The UW–Madison School of Pharmacy’s annual PharmD Career Fair is an excellent opportunity to connect with current pharmacy students and promote the employment and educational opportunities available within your organization.
Additional resources
Message from the Dean
Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy, welcome to our annual PharmD Career Fair! This is an invaluable opportunity for you to interact with our students, to educate them about education and employment opportunities, and to provide information and resources to explore their career options.
Our students are preparing to enter the challenging and rewarding world of pharmacy as practicing professionals, as trained researchers and educators in the pharmaceutical, social, and clinical sciences. We look forward to these future pharmacists continuing our traditions of excellence and innovation by exploring and forging new relationships as professional colleagues across the state.
On, Wisconsin!
Steven M. Swanson, PhD
Dean and Professor
About the Career Fair
Career Fair 2026
Date: Friday, October 16, 2026 | 10:00am-3:30pm
Format: In-person | UW–Madison campus
Registration: $200 per booth (plus 2.5% fee if paying via credit card)
The $200 registration fee includes:
- One 8′ booth at the Career Fair
- Up to two parking permits
- Lunch and refreshments
Proceeds from this event directly support School of Pharmacy student organizations.
Why Attend our Career Fair?
As one of the top ranked programs in the nation, the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy trains outstanding student pharmacists.
All 450 of our Doctor of Pharmacy students are required to attend the Career Fair, so you will have the opportunity for many meaningful interactions with students in various stages of their pharmacy education.
Career Fair Timeline
Wednesday, July 1: Registration opens in Handshake.
Friday, October 2: Registration closes* and deadline to request refund.
- *Note: registration may close before October 2 if the fair reaches capacity before this date.
Friday October 16: Career Fair event occurs from 10:00am-3:30pm.
All booths sold out in recent years – don’t wait to register!
Register for the Career Fair
Register for the Career Fair through Handshake, UW–Madison’s career services platform.
- If you already have a Handshake account, reference this guide for step-by-step instructions to register for a fair.
- If you do not have a Handshake account, you can create a user account and join your organization’s company profile. If your organization does not yet have a company profile, you will be asked to create a new company profile when creating your user account. When you create a company profile, you can designate an Account Owner who will be in charge of managing the company profile.
- If you have questions about or problems with Handshake, contact Chelsea Wimmer.
Preparing to Attend
We are pleased to help you plan your visit to the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy Career Fair! Below are important details regarding your campus visit. Please contact our Career Services team with any questions:
Chelsea Wimmer, Career Services Manager | chelsea.wimmer@wisc.edu | 608-263-4979
Lindsey Weigel, Career Services Support | lindsey.weigel@wisc.edu | 608-262-6234
Interacting with Students
Attendance at the Career Fair is mandatory for all PharmD students. Each cohort of students is assigned a start time to enter the Career Fair. The start times are intervals of approximately 60-90 minutes, but students may attend the Career Fair for longer than that.
The day prior to the Career Fair, called the Career Development Day, offers each cohort of students career programming tailored to their year in the program. The Career Fair provides an opportunity for all students to think and talk about their career goals, practice their career-related skills (e.g., elevator speech, networking) by connecting with a variety of organizations, and learn more about future educational and/or employment opportunities. Specific discussion suggestions for each cohort of students are provided before the Career Fair.
Please note that in addition to the Career Fair, additional opportunities to connect with students throughout the year include the Fall Interview Day and Spring Interview Day. Employers can also post jobs in Handshake at any time. Learn more about these opportunities on the PharmD Employer Resources page.
Booth Materials
The registration fee includes one 8′ table. Organization-branded tablecloths are encouraged. You may not distribute gifts or other “swag” items (e.g., bags, keychains, trinkets) to students. Informational pamphlets/handouts about your organization are acceptable. Approximately 450 students attend the Career Fair. Please use your discretion when planning what materials to bring.
Most organizations choose to bring their booth materials with them on the day of the Career Fair. Student volunteers will be available on the day of the Career Fair to help unload items prior to parking.
Representatives may choose to mail their materials prior to the Career Fair. If choosing this option, please coordinate with Chelsea Wimmer prior to mailing your materials.
Accommodations
If you (or any of your organization’s representatives) have a disability and desire accommodation, please inform Chelsea Wimmer as soon as possible. Requests are confidential.
Parking
The registration fee includes up to two parking permits. These permits, as well as parking information and lot details, will be mailed to participants before the Career Fair. If you would like to order additional permits, they are $15 per day and a limited number can be ordered in advance. Please contact Transportation Services to reserve passes: call 608-263-6666 or visit https://transportation.wisc.edu/visitor-parking/. Suggested lots include: 20, 80, or 17.
A detailed map of the UW–Madison campus, including parking options, is available at: https://map.wisc.edu/. The Career Fair is held in the Discovery Building.
Lodging
There are several off-campus hotels that are convenient to the UW–Madison campus and downtown Madison:
- Best Western Plus InnTowner Madison | 2424 University Ave | 608-233-8778
- Graduate Hotel Madison | 601 Langdon St | 608-257-4391
- Wisconsin Union Hotel | 1308 W Dayton St | 608-263-2600
- The Edgewater | 1001 Wisconsin Pl | 608-535-8200
- Fluno Center | 601 University Ave | 608-441-7117
- DoubleTree by Hilton Madison Downtown | 525 W Johnson St | 608-251-5511
- The Madison Concourse Hotel | 1 W Dayton St | 800-356-8293
- Hyatt Place Madison/Downtown | 333 W Washington Ave | 608-257-2700
Policies
UW–Madison has created Employer Recruiting Policies to foster an equitable recruitment experience for all UW–Madison students and to make recruiters’ efforts to attract talented students fair and efficient. Review the policies to find a description of the structure of career services at UW–Madison, the professional and legal standards that ground recruiting activities on campus, and a list of policies governing recruiting activities.
Visiting Campus
If you are interested in exploring campus and/or Madison before or after the Career Fair, you may wish to use these links to help plan your visit: