UVA Darden Launches Application for the Executive MBA Class of 2024

School Announces Application Deadlines and Details Approach to Test Flexibility and Waiver Requests

The University of Virginia Darden School of Business has launched the application for admission to the Executive MBA Class of 2024.

Darden’s Executive MBA program, which features the Executive MBA (EMBA) format and the Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) format, is based at UVA Darden DC Metro — the School’s Washington, D.C., area Grounds — and offers convenience and accessibility for working professionals.

Through a hybrid model of in-person residencies and distance learning taught by Darden’s top-ranked faculty, the executive formats of the Darden MBA enable students to earn an MBA while continuing to work, with once-a-month weekend residencies starting at noon on Fridays and concluding around 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoons.

Global residencies are key aspects of the Executive MBA program, and the School expects a return to global travel as planned in the 2021-22 academic year. Students in the EMBA format take a minimum of one weeklong global residency, while those opting for the GEMBA format participate in four weeklong global residencies. EMBA format students can add  additional global residencies for an additional fee per each additional residency. The Executive MBA program includes up to 12 global residency location options spanning five continents.

Beginning in August, Darden expects to resume the Executive MBA program as structured and designed, with two-thirds of the content delivered in person and one-third online.

Application Deadlines

In order to provide maximum flexibility for busy working professionals, the Executive MBA offers monthly deadlines, with the first deadline of 10 August for an August 2022 start date. Each deadline functions like a discrete round within the broader admissions cycle, and applicants are encouraged to apply whenever they feel they can put together a strong application. There are dedicated scholarship resources for Executive MBA applicants, and all applicants are considered for these awards, on their merits, no matter when an application is received, although more scholarship funding may be available earlier in the cycle. The Executive MBA application process is known for its quick turnaround, with roughly three weeks from application deadline to decision release. Admitted students typically have a similar timeframe to finalize their plans and make their decision.

Text Flexibility and Waiver Requests

Candidates have two options regarding testing: Submit a test score or submit a test waiver request.

When making test plans, applicants are encouraged to think holistically about their background. Candidates who believe they can present a strong case for a test waiver are welcome to submit a waiver request. Applicants who feel they may benefit from having a more recent data point demonstrating their quantitative and analytical readiness may consider taking a standardized test.

Waiver requests will be considered along with the full application, with an update regarding the waiver request provided at the time of decision. For candidates planning to take a test, a wide variety of standardized tests are accepted — Executive Assessment (EA), GMAT, GRE, MCAT and LSAT — and applicants can even submit older or expired test scores. The Executive Assessment has been the most popular standardized test with Darden’s Executive MBA applicants for several years. This 40-question, 90-minute test was designed in consultation with top Executive MBA programs as a test of readiness, and it typically requires 20 to 30 hours of preparation on average.

Class of 2022 Class Profile

The Executive MBA Class of 2022, the most recent group to be welcomed to Grounds, included 151 students from over 20 industries and more than 100 employers. Students hail from 12 different states in the U.S., including as far away as California, and the class includes citizens from a diverse array of countries, including the Bahamas, Turkey, India, Peru, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Ireland, Jamaica, Mexico and Pakistan. The Executive MBA program has a preferred work experience minimum of five years (measured at the time of matriculation), and the work experience profile for the Class of 2022 ranged from around four years to 29 years, with an average of 11 years.

Additional Resources and Next Steps

Applicants can learn more about the program via the Discover Darden Blog and The ExecMBA Podcast. Darden will also host a variety of online events over the coming months, including webinars, networking events, mock classes and more. Prospective applicants are invited to join Darden Admissions for an Executive MBA Application Launch webinar on Wednesday, 9 June, at Noon EDT. During this session, Senior Director of Admissions Brett Twitty and Director of Admissions Katherine Alford will provide an overview of this year’s Executive MBA application and share tips and insights for Executive MBA applicants.

Prospective students are also encouraged to make a personal connection by registering for a one-on-one phone conversation or a small group virtual coffee chat. Applicants who attend a phone conversation or virtual coffee chat and an Executive MBA webinar (or other Executive MBA-related online event) will receive an Executive MBA application fee waiver, a $250 value.

Apply now.

Darden launched the application to the full-time MBA Class of 2024 on 19 May.