When it comes to advancing your career, there is no denying the need for professional development. However, many people find it challenging to fit development programs into their budget. Here, we provide a few tips and tools to help you make the case for requesting your organization finance your next Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning program.
- Define your professional development goals that align with organizational needs
- Research program opportunities (formats, locations, dates, price) and offer options — check out our post on how to choose the right program
- Articulate how the selected program(s) will benefit you in your role
- Articulate how the selected program(s) will benefit your organization
- Review the professional development benefits offered by your organization — a portion or all of your program may be covered
- Understand everything that the program fee covers, such as lodging, meals, materials, assessments, coaching, etc.
- Explore discounts — Darden offers a variety for:
- Military/Government
- UVA/Darden Alumni
- UVA Staff/Faculty
- Non-profit Organizations
- Virginia-based Business
- Organizational Groups – vary by the group size and type of program, but typically yield a discount of 10-20% off the total cost for the group
We’ve also provided this financial support request letter template to help you outline the request for your manager.
Once you’ve successfully received funding and registered for your program, be sure to block off the time on your calendar so that you can make the most of your professional development experience. We look forward to welcoming you to Darden!
