Archive for the 'Academics' Category

The Role of Water in Business and Sustainability

Published on May 14, 2013 in Academics and Darden News. 0 Comments Tags: academics, Darden, Global, MBA, sustainability, University of Virginia, UVA.

Darden offers over 15 elective courses that solely or partially focus on sustainability and ethical leadership/decision-making. Three of these courses are tailored towards MBA students interested in learning more about how water impacts global business and sustainability around the world.

Global Economies of Water: This cross-disciplinary course, debuting in the spring of 2014, will focus on sustainability through the lens of water and economics. Students will learn how globalization interacts with water availability, how water usage interlocks with sustainable development, how water can be managed more efficiently and if there is a role for water markets in business.
Sustainable Innovation and Enterpreneurship: This course provides students with practical information on the growing frontier of innovation and entrepreneurial activity at the nexus of business and natural systems. Last fall, Professor Andy Larson invited Jon Freedman, global leader in government relations for GE Power and Water, and Francesca McCann, managing director for Global Water Strategies, to speak to the class about the state of the world’s water supply, future technologies that could increase water availability around the world, and opportunities to invest in water stocks and water-focused companies.
Business and Sustainability: This course provides students with a comprehensive conceptual and applied understanding of the sustainability challenges and opportunities facing corporations on a global scale with primary emphasis on environmental sustainability. Students in the class explore the effectiveness of for-profit and non-profit partnerships in support of global sustainability, focusing on the progress made through the World Wildlife Fund and Coca-Cola in restoring several of the world’s most important river basins.

Learn more about these courses by reading the full article: “New Darden Classes, Cases and Connections Immerse MBA Students in H2O,” or visit the Darden Sustainability website to learn about sustainability courses, events, career opportunities and more in the MBA program.

Darden Students Travel to Zambia for Global Field Experience Elective

Published on March 21, 2013 in Academics and Student Profile or Feature. 0 Comments Tags: Consulting, GFE, Global, Global Field Experience, international, MBA, student, University of Virginia, UVA.

In addition to Darden’s exchange programs and Global Business Experiences, Darden students now have the opportunity to participate in Global Field Experiences (GFEs). GFEs are electives that give small teams of students the opportunity to provide consulting services to an international company or organization while working closely with a Darden faculty member. At the beginning or end of each course, students visit the company on location to build on-the-ground knowledge and scope the issue at hand.

In the fall, six Second Year students worked with Darden professor Mary Margaret Frank and the World Bicycle Relief, a nonprofit organization that has distributed more than 100,000 bicycles and trained more than 750 bike mechanics in developing countries. The project included compiling a complete review of, and offering recommendations for, the current World Bicycle Relief financial model; creating a “pitchbook” that will aid in raising new capital; and developing a potential investor base for funding growth. This GFE culminated in a weeklong journey to Zambia in December. Second Year student Paul Frederic Manlapig gave a day-to-day account of his experiences in Zambia on the Global Voices of Darden Blog (read Part 1 and Part 2).

Learn more about Global Field Experiences and read about GFEs in other countries.

Admissions Q&A: Academic Curriculum, Social Entrepreneurship and Application Updates

Published on March 6, 2013 in Academics, Admissions and Weekly Chats. 0 Comments Tags: admissions, application, Darden, ethics, MBA, online chat, University of Virginia, UVA.

Question: Can you tell us about the global curriculum at Darden?

Answer: Global Economies and Markets is actually a part of the core curriculum of Darden, so all students are exposed to it in their First Year. In addition, approximately 1/3 of our student body is international, so the global perspective is well-represented in the case method classroom. Aside from the core, you’ll find various opportunities to take advantage of exchange programs or Global Business Experiences. Visit our Global Opportunities page for more information.

Question: I’ve noticed that a number of business schools have begun to incorporate a socially focused track into their curriculum. I was interested in information about classes particularly focused on social entrepreneurship and nonprofit management.

