The University of Virginia Darden School of Business announced Feb. 3 that the School’s MBA for Executives (EMBA) and Global MBA for Executives (GEMBA) will be available at a new location in the Washington, D.C., area.
Beginning August 2016, executives who wish to pursue Darden’s MBA degree while working or pursuing other interests full-time can do so at a new facility in Rosslyn, Va.
“While it’s only been a few months since the announcement of our Rosslyn location, the market response has been nothing short of enthusiastic,” UVA’s Darden School of Business Director of Admissions Brett Twitty said. “It’s clear to us that for working executives in the D.C. area, choice, global opportunity and convenience are important considerations, and it’s evident even in these first few weeks that our physical presence in Rosslyn will enable us to connect with many prospective students we would have otherwise missed. In the longer term, we believe that offering the executive formats of the Darden MBA in two great locations — Charlottesville and the Washington, D.C. area — will help us grow the geographic footprint of our class and allow us to reach even more business leaders, innovators, and agents of change from all over the world.”
“Washington, D.C., is a global gateway, where business and government intersect,” Darden School Dean Scott Beardsley said. “For 60 years, the Darden School has developed business, government and military leaders through its MBA and executive education programs. The capital region was an obvious choice for our new location, since Virginia has always had close ties to the nation’s capital. The new location’s proximity to Union Station and the D.C. area airports, and the once-a-month residencies from Friday to Sunday, make the program easily accessible to executives commuting in from most U.S. metropolitan areas or international gateway cities.”
“The School’s mission is to improve the world by developing responsible leaders, who are also global and entrepreneurial. The District’s concentrations in entrepreneurship and innovation, its international influence and its tradition of leadership naturally align with the Darden School’s strengths,” Beardsley said. “The program prepares leaders for high performance through weekend residencies, global residencies and distance learning, of which Darden is a pioneer.”
The Darden executive MBA ─ like the residential MBA format ─ is designed and delivered every step of the way by Darden’s top-ranked faculty, including during international program residencies, and awards the MBA degree from the University of Virginia. The Washington, D.C., executive MBA experience will mirror the experience delivered on the Darden Grounds at UVA in Charlottesville, Va. The program’s convenient format is ideal for international students who wish to move to the U.S. and pursue diverse interests such as entrepreneurship or nonprofit work while studying.
A Washington, D.C.-area location is the first in a series of enhancements coming in 2016 that will enable executives to further customize and globalize their executive MBA learning experiences. Business leaders accepted into the program will be given the choice of two base learning locations (D.C. or Charlottesville) and two program formats (EMBA or the intensive global option, GEMBA). EMBA students will experience one or more global residencies in either Brazil, China, Europe or India. GEMBA students will experience global residencies in all four locations. Students will also choose from additional globally-delivered electives and global consulting projects to places such as Cuba, Uganda, France, South Africa, Japan, Mexico or a destination designed with faculty.
The Darden MBA is ranked No. 2 in the world by The Economist and No. 1 globally in general management by Financial Times.
