Undergraduate Case Competition

Graphic advertising an opportunity for economics students to apply and participate in the Economic Development Case Competition. Here, students collaborate with a team of fellow undergrads in economics to research and present solutions on the economic implications of a coal plant closure. This opportunity makes an amazing addition to your resume and counts as an engage in econ credit. An image attached to the graphic features a team of students holding a 'W' symbol with their hands in front of their opening slide for their final presentation.

General Information for Fall 2025 Competition:

Individuals selected will be assigned into teams of 4-5 and those teams are expected to complete all expectations of the competition, including working together as a team on the case prompt and presentation, and all team members presenting on Friday, November 22 to leadership from Madison Region Economic Partnership and Alliant Energy.

We anticipate participants spending ~5-10 hours per week between Oct 25 – Nov 22 for this case competition. Make sure your schedule allows for this type of commitment BEFORE applying.

Participating students will receive 1 engage credit for the Engage in Econ Program!

APPLICATION CLOSED FOR 2025

Eligibility Information:

Students must be:

current UW-Madison undergraduates majoring in Economics
in academic good standing (have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA), but exceptions may be granted based on extenuating circumstances or upward grade trends

Timeline & Important Details

Tuesday, Oct 22 at 8 am: DEADLINE to apply for Case Competition
- Note: We typically receive more applications to participate than spaces available for the competition. Applying does not guarantee participation.
Friday, October 25 by Noon: Notification goes out to selected groups/participants via email, including information on the case prompt to be solved and expected deliverables. Reach out to your team members to find common meeting times and begin brainstorming your approach to the case!
Friday, Nov 1 from 3 – 4 pm in 5106 Social Sciences: Case Competition Kick-off and Information Session.
- All accepted students are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED to attend and at least one member from each team MUST attend. Details on the case competition will be outlined by the Madison Region Economic Partnership judges and Econ Career Development Office staff. Bring any questions your team has.
Nov 11-15: Faculty consultation sessions for teams (exact time and location TBD).
- You should have a strong draft of your deliverables for this meeting and bring questions/issues that faculty can provide insight on.
Nov 18-20: Practice & feedback sessions for teams (exact time and location TBD).
- You should have a mostly finalized presentation for these sessions. This is an opportunity to practice as a team and get feedback to polish up in preparation for the final presentation to judges.
Friday, Nov 22 between 9 am – 3 pm: Groups present final deliverables to judges (exact presentation times and location TBD – each team will sign-up for a 30 minute presentation time).
- ALL team members are required to attend and participate in the final presentations.

Previous Case Competitions

2023: WisCARES Pricing & Payment Strategy
2022: Lazard Asset Management ESG Stock Pitch
2021: Filene Research Institute Overdraft Protection Strategy for Credit Unions
2020 & 2019: Macy’s Consumer Insights & Sales