UVA Darden Launches Application for Ph.D. Program

The University of Virginia Darden School of Business has relaunched its Ph.D. program and is actively seeking applications for students interested in a fall 2023 start.

The Ph.D. program, based on Darden Grounds in Charlottesville, Virginia, represents a unique opportunity to work with the best faculty in graduate business education, with the best education experience, as doctoral students train as researchers capable of securing tenure-track positions at top global universities. The program will also leverage Darden’s presence in the Washington, D.C., area at UVA Darden DC Metro.

Darden’s Ph.D. program is smaller by design, seeking a select number of students for the relaunched program. The scale allows students to work closely with Darden faculty members, collaborating to create cutting-edge research in business and management as well as developing lifelong relationships with key mentors.

“We’re excited to welcome a new generation of doctoral students to Darden,” said Professor Andy Wicks, director of the Darden Ph.D. program. “The program represents a unique environment and course of study for individuals interested in honing their research and teaching abilities alongside faculty members committed to growth and development.”

Darden is currently seeking candidates in two fields of study: Strategy, Ethics and Entrepreneurship and Quantitative Analysis.

Strategy, Ethics and Entrepreneurship offers scholars the opportunity to study and research at the intersection of the three fields while focusing primarily on one track.

Darden has a storied history in all of the subject areas, and was the first MBA program to incorporate Ethics into its core, required curriculum. The School has gained a well-deserved reputation as the global leader in developing stakeholder theory,  and was ranked No. 1 in the world for corporate social responsibility by the Financial Times.

Quantitative Analysis offers students the opportunity to explore a number of paths involving mathematical methodology with business applications, including dynamic programming, game theory, mechanism design, forecasting, decision analysis, pricing and revenue management, among other topics.

In addition to close collaboration with faculty, the Darden Ph.D. community is supported by Darden’s Office of Research Services and five Centers of Excellence, including the Batten Institute, The Institute for Business in Society, the Olsson Center for Applied Ethics, the Collaboratory for Applied Data Science and the Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management. The Ph.D. program will also benefit from leveraging the newly founded Sands Institute for Lifelong Learning.

“The Ph.D. program is designed for excellence and reflects Darden’s total commitment to outstanding thought leadership and cutting-edge research in the field of business, as well as outstanding teaching,” said Darden Dean Scott Beardsley. “The program will connect with scholars pursuing doctoral studies across the University — a member of the Association of American Universities — including the new Collaboratory with the UVA Data Science School, and also afford each doctoral candidate the opportunity to learn how to teach to the Darden world-class standard.”

Darden has a robust network of Ph.D. graduates in both academia and the private sector, and graduates join a network of 18,000 Darden graduates across the world.

Learn more about the program.