 credits completed with a minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4-point scale
- The credits must be completed at a single college and cannot be combined with other transcripts
- Any transfer credit listed on a transcript does not count toward the 30-credit minimum
- Credits completed at Madison College are evaluated and do not require a transcript
All high school and/or college transcripts are recommended to be submitted for Credit for Prior Learning evaluation.
Additional Notes
- Class capacity is limited and is available on a first come, first served basis.
- Course prerequisites differ from admission requirements; admission into a program does not guarantee eligibility to enroll in courses or success in the program. Refer to program curriculum for details.
After Acceptance
Once you are admitted into your program, review the Start of Semester Checklist to prepare for your first day of classes at Madison College.
Questions?
Contact the Enrollment Center at EnrollmentServices@madisoncollege.edu or 608.246.6210.
Get Started!
Apply to Madison College and take the first step towards your University Transfer - Economics and Business career.
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Transfer Opportunities
UW System Schools
This agreement is in the form of a contract. Students who earn the Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) Degree in one of the LAT Pre-Majors at Madison College, who meet requirements for admission to UW-Madison, contract requirements and who meet specified levels of academic achievement at Madison College will be granted admission to UW–Madison as a transfer student. Admission to UW–Madison under this agreement does not guarantee admission to any specific academic major or program.Students who complete the AA/AS degree in the LAT Econ / Pre Business Pre Major program at Madison College, submit the Declaration of Intent to Participate, and meet specified levels of academic achievement as outlined in this transfer agreement will be guaranteed direct admission to one of the following UW-Madison School of Business Online BBA programs: Business Management, Human Resources or Marketing.Students must complete the AA or AS, with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 (2.75 is required for international emphasis), be admitted to UW W and applied to the appropriate journalism emphasis. It is recommended that students take 809172 for their diversity class.Wisconsin Private Schools
MC students who earn an A.A. or A.S. degree who are admitted to Carroll University with at least 52 transfer credits will meet all GE1 distribution components in the gen ed curriculum. Transfer credit may be received for the CCD, GE2 and CCE requirements.Students with an AA, AS or AAS are Advanced Core. Advanced Core requires students to have earned at least 60 credits. Students transferring prior to completion or with less than 60 credits are standard core and credits are evaluated course by course.Students who receive an Associate of Arts or Sciences Degree from Madison College will be guaranteed admission to Edgewood College when students transfer directly from Madison College to Edgewood College within 5 years of completing the Associate Degree. Students who take coursework at another institution between the completion of their coursework at Madison College and their transfer to Edgewood College must meet Edgewood College's transfer student admissions requirements of a cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all college-level coursework. Students must also meet posted admission deadlines.Student who earn an Associate Degree from Madison College can transfer a minimum of 60 credits and a maximum of 72 credits to Lakeland College to be applied to the requirements of the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Sciences degree.Mount Mary University will recognize an earned AA, AS, and AAS degree and guarantee those students junior standing. Outlines main transfer equivalancies.Out-of-State Schools
General university admission is guaranteed upon successful completion of the following conditions: 1) Completion of an associate degree from a regionally accredited higher education institution with a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA (Arizona residents) or 2.50 cumulative GPA (nonresidents) or 2) completion of 24 or more transferable semester credits post-high school with a minimum cumulative transfer GPA of 2.50 and verification of high school graduation or the equivalent. NOTE: Some ASU colleges and schools have additional or higher requirements for admission into their majors.Students who complete any associate degree at Madison Area Technical College will have no additional general education core curriculum requirements to meet but must satisfy the Kirkpatrick Signature Series requirement.Per the agreement, students must complete the associates of arts, associates of science or associates of applied science with an overall GPA of a 2.0 prior to transferring.Students graduating with an associate degree from MATC with a 2.0 GPA or higher are guaranteed admissions into CSU-Global and can transfer up to 64 semester credits from MATC to be applied toward earning a Bachelor’s Degree at CSU-Global.Franklin University will guarantee acceptance of Madison College graduates with an AA, AS, or AAS. Madison College graduates will have junior standing at Franklin University and may transfer up to 94 additional credits toward their baccalaureate degree. -
Career Outcomes
Economics and Business Pre-Major Program Outcomes
Your Economics and Business pre-major will blend core business courses with general education requirements, preparing you to transfer with junior-level standing to your chosen four-year college. After completing your coursework at Madison College, you'll be able to:
- Apply critical thinking skills to pose questions, analyze information and make well-informed business decisions.
- Compute and analyze quantitative data using mathematical, statistical and logical methods to solve problems.
- Research questions by planning and implementing investigative strategies, and synthesizing the results in an academic or business document.
- Develop necessary self-awareness and self-management skills to succeed in increasingly challenging academic and professional environments.
- Communicate effectively with diverse audiences by:
- Actively listen in personal and professional relationships.
- Comprehending written materials at a grade 14 level.
- Organizing and synthesizing information for diverse audiences.
- Collaborate effectively to achieve shared goals.
- Explore physical and social environments using scientific tools and methods.
- Appreciate the contributions of diverse cultures, historical periods and art forms to improve the human condition in a global society.
Economics and Business Careers
An Economics or Business degree equips you for diverse career opportunities or further education in graduate programs such as law, economics or business. The degree also serves as a strong foundation for a future in public policy or politics.
Potential pathways in Business and Economics include:
- Accounting
- Actuarial Science
- Agriculture Economics and Applied Economics
- Business Management and Human Resources
- Economics
- Finance, Investment and Banking
- Information Systems
- International Business
- International Relations
- Marketing
- Operations Management (Supply Chain Management)
- Pre-Law
- Public Affairs
- Real Estate
…and more!
