Students with military experience comprise between 7 – 9% of the incoming class at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business each year. Darden military veterans represent a pool that is rich in diversity — both in experiences and backgrounds — and they have made an impact as leaders both inside and outside of the classroom. Their leadership and management skills are highly valued, and the team-oriented, case-method style of learning at Darden is a perfect fit for their skills.
Read Dean Robert F. Bruner's blog post, Generosity and Veteran's Day, for his reflections on military leadership and why we "actively seek excellent students from the ranks of the military." Military MBA also named the Darden School of Business one of the top 20 Best Value MBA Schools for Veterans Using the New GI Bill.
Darden Student Veterans Benefit From Updates to the Post-9/11 GI Bill
Effective on 1 August 2011, the GI Bill will now pay all public school in-state tuition and fees, including graduate programs. The Darden School of Business is one of the few top ranked MBA programs in the country that is part of a public university and thereby able to benefit from the new update to the law. Visit Veterans Educational Benefits for more information.
Darden Military Videos
Military Veterans and Darden: A Perfect Fit
Ready to Transition From the Military to the Private Sector
Balancing Family Life with Darden's MBA Program
The Darden Military Association
The Darden Military Association (DMA) is an active and vibrant club. The mission of the DMA is to assist members in leveraging former and current military experiences to enhance career opportunities within the private sector, build esprit de corps and camaraderie within the Darden Community and host lively leisure events. The DMA hosts a monthly speaker series, numerous social events and opportunities for networking with alumni. DMA members also serve as mentors to incoming students.
Message to Prospective Students
A Darden School of Business MBA coupled with military experience provides a competitive advantage in the business world — an advantage like no other. Darden is dedicated to the education of the whole person with the goal of enhancing and sharpening the wide range of transferable skills already finely honed in the military: leadership, discipline, decision making, teamwork and ethical behavior. In today’s business world, an individual who possesses these traits is often viewed as rare and special. For those who have served in the military, these traits are the norm. Darden recognizes the experiences and character of military leaders and the myriad ways they enhance the classroom experiences for everyone.
Military Consortium
Darden is associated with the Military Consortium, an organization under the umbrella of the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC).
Contact Military Students & Alumni
Visit the following links to learn about the experiences of Darden's military students and alumni. Please feel free to e-mail them with your questions:
Military Leadership Electives
The Darden School of Business recently created two new courses, specifically designed for students with a military background:
- 8500E Military Leadership Laboratory (limited to active reservists)
- 8500F Military Leadership Laboratory (limited to former military)
These courses, developed through the initiative of members of the Darden Military Association and a Darden professor, were created to provide seminars where veterans can share their leadership insights and develop ways to utilize them in a civilian career. The reservist course will be a real time survey of challenges faced by leading soldiers as reserve officers.
Military Scholarships
Darden's success as a premier MBA program of choice for transitioning military veterans has continued to grow, and scholarships play a major role in attracting the best students. Recently, Darden added a new scholarship for incoming Marine Corps veterans. Darden also participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. Visit Veterans Education Benefits for more information.
Application Fee Waivers
Darden continues to waive the application fee for U.S. veterans with active duty service within the last three years. Please contact the Admissions Office at darden@virginia.edu to request an application fee waiver. We will respond to your request within 2 days.
Interview Schedule and Deployment
Many of our military applicants are deployed during Darden's interview process. Please be assured that we are able to accommodate our deployed veterans who receive an interview request — we can Skype with you or have a phone conversation. We know your timing may not always fit the schedule we post, so please feel free contact us to discuss alternate times given your deployment schedule.
Military Admissions Contact
If you have any questions about the military community at Darden, feel free to contact Kathleen Grant, Assistant Director of Admissions, at the e-mail address below.
Kathleen Grant
Assistant Director of Admissions
GrantK@darden.virginia.edu