Career Journeys - Finance

Career Elective Guides

Financial Analysis

 

Strong analytical skills dominate for the first five years of a corporate finance professional’s career, and there is heavy emphasis on functional knowledge. Technical expertise in corporate financing and the ability to resolve complicated financial challenges are critical.

Recommended Courses for Functional Knowledge of Finance and Accounting

These courses establish the foundations for evaluating the economic impacts of decisions.

Course Number	Course Title
8423	Corporate Financial Policies (Q1)
8190	Taxation and Management Decisions (Q1)
8171	International Corporate Finance (Q2)
8470	Corporate Financing (Q3)

 

Recommended Courses for Understanding Sources and Markets for Financing

These courses examine financial markets that are relevant to the financing needs and decisions from the issuer’s point of view.

Course Number	Course Title
8490	Financial Institutions and Markets (Q3)
8410	Financial Statement Analysis (Q3)
8625	Mergers and Acquisitions (Q3)
8173	Global Capital Markets (Q4)
8160	Taxation and Mergers and Acquisitions (Q4)

 

Specialty Topics

Select from these courses depending on the needs of specific job positions or industries.

Course Number	Course Title
8426	Derivative Securities: Options & Futures (Q1)
8290	Venture Capital (Q1)
8395	Communicating Financial and Sustainability Performance (Q2)
8453	Entrepreneurial Finance & Private Equity (Q1, Q2)
8639	Corporate Financial Restructuring (Q4)

Problem Solving

 

Are you drawn to solving complex problems in new and innovative ways? You’ll apply intellectual curiosity and superior research skills to address a company’s biggest challenges. The need for strategic thinking grows as one progresses to the role of Chief Financial Officer.

Strategy and Planning Focused Courses

These courses examine the broad strategic factors that need to be addressed, the governance structures that drive decision making, and issues related to communicating performance.

Course Number	Course Title
8830	Supply Chain Management (FY-Q4)
8310	Competitive Dynamics (Q1)
8465	Management Planning and Control (Q1)
8014	Strategic Thinking (Q2)
8621	Project Management (Q2)
8800	Operations Strategy (Q2)
8013	Strategic Corporate Governance (Q3)
8400	General Managers Taking Action (Q3, Q4)

 

Economics Courses

Financial managers need a keen understanding of global markets, including the drivers of economic policy and economic conditions. Any courses offered by the GEM area will be useful—tailor your selection to your particular interests and/or the field you will be entering.

Leadership

 

In order to develop and build exceptional teams of senior financial analysts and corporate finance managers, garner trust with cross-functional teams, and create lasting change inside an organization, you will need to draw on exceptional leadership skills. Below is a list of particularly well suited courses in leadership.

Course Number	Course Title
8619	Leading Teams (FY-Q4)
7619	Paths to Power (FY-Q4)
8706	Leadership, Diversity and Leveraging Difference (Q4)
8274	Leadership When it Really Counts (Q4)

Teamwork and Persuasion

 

Corporate finance roles offer an excellent opportunity to build relationships, network and partner with a variety of individuals to achieve a shared vision and outstanding results. Chief Financial Officers must communicate the company’s priorities throughout the organization and communicate proactively with the board of directors and investors.

Course Number	Course Title
7605	Strategic Communication (FY-Q4)
8620	Brand Management: Creating, Testing, and Analyzing New Brand Strategies (Q3)
8320	Leadership Communication During Times of Disruptions and Transformation (Q3)

Finance Concentrations

Asset Management, Sales and Trading Concentration

While the elective curriculum focuses on a student's specific area of interest, concentrations offer additional guidance and structure to specializations. They also provide a stronger signal to recruiters of a student's focus. All students receive the same MBA degree, and concentrations are not noted on a student's transcript nor diploma, though they may be added to a student's resume. Upon graduation and successful completion of a concentration, the student receives a letter from Darden acknowledging that they have met the requirements for the concentration.

 

Asset Management, Sales and Trading Concentration

This concentration is designed to extend the valuation principles learned in the first year curriculum to solve complex problems faced by asset managers and sales and trading professionals. The courses expose students to a variety of different financial markets and give students a deeper understanding for how companies are valued, which are critical components for either managing a client’s funds or executing security trades. 

Faculty contact: Marc Lipson

 

Concentration Requirements

A student will be recognized as having this concentration when they have completed 7.5 credit hours from the courses listed below.

Note: Not all courses may be offered in a given year.

