Women at Darden

Collaboration and teamwork are hallmarks of the Darden experience. Below are just a few examples of how experiential learning translates into meaningful opportunities to collaborate in teams with impact.

• Case methodology of instruction
• Area focus elective courses
• Industry focus elective courses
• Consulting Darden Business Projects
• Global Experiential Opportunities include Darden Worldwide Courses, Global Client Projects and Exchange Programs

Graduate Women in Business (GWIB)

Darden’s Graduate Women in Business is an organization that serves to empower women to be the fullest expression of themselves by creating inclusive spaces to grow authentic connections, further gender equity and forge partnerships on and off grounds.

Darden Student Association

The Darden Student Association (DSA) seeks to strengthen the fabric of the Darden Community; working to ensure that each student can realize their fullest Darden experience. The DSA represents Darden on the University Honor Committee, the University Judiciary Committee, the University Student Council, and the Graduate and Professional Council, and supports student groups including career clubs, affinity groups, and intramural sports. DSA seeks to represent all students of the residential MBA program.

KPI Club

A pillar of this community is the KPI Club, an unofficial club of female founders started by five women of the Full-Time Class of 2022. The year of its inception, the club’s founders swept at the UVA Entrepreneurship Cup (E-Cup), with each member being named a finalist at the Pitch Competition and one advancing to win the entire cup.

Advisory Groups

Darden has several advisory groups which provide a forum for dialogue, feedback and proactive initiative throughout the year in effort to continuously improve the student experience through collaboration between faculty, staff and students.

Women's Symposium and Diversity Conference

Darden offers two signature programs annually for prospective and current MBA students interested in learning more about and getting to know Darden’s approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion and commitment to incorporating those principles into our MBA experience.

GWIB Conference

An annual conference for current students, the GWIB Conference is a two-day event that provides a unique opportunity for students to come together to learn from one another and take part in special programming that includes company representatives, guest speakers and faculty under the umbrella of a theme relevant to advancing participants' community of women in business and networks. 

Forté Foundation

At Darden, we are committed to women's leadership, and since its inception have proudly partnered with Forté - a non-profit working to launch women into successful and significant careers.  Through Forté's alliance of leading companies, top schools and pioneering donors, we empower women to rise higher.  All female students at Darden get Forté's Premium Access Pass membership for FREE. Forté's community of 100,000+ motivated and inspiring women is changing the balance of power in the workplace.  

Access

Access (formerly Admit.me) is a free MBA admissions resource tailored for women and URMs. Its focus is helping prospective students through the admissions process by providing resources created by top MBA grads and admissions representatives.

Darden School Foundation

The Darden School Foundation, an independent and nonprofit organization established in 1952, offers merit-based scholarships. These scholarships support students from around the world, enabling them to excel at Darden as students and beyond.

Forté Fellowships

The mission of the Forté Foundation is to support women into fulfilling, significant careers through access to business education, professional development and a community of successful women. Scholarship awards may be designated as fellowships

Consortium Fellowships

The mission of the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management is to enhance diversity in business education and leadership by helping to reduce the serious underrepresentation of African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans in both Consortium member schools’ enrollment, and the ranks of management. 

Merit Scholarships

Darden has a robust portfolio of merit scholarships. Consideration for merit scholarships takes place during the admissions process after your complete application has been submitted. No additional application is required. A variety of metrics and factors including academic ability, professional and personal achievements and potential to contribute to the community are considered.