Incoming MSBA Student – How Are Career Fairs at UW-Madison? (Companies, OPT, and Job Outcomes)

I’m an incoming MS in Business Analytics (MSBA) student at UW–Madison and excited to be joining this fall! I’ve been researching career support and wanted to get some real insight from current students, alumni, or anyone who’s gone through the grad school experience here.

A few things I’m curious about and would love your thoughts on: • Career Fair Opportunities: How active are the career fairs for graduate students in analytics/business/data fields? Are there dedicated career fairs or do we mostly attend the general campus-wide ones? • Format & Frequency: How often do these career fairs happen each semester, and how long do they typically last (one day vs multi-day)? Do students get good facetime with recruiters? • Employability from MSBA: What kind of job roles do MSBA grads typically land (data analyst, business analyst, etc.)? Is the program well-recognized by employers? • Companies That Recruit Often: Any big-name companies that frequently show up? Would love to hear examples—especially from tech, consulting, or finance. • International Student (OPT) Friendly? I’m also curious if there are decent opportunities for international students—particularly companies open to hiring on OPT and eventually sponsoring. Any trends you’ve noticed?

Open to any advice, experiences, or even networking tips. Super grateful for any insight—looking forward to becoming part of the Badger family!