Career Journeys
Career Journeys - Tech
Career Path: Technology
With groundbreaking research and coursework in innovation and technology, as well as a worldwide presence in global tech hubs from Shanghai to Seattle, Darden inspires leaders who will change the world. The School’s breadth of programs in tech are purposefully designed to embed Darden MBAs in high-potential, high-growth firms that lead and inspire the world’s digital transformations. From the Batten Institute to the boardroom, Darden prepares leaders in tech who embrace an entrepreneurial outlook and are committed to innovation.
The Darden MBA Powers Stellar Career Outcomes in Technology
Darden’s Class of 2023 began their post-MBA careers with a variety of the globe’s top technology companies and notched record starting salaries.
The World's Top Tech Firms Recognize the Value of the Darden MBA
Hiring Companies
Alumni Make an Impact in Any Tech Role
Selection of Job Titles
- Director of Strategic Initiatives
- Senior Product Manager - Technical
- Senior Advisor, Product Marketing
- Supply Chain Manager
- Senior Data Scientist
- Strategic Operations Analyst
Darden Graduates Launch Careers in Tech Around the Globe
Locations for Tech Grads
Austin, Texas
Chicago, Illinois
Denver, Colorado
New York City, New York
San Francisco, California
Seattle, Washington
St. Louis, Missouri
Washington, D.C.
Meet Your Technology Career Team
Pam Cline
Associate Director of Employer Engagement and Recruiting
Jenny Zenner
Senior Director of Technology Careers
Navigate Darden Coursework and Electives That Deliver In-Demand Technology Skills
During your First Year, you’ll gain an invaluable foundation in fundamental business concepts as you build lasting connections with your learning team and section.
Here, we help you navigate what comes next. After the First Year core curriculum, Darden students begin to tailor their experience by selecting from over 100 electives. Students interested in a tech career may find particular benefit from the courses listed below or via the elective guide below.
Career Elective Guides
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Tech Literacy
Regardless of role, tech firms and tech-oriented positions expect a working level of technical literacy. Certain concepts — such as design thinking, agile development, and product-market fit — are widespread in the tech world. The following electives include substantial components of tech literacy.
Course Number Course Title 7500 Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship in Action (IDEA) 7600 Data Visualization and Analytics 8033 Digital Marketing 8059 FinTech 8130 Prototyping and Product Development I 8466 Emerging Topics in Technology & Operations Management 8633 Coding with GPT 8636 Digital Product Management 8757 Pricing Analytics -
Product Management
Product managers collaborate constantly with both engineering and marketing for their product roadmap. They gather customer insights, develop use cases and define the strategy and features for release. Similar to PM’s, Program or Project Managers work with stakeholders to deliver solutions. Depending on the company, these roles are more or less technical, but most of them require working with technicians (such as software engineers). The following courses can directly improve your ability to interact successfully with these people.
Course Number Course Title 7600 Data Visualization and Analytics 8130 Prototyping and Product Development I 8496 Data Science in Business 8621 Project Management 8632 Software Design 8633 Coding with GPT 8636 Digital Product Management 8640 Digital Capstone -
Functional Area Roles
When graduating Darden, you might find yourself in a functional area role working closely with engineering or product management. These courses are recommended to increase the technical acumen while in those functional roles.
