Academics
The University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business promises the “ultimate education experience,” to be achieved through an active learning approach involving case studies, simulations and experiential activities; team-based collaboration; and core classes that teach fundamental business tools and concepts. The Full-Time MBA is available only in the traditional two-year format, with numerous study abroad opportunities and an academic drive that focuses on skill development rather than networking, though this merely means that “students here are relaxed, but career-driven.” Everyone at Darden “cares deeply about the classroom learning,” and faculty “could be approached during your time at school and [also] after graduation.”
Darden professors are “exceptional,” and “all the hype around it is true.” They are “wizards” who “orchestrate case method classes like a true professional.” “It takes a special kind of teaching talent to facilitate a case method discussion,” agrees another student. They “initiate meetings with us and know us individually, share their networks with us,” and take feedback from students to adjust their instruction. Additionally, “new professors bring recent trends into the classroom” and motivate students. The administration is similarly adored for its capability, and students claim the school “runs like butter.” They ensure students “focus totally on our MBA,” and the school “is not afraid to try new initiatives and adapt quickly.”