 

Course Number Course Title Credit Hours 7602 Global Financial Markets  1.5 7603 Valuation in Financial Markets 1.5 8059 Foundations and Applications of FinTech 1.5 8172 Financial Crises and Civic Reaction 3 8173 Global Capital Markets 15 8410 Financial Statement Analysis 1.5 8426 Derivative Securities: Options & Futures  1.5 8444 Investments  1.5 8445 Quantitative Portfolio Management 1.5 8490 Financial Institutions and Markets   1.5 8497 Impact & ESG Investing  1.5 8623 Financial Trading 1.5  8520IA  Darden Capital Management I (enrollment contingent upon enrollment in Part II) 1.5 8520IAA Darden Capital Management Part II (enrollment contingent upon enrollment in Part I) 3 8500MM Applied Security Analysis 1.5 8759 The Economics of Money and Banking 1.5

Corporate Finance and Investment Banking Concentration

Corporate Finance and Investment Banking

This concentration is designed to extend the valuation and value creation principles learned in the First Year curriculum to the solving of complex problems faced by companies and investment banks. This concentration should be of interest to students with professional interests in corporate finance (including CFO type responsibilities, internal M&A groups, strategic planning, business development, and treasury and cash management), investment banking (capital raising, deal structuring, and M&A advisory), commercial banking and financial services, consulting in financial services and a wide range of other management positions that require advanced understanding of finance.

Faculty Contact: Marc Lipson

 

Concentration Requirements

A student will be recognized as having this concentration when they have completed 7.5 credit hours from the courses listed below.

Note: Not all courses may be offered in a given year.

 

Course Number Course Title Credit Hours 7601 Financial Reporting   1.5 7603 Valuation in Financial Markets   1.5 8106 Acquisition of Closely-Held Enterprises  1.5 8160 Taxation of Mergers and Acquisitions 1.5 8171 International Corporate Finance 1.5 8172 Financial Crises and Civic Reaction 3 8190 Taxation and Management Decisions   1.5 8410 Financial Statement Analysis   1.5 8423 Corporate Financial Policies   1.5 8426 Derivative Securities: Options & Futures  1.5 8453 Entrepreneurial Finance & Private Equity   1.5 8465 Management Planning and Control Systems 1.5 8470 Corporate Financing  1.5 8490 Financial Institutions and Markets  1.5 8625 Mergers and Acquisitions   1.5 8639 Corporate Financial Restructuring 1.5

Career Preparation

Through Darden’s Career Center and Alumni Career Services, you’ll gain career guidance from the moment you enroll and for wherever your career takes you after graduation. Here’s what you can expect:

• Darden-facilitated opportunities for networking, meeting alumni and industry leaders, and interviewing
• Access to advanced analytics and data to craft recruiting marketing materials such as resume, LinkedIn and more
• Training the Street
• Corporate Finance 101
• Asset management job trek
• Resume and cover letter reviews
• Industry- and employer-specific database for interview prep and salary research
• Case interview prep
• Mock interviews
• Employer case competitions
• Negotiation skill-building
• Executives-in-Residence Program

Centers and Initiatives

Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management

The Mayo Center for Asset Management advances the study and practice of asset management through research, education and career development by delivering world-class research, educational programs and activities, awards, and support for student clubs and Darden Capital Management.

Career Clubs and Activities

Darden Capital Management

Darden Capital Management, sponsored by the Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management, consists of 24 second-year students chosen to manage five investment portfolios for the Darden School Foundation.

Darden Executive Fund

The Darden Executive Fund is an independent study providing Executive MBA students hands-on experience researching, pitching, and directly managing a portfolio of active investments in publicly traded assets.

Finance Club

The Finance Club is a student-run organization whose primary goal is to effectively support students who are pursuing careers in finance.

FinTech Club

Darden's FinTech Club educates students on technologies and innovations impacting financial services. It supports members pursuing careers in the FinTech industry or in industries influenced by FinTech.

Private Equity Club

The mission of the Darden Private Equity Club is to build and develop a network of student and alumni professionals with a common interest in private equity investing, ranging from angel stage and venture capital to leveraged buyouts and turnaround situations.

Conferences and Events

Academic and Practioner Symposium on Mutual Funds and ETFs

Hosted by Darden and the Investment Company Institute, this year’s Academic and Practioner Symposium on Mutual Funds and ETFs was dedicated to exploring these areas in what promises to be a focused, high-quality program featuring leading scholars and practitioners at the intersection of these emerging topics.

Darden Center for Global Initiatives Shanghai Investing Summit

Darden and China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) hosted the tenth CEIBS Private Wealth Investment Forum in March 2019 in Shanghai. Through a partnership with CEIBS, the conference expanded the School’s annual Shanghai Investing Summit into its sixth consecutive year.

Finance Club Conference and Events

The Darden Finance Club hosts a variety of events and activities throughout the year to give all students interested in a career in finance access to industry panels, workshops, and networking opportunities.

Mayo Center for Asset Management Virtual Seminar Series

The Mayo Center’s Virtual Seminar Series provides a venue for the continued sharing of ideas and insights of practical relevance in the field of asset management.

University of Virginia Investing Conference

The University of Virginia Investing Conference is held annually at Darden and investigates the lessons of the past as well as the possibilities of the future.