‘All Darden’ Event Welcomes New Students for the UVA Darden Academic Year

The University of Virginia Darden School of Business welcomed students back to Grounds on 12 August with the annual “All Darden” event at The Forum Hotel.

More than 500 students in the Full-Time MBA, Executive MBA, Part-Time MBA and Ph.D. programs gathered with faculty and staff for the kickoff of Opening Week, a series of events and gatherings in the first week of the academic year that help Darden’s new community members feel connected and at home at their new stomping grounds.  

Dean Scott Beardsley welcomed the new Darden students at the All Darden event in The Forum Hotel.

Dean Scott Beardsley welcomed students to an experience that is “not business school as usual.” He emphasized the “transformative” nature of Darden’s unique programming, the opportunity to be “surrounded by the brightest minds” among peers, faculty and staff, and the importance of community and relationships to their futures.  

“We care deeply about your success and your well-being, and I hope you can feel that commitment,” he said.  

Beardsley also emphasized a few of the exciting strides the Darden School will be taking in the near future, including plans to launch a new Artificial Intelligence Institute, breaking ground on student residential housing in Charlottesville, and celebrating the 40th anniversary of Darden Professor Ed Freeman’s seminal research on stakeholder theory.  

The students at the All Darden welcome included 356 residential Full-Time MBAs, 119 Executive MBAs, 72 Part-Time MBAs and 1 Ph.D. student. Full-Time and Executive MBA students are in the Class of 2026, while Part-Time MBA and Ph.D. students progress on a more flexible timeline. 

Key Stats on Darden’s Incoming Class

The new Darden students represent 28 countries and 30 US states, collectively speaking 77 languages; 22% already have an advanced degree.  

Demographic highlights across all formats include:  

• 36% women 

• 21% minority 

• 16% first-generation advanced degree students 

• 19% served in the military 

The Full-Time, Part-Time and Executive MBA students collectively have an average GPA of 3.5 and represent 32 unique industries. 

New Darden students walk from The Forum Hotel to Darden through the Tahija Arboretum & LaCross Botanical Gardens.

Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions Dawna Clarke congratulated the new class on the hard work and determination that brought them to Darden. “Most of you have been working on this for most of your adult life,” she said, emphasizing the richness each person adds to the whole. “You each bring signature strengths that will benefit this entire community.”  

MSBA Program Welcomes New Students

The Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program, which is based at UVA Darden DC Metro, welcomed 59 students to its newest cohort in August. The program, which is presented jointly by Darden and the UVA McIntire School of Commerce, includes 31% women and 12% under-represented minorities. One-fifth of the new students have prior advanced degrees, and students have eight years of previous work experience, on average.