About Darden - Homepage | UVA Darden School of Business

What We Mean When We Say

Darden

At the UVA Darden School of Business, our mission is to improve the world by developing responsible leaders through unparalleled transformational learning experiences. Through degree and non-degree programs, delivered by the world’s best faculty and bolstered by their research and ideas, we put your personal purpose in motion, setting the stage for a lifetime of career advancement and impact.

Our Mission and Values

UVA Aerial View — **The University of Virginia: A Leader in Public Higher Education**
Named for Virginia Governor Colgate Whitehead Darden Jr., the Darden School opened its doors in 1955 as the graduate business school of the University of Virginia, which was founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 and is one of the top public universities in the nation and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

UVA Darden — **Darden: Putting the 'Global' in Global Business School**
Darden has campuses in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Washington, D.C., area and field offices in the San Francisco Bay Area and Shanghai, China. Its global community includes 1,110 degree-seeking students, 17,000 alumni in 90 countries, and executive education and online learners across the globe.

A Purpose-driven Education. Future-ready Leaders.

In an era of rapid change, what you know can obsolesce quickly. How you learn is key to effective leadership in the future. Darden’s purpose-driven, rigorous education — supported by case-method and experiential learning — combined with its tight-knit community, prepare leaders as catalysts for business and social transformation.

A four-pillared philosophy guides our approach:

Our spontaneous yet deliberate learning experience cultivates confidence and resilience in the face of uncertainty.
The collaborative, learner-centered culture fosters high intellectual and emotional engagement with faculty and peers.
A dedication to honor, purpose and lifelong learning anchors Darden’s diverse and inclusive community.
We are committed to inspire and shape modern business leadership worldwide through research, thought leadership and access to transformational learning solutions.

Programs That Power Lasting Impact

Degree Programs

Full-Time MBA (includes the Future Year Scholars Program)
Executive MBA formats
Part-Time MBA
Master of Science in Business Analytics, delivered in collaboration with the UVA McIntire School of Commerce
Ph.D.

Executive Education & Lifelong Learning

The Executive Program: Strategic Leadership at the Top
Custom solutions for organizations
Open programs for individuals
Partnership for Leaders in Education, delivered with UVA School of Education and Human Development
Online courses

Get to Know Us.

The dean. Scott C. Beardsley serves as Darden's ninth dean. Visit the Dean's Office.
The faculty. Routinely recognized as the best in the world for their teaching excellence and curricular innovation, Darden's 85+ faculty leverages its commitment and connection to business for near-term impact.
The staff. 300 talented individuals steer our global and dynamic organization. Join them at Jobs at Darden.
The leadership. Darden's School leadership and alumni volunteers work together to make the School the best it can be. Meet the leadership.
The strategic plan. The Darden Worldwide 2026 strategic plan seeks to reach the full potential of Darden’s mission.
The campaign. Darden’s historic Powered by Purpose campaign honors the future and elevates the world’s best education experience.

Advancing Business Knowledge

A world leader in business ethics, leadership and general management, Darden creates the future of business. World-changing ideas like effectuation for entrepreneurs, stakeholder management and the ethical approach of Giving Voice to Values, among many others, have roots here at Darden.

Inclusive and Sustainable Excellence

Inclusive Excellence

A key Darden value is an inclusive community that enables its global and diverse members to collaborate and excel. Learn more about Darden's global community on the Diversity at Darden blog led by the Office of Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Global Voices of Darden blog, published by Darden's Center for Global Initiatives, and the Diversity at Darden webpage.

Women@Darden

This community-wide initiative aims to position Darden as the business school of choice for women interested in management education.

Explore the Initiative

The Rankings

No. 1 Best Education Experience in the U.S. (The Economist, 2011-19)

No. 1 Faculty (The Princeton Review, 2017-21)

No. 1 Satisfaction With MBA Education (Forbes, 2017-18)

No. 1 U.S. Public MBA Program for Average Starting Salary & Bonus (U.S. News & World Report, 2017-21)

No. 1 MBA Program for General Management (Financial Times, 2012-17, 2019)

No. 1 MBA Program for Consulting (The Princeton Review, 2018, 2021)

Darden's Full-Time MBA is ranked in the Top 10 by Bloomberg Businessweek. In 2021, The Princeton Review ranked Darden in the Top 10 in 11 categories — more than any other business school.