Finance
Course Number Course Title 8059 FinTech 8444 Investments 8453 Entrepreneurial Finance and Private Equity Marketing
Course Number Course Title 8033 Digital Marketing 8464 Hot Topics in Marketing 8757 Pricing Analytics Operations
Course Number Course Title 8051 Digital Operations 8466 Emerging Topics in Technology and Operations Management -
Communication Skills
Course Number Course Title 7600 Data Visualization and Analytics 8125 Storytelling with Data 8320 Leadership Communication During Times of Disruption and Transformation 8632 Software Design 8633 Coding with GPT 8636 Digital Product Management -
Collaboration and Teamwork
Course Number Course Title 8155 Talent Management 8412 People, Purpose, & the Power of Relationships 8476 Collaboration Lab 8498 Creating and Advancing Big Ideas 8619 Leading Teams 8640 Digital Capstone 8706 Leadership, Diversity and Leveraging Difference -
Creativity and Problem Solving
Course Number Course Title 7500 Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship in Action (FY-Q4) 8459 Innovation and Design Experience (3 cr.) (Q3, Q4) 8989 Critical and Creative Thinking in Business (Q4)
Concentrations
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Business Analytics Concentration
The Business Analytics concentration will prepare students to participate in organizations that make abundant use of data/quantitative/mathematical techniques (“data science”) as part of their business processes. It is a more general version of the “Market Analytics” concentration in that the areas of application are more than marketing. We expect completion of this concentration to be a useful signal to potential employers of the analytic and quantitative abilities of the student.
Faculty Contact: Robert Carraway
Concentration Requirements
A student will be recognized as having completed this concentration when they have met the following constraints:
- Completed at least 9.0 hours of the courses listed below.
- Completed at least 1.5 hours of an Independent Study with a Quantitative Analysis faculty member.
Note: Not all courses may be offered in a given year.
Specific Required Courses: None. Although we expect students will take Data Analysis and Optimization (7600) as it is a pre-requisite for some of the courses below.
Course Number Course Title Credit Hours 7600 Data Visualization and Analytics 1.5 8015 Behavioral Decision Making 1.5 8033 Digital Marketing 1.5 8047 Pricing 1.5 8053 Sustainable Global Value Chains 1.5 8055 Analytics for Experiments, Forecasts and Growth 1.5 8059 Foundations and Applications of FinTech 1.5 8125 Storytelling with Data 1.5 8180 Hot Topics in Analytics 1.5 8444 Investments 1.5 8445 Quantitative Portfolio Management 1.5 8496 Data Science in Business 1.5 8621 Project Management 1.5 8632 Software Design 1.5 8633 Software Development 1.5 8636 Digital Product Management 1.5 8640 Digital Capstone 1.5 8757 Pricing Analytics 1.5 8830 Supply Chain Management 1.5 -
Corporate Innovation Concentration
Student graduates will develop the mindset and skill set to succeed at identifying and implementing innovation in a corporate setting.
Faculty Contact: Jeanne Liedtka
Concentration Requirements
A student will be recognized as having this concentration when they have completed 9.0 credit hours from the courses listed below.
Note: Not all courses may be offered in a given year.
Course Number Course Title Credit Hours 7500 IDEA 1.5 7618 Effectual Entrepreneurship 1.5 8014 Strategic Thinking 1.5 8015 Behavioral Decision Making 1.5 8130 Prototyping and Product Development I 1.5 8304 Consumer Behavior 1.5 8439 Leadership and Cultures of Trust and Innovation 1.5 8459 Innovation and Design Experience or 3 8636 Digital Product Management 0.15 8989 Critical and Creative Thinking in Business 1.5
Dual Degrees and More
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Management Science Specialization
For students who want to add a quantitative and analytical focus to the general management curriculum, Darden offers a management science specialization. This specialization requires that students earn 12 credits from a select group of electives. It also carries a STEM designation, which gives international students in F-1 status who meet certain requirements the possibility of 36 months of work authorization in the U.S. after graduation.
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Master of Science in Business Analytics
In one year and 30 credit hours, students in Darden's M.S. in business analytics degree develop the portfolio of skills needed to leverage and communicate insights into strategic corporate actions, solutions and results.
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Master of Business Administration/Master of Science in Data Science
Darden's Master of Business Administration/Master of Science in Data Science (MBA/MSDS) provides robust training and cutting-edge tools ideal for students who plan to pursue a variety of career fields, ranging from technology to entrepreneurship to consulting.
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Master of Business Administration/Master of Education
The UVA School of Education and Human Development and the Darden School of Business offer a MBA/M.Ed degree designed to prepare creative, principled, and practical leaders — leaders who will create education innovations in the United States and around the world.
