Stellar Career Results Posted by 2020 Darden Exec MBA, MS in Business Analytics Graduates
By Mary Shea Watson
Class of 2020 graduates of the University of Virginia Darden School of Business Executive MBA and Master of Science in business analytics (MSBA) programs reported another banner year of career outcomes, according to the updated Class of 2020 employment report from the Darden Career Center.
Thanks to new data collection efforts spearheaded by the center and its partners at the UVA McIntire School of Commerce, this report represents the second consecutive year Darden has published career outcomes from these programs. Executive MBA and MSBA students typically work full time while they learn, with many earning promotions or switching careers during their program.
“The world’s top employers recognize the unparalleled value of the Darden MBA,” said Jeff McNish, assistant dean of career development. “The purposeful and professional drive of Executive MBA and MSBA graduates, joined by the career team’s keen understanding of 2020’s complex hiring landscape, meant that we well prepared to achieve excellent career results this past year.”
Executive MBA Employment Highlights
New Executive MBA alumni reported an average base salary of $159,291 at graduation – a 20 percent increase over their average salary at the start of the two-year program. Nearly three-quarters of the graduating class reported earning an annual or variable bonus, which averaged $40,559.
Top employing industries for Executive MBA graduates were technology (20 percent), financial services (18 percent), consulting (16 percent), government (12 percent) and health care (9 percent). Companies that hired the most graduates from the Class of 2020 included Amazon, Capital One, Deloitte, Lockheed Martin and VMWare.
MSBA Employment Highlights
MSBA graduates saw similar gains in salary and diversity of industries employing graduates. Average base salary at graduation was $136,000, which represents a 12 percent increase from Class of 2020 salaries reported at the start of the one-year program and an 8 percent increase from the Class of 2019’s average base salary at graduation of $125,916.
“The unique value of the MSBA program provided students the opportunity to advance their careers in a variety of industries and functions to contribute to leading organizations across the country,” said Kathryn Smith, senior assistant director of career development for the UVA McIntire School of Commerce.
One-third of the class began a new job at a new company by the MSBA program’s conclusion, with consulting, technology, financial services, consumer packaged goods and government the top industries entered by graduates.
The Career Center will publish employment results for Darden’s Full-Time MBA, Executive MBA and MSBA classes of 2021 later this year.
The University of Virginia Darden School of Business prepares responsible global leaders through unparalleled transformational learning experiences. Darden’s graduate degree programs (MBA, MSBA and Ph.D.) and Executive Education & Lifelong Learning programs offered by the Darden School Foundation set the stage for a lifetime of career advancement and impact. Darden’s top-ranked faculty, renowned for teaching excellence, inspires and shapes modern business leadership worldwide through research, thought leadership and business publishing. Darden has Grounds in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Washington, D.C., area and a global community that includes 18,000 alumni in 90 countries. Darden was established in 1955 at the University of Virginia, a top public university founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
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Darden School of Business
University of Virginia
MitchellM@darden.virginia.edu