Answer: We have a variety of classes on social responsibility. We’re actually the No. 1 b-school in ethics and have a research center completely dedicated to ethics. There are several electives related to social responsibility. Ethics, Sustainability, Energy and Social Enterprise. Here’s a good video on careers for change.

Question: Is there a specific track for individuals interested in investing in social ventures?

Answer: We offer concentration/track options, but they are not mandatory. Many students interested in careers in social responsibility can pick and choose which classes they take at Darden and across UVa. Here are our concentration options if you are interested in exploring them.

Question: I have a quick question about the MBA Executive program. Is there a requirement to have a specific amount of business experience?

Answer: We don’t have any hard requirements in terms of years of experience for the Executive MBA formats, but the range tends to be 7+ years. I recommend emailing ExecMBA@darden.virginia.edu. We’d be happy to take a look at your professional background and discuss if the Exec MBA would be a good fit for you.

Question: What exactly does the Darden MBA interview attempt to evaluate? I know you’re looking for fit, but how do you define fit?

Answer: We really want to learn who you are as a person. Our curriculum relies heavily on teamwork within learning teams and contribution to case method discussions. We want to get a sense of how you will fit into Darden’s collaborative environment.

Question: What percentage of interview invites have gone out? I would assume that most, if not all interview invites have been sent

Answer: The majority of interview invites have gone out. However, we are still in the midst of reading applications and interviewing applicants, so the number of invitations is not final yet. We will continue to invite students to interview until our decision release date on 20 March.

Question: Since submitting my application, I have obtained a significant achievement at my job. Shall I make Adcom aware of this update at this stage?

Answer: Go ahead and send that information to darden@virginia.edu. Our account managers will make sure it is included in your file.

How to Choose an MBA program: Considering the Format

Published on February 21, 2013 in Academics and Video. 0 Comments Tags: admissions, Darden, EMBA, Executive MBA, MBA, MBA for Executives, MBAExec, University of Virginia, UVA, Video.

Learning about different business schools and MBA formats can be overwhelming if you are just beginning your MBA search. At Darden, we offer one MBA degree in three different formats — a full-time MBA, MBA for Executives and Global MBA for Executives. Students in Darden’s EMBA and GEMBA utilize the same case method of study and general management curriculum taught by the same top-ranked faculty used in the full-time MBA.

The age range for the EMBA Class of 2014 ranges from 28-59. You may be a good fit for one of Darden’s executive MBA formats if you are interested in:

Working full-time while pursuing your MBA degree
Advancing your career by moving up in your company, switching careers or starting your own business
Pursuing a global career and gaining exposure and insight into the world’s most dynamic economies
Providing an immediate return on investment for your company

In the video below, Diana Jeffery, EMBA Class of 2014, discusses how the Darden EMBA’s transformative classroom experience, strong alumni network, proximity to Washington, D.C. and convenient class schedule fit her criteria for the right MBA.

How to Choose an Executive MBA Program

View more videos on Darden’s Executive MBA and Global Executive MBA.

Featured MBA Student Blog: The Darden Routine

Published on February 12, 2013 in Academics, Guest Posts and Student Profile or Feature. 0 Comments Tags: academics, case method, Darden, General Management, MBA, student blog, University of Virginia, UVA.

Earlier this month, we announced that Financial Times ranked Darden No. 1 in the world for general management. In the following student blog, Genie Ko writes about how Darden’s general management curriculum impacted her First Year experience and prepared her as an emerging leader:

“Our FY core curriculum includes Leading Organizations, Managerial Communications, Accounting, Finance, Strategy, Decision Analysis, Ethics, Operations, and Marketing. I like to think of the Darden FY curriculum as a foundation in the language and function of accounting/marketing/finance/etc., giving us a strong, well-rounded understanding of what is at stake for an organization and the priorities and interests of each department. The case method then challenges us to consider this in our decisions–almost every class begins with a cold call to a student asking, “What would you do?”

