MBA

The University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business was founded in 1955, and named after prominent public school system supporter Colgate Whitehead Darden Jr. Darden’s founding principle was to become a business school able to nurture the managerial talent required to spur economic growth for the benefit of all of society. True to this goal, the learning experience takes pride of place at Darden.

 Applicants for the Darden MBA program must follow a fairly standard application process, including an online form and submission of undergraduate degree scores, GMAT/GRE scores, essay question responses, references, and a business CV (as opposed to an academic CV). Shortlisted applicants are then invited to an interview, which takes places on the Darden campus for US-based applicants, or in the applicant’s home region or by Skype for those applying from abroad. There are three tuition fee tiers, with the basic rate currently US$62,800 for Virginia residents, US$65,800 for non-Virginia US residents, and US$65,920 for international students. There’s also a non-refundable $250 application fee. The school estimates total costs for the entire course, including tuition, housing, food and healthcare, to be between US$80,000 and US$100,000.

 The Darden MBA program is a traditional two-year course, but the method of teaching and learning is very modern. Rather than following a topic-based structure, teaching is divided into case studies, which Darden describes as an ‘active learning approach’. What’s more, though leadership is an integral aspect of the Darden MBA, team-based collaboration is given more weight, in line with the school’s egalitarian founding principles. Darden also organizes ‘job treks’ for students, which sees groups of students travel to locations that interest them, either due to prominent local industries or the specific markets themselves. These trips comprise meetings with executives and hiring managers, as well as social and alumni events, adding significant value to the Darden MBA program.

 As a result of this collaborative, case-study based approach, an impressive 38% of Darden MBA graduates enter the consulting industry, making the most of their newfound ability to solve problems and bring teams together to boost results. Darden MBA students also enjoy a high base salary after graduation, with an average of US$122,806. What’s more, 94% percent of Darden MBA students find employment within three months of graduation. Employment destinations are varied, with companies across the globe and in all industries valuing Darden graduates highly. Prominent post-MBA employers for Darden graduates include Deloitte, Accenture, PwC, Strategy&, Barclays and Deutsche Bank.