Since 1945, the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (GSB) has helped develop banking leaders through a program of advanced management education. Today, GSB is widely recognized as the nation’s leading and most progressive banking school, offering a comprehensive course of study that focuses on meeting the changing needs of today’s bank manager. GSB is the only graduate banking school in the nation that relies on its alumni, Banker Advisory Board and Academic Committee to create an unparalleled learning and networking experience. GSB is sponsored and governed by the Central States Conference of Bankers Associations in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and has been the school of choice for more than 23,000 bankers, with good reason. GSB students acquire a broad knowledge and understanding of major bank functions and their interrelationships and develop the skills required to lead and manage effectively. The school’s curriculum reflects the contemporary trends impacting the financial services industry. Core courses address broad areas of finance, marketing, management and the environment in which banks operate while elective courses allow students to customize their learning experience. Graduates of the GSB program also receive the prestigious Certificate of Executive Leadership from the Wisconsin School of Business Professional and Executive Development — the highest level certificate they offer.
Over the course of 25 months, through a mix of lectures, bank simulations, case study discussions and hands-on projects, you will learn to:
- Retain your best customers
- Increase your market share
- Analyze market conditions to effectively manage risk
- Achieve a sustainable competitive advantage
- Utilize technology effectively to improve performance
- Improve bottom-line results
- Manage change through agile leadership
Curriculum allows mid-to-senior-level managers to push beyond theory and put key concepts to work in the real world — to challenge assumptions, develop critical thinking skills and gain necessary leadership acumen. Here’s how it works:
- Lectures, small group discussions, computer simulations, case studies and projects round out the learning experience
- Three two-week sessions cover a broad range of topics — not just theories and models, but real banking issues
- Intersession projects reinforce and apply the knowledge acquired in the resident sessions; assignments are customized to students’ organizations
- GSB faculty – 90% of whom are current or former bankers – bring real-world examples into the classroom with practical and usable approaches that can be implemented immediately by the organization
- Team-building and networking among students and instructors provides a life-long pool of resources for graduates
- GSB’s state-of-the-art FiSim bank management simulation serves as the capstone course where students ‘put it all together’ and experience the challenge of managing the bank