The Darden experience is full of high-engagement learning, requiring you to present and defend your position every day. Your world class professors and classmates will push you intellectually, challenging you in the ways you think. It will be some of the most difficult training you will go through as an emerging leader, and the entire Darden community is rooting for your success. This combination of structure and unpredictability is a great training ground for tomorrow’s leaders.”

Read more of Genie’s post: “The Darden Routine.”

Darden Professor Jeanne Liedtka Receives Honorary Medal of the Order of Australia

Published on February 4, 2013 in Academics and Darden News. 0 Comments Tags: Darden, Dean, Jeanne Liedtka, Leadership, MBA, Strategy, University of Virginia, UVA, Video.

The Australian government has awarded an honorary Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division to Darden Professor Jeanne Liedtka for her impact on Australia’s museum professionals. Since 1999, Liedtka has inspired, influenced and mentored a whole generation of Australian leaders — over 200 professionals.

Liedtka is an expert in strategy and teaches design thinking, innovation and organic growth at the Darden School of Business.

Dean Bruner and the Darden School congratulates Liedtka for her achievement in the video below:

Jeanne Liedtka Recognized at Darden for Australian Honor

A Look Inside the Darden Global Executive MBA

Published on January 29, 2013 in Academics. 0 Comments Tags: Darden, GEMBA, global executive mba, global leadership, MBA, University of Virginia, UVA.

Darden’s Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) is an innovative format that enables students to earn the Darden MBA degree through a combination of six two-week international residencies and distance learning while working full time. At each international residency, GEMBA students study global cases and participate in Global Leadership Explorations — cultural and business excursions — to prepare them for business leadership across international borders.

This past month, Assistant Director of Admissions Larry Becker had the opportunity to travel alongside the GEMBA Class of 2014 during their second international residency in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Read about his experiences here.

Sustainability in the Darden MBA Curriculum

Published on October 15, 2012 in Academics and Video. 0 Comments Tags: Business, Darden, ethics, Leadership, MBA, sustainability, University of Virginia, UVA, Video.

Part of Darden’s mission is to prepare our students to become well-rounded, successful leaders in business and society. To accomplish this goal, the School incorporates important topics throughout the curriculum to address issues that cross functional bounderies: functional skills, global perspectives, innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset, ethical grounding, diversity, respect for sustainability and technological sophistication.

Darden’s commitment to sustainability and ethics is apparent — we offer 17 electives that solely or partially focus on sustainability and ethical leadership/decision-making. In addition, Darden purposefully incorporates topics on sustainability and ethics throughout the First Year core curriculum.

Below are a few videos of Darden’s top-ranked faculty describing how they incorporate sustainability and ethical leadership into their courses.

Darden Faculty on the Sustainability Curriculum

Sustainability Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Creative Capitalism

First Year Strategy

Business and Sustainability

Video: MBA Student Impressions of the Darden Case Method

Published on July 19, 2012 in Academics and Video. 2 Comments Tags: Business, case method, Class, Darden, MBA, student, University of Virginia, UVA, Video.

The case method is one of the defining characteristics that distinguishes Darden from other business schools. It transforms the classroom experience into a dynamic learning environment shaped by the diverse experiences of your learning team, section and faculty. Over the course of two years, you will study over 500 real-life business cases and learn how to persuade and inspire others, to reconcile differing viewpoints and to prioritize objectives and capitalize on opportunities.

In the following video, you will hear from a group of Darden students as they discuss the benefits of the case method and its real-world application to their careers and internships:

Impressions of the Darden Case Method

Recent Grad Shares Her Experiences About the Cannes Film Festival Elective

Published on June 21, 2012 in Academics and Student Profile or Feature. 1 Comment Tags: Cannes, Darden, elective, MBA, Podcast, University of Virginia, UVA.

Lindsay Mecca, Darden MBA Class of 2012, recently participated in an elective course that took her all the way to France to attend the annual Cannes Film Festival. She discusses what it was like to experience the business side of the film industry first-hand.

Listen to the podcast.