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Master of Business Administration/Master of Engineering
Darden and UVA's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) offer the MBA/ME dual degree. The objective of the joint MBA/ME degree program is to develop leaders with business administration skills and solid technical expertise.
Outside of the Classroom, Opportunities in Tech That Spark Collaboration and Inspiration
Darden’s best-in-class Career Center and wide array of student organizations and centers provide you the opportunity to learn about yourself and learn from others as you pursue your purpose.
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Career Preparation
Through Darden’s Career Center and Alumni Career Services, you’ll gain career guidance from the moment you enroll and for wherever your career takes you after graduation. Here’s what you can expect:
- Pre-matriculation, First Year and Second Year career education
- One-on-one, industry-specific coaching
- Darden-facilitated opportunities for networking, meeting alumni and industry leaders, and interviewing
- West Coast, DC and NYC Tech Treks
- Resume and cover letter reviews
- Access to advanced analytics and data to craft recruiting marketing materials such as resume, LinkedIn, and more
- Industry- and employer-specific database for interview prep and salary research
- Case interview prep
- Mock interviews
- Employer case competitions
- Negotiation skill-building
- Executives-in-Residence Program
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Career Clubs and Activities
Technology Club
The Technology Club connects members to opportunities at tech companies, shares knowledge from thought leaders, and offers hands-on skills training, mentorship and recruiting support.
FinTech Club
The FinTech Club is devoted to promoting student interest in the FinTech industry, educate students on innovations that impact financial services, and support members who are pursuing careers in FinTech.
Darden Business Innovation and Design Club
The Darden Business Innovation and Design Club exists to foster a community around, promote the ideals of and encourage careers paths that incorporate design methodologies in leading organizations.
Data Science Club
The Data Science Club aims to educate MBA students on the importance of quantitative analytics and identify opportunities for members to pursue careers in the field of data science across a variety of industries.
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Centers and Fellowships
The Batten Institute
The Batten Institute seeks to challenge every Darden student to fulfill their entrepreneurial potential through transformative learning experiences and groundbreaking research in entrepreneurship, innovation and technology.
Batten Technology Venture Fellowships
The Batten Technology Venture Fellows program offers Darden students an intensive, operational experience with early-stage technology ventures during a 10-week fellowship
Batten Venture Internship Program
The Batten Venture Internship Program provides Darden students the opportunity to pursue summer internships with startups and venture capital firms.
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Conferences and Events
Darden Marketing, General Management and Tech (MGMT) Conference
Darden's MGMT Conference provides a unique opportunity for three of the School's largest career clubs to host and engage with top employers hiring Darden talent.
Meet Leaders in Tech Who Will Help During a Darden Career and Beyond
Award-Winning Faculty
Consistently recognized as the best in the world, the Darden faculty teaches to the student's benefit while advancing the nature of business itself.
Scholars, innovators, disruptors, entrepreneurs, dissenters, thinkers, and, above all, doers converge to create an unparalleled education experience.
Explore Darden Faculty >
Select Alumni Leaders in Tech
Darden’s alumni, faculty and staff are united in their commitment to shared professional and personal excellence. Here, you'll join a global network that’s over 19,000 people strong.
Nancy Callahan (MBA '84)
Global Vice President of Services Strategy, SAP
Paco Contreras (MBA '03)
Global Head, Customer and Partner Care Portfolio, Google Cloud
Tawana Murphy Burnett (MBA '04)
Head of Global Clients and Categories, APAC, Facebook
Paulette Mendes (MBA '05)
Bluewolf Chief Operating Officer, Global Business Services, IBM
Scott Price (MBA/MA '90)
President International, UPS
Sam Shrauger (MBA '98)
Vice President, Global Head of Payments, Chairman and CEO of Airbnb Payments
Mark Templeton (MBA '78)
President and CEO, Citrix Systems
There Are Even More Opportunities to Explore
Darden students can go from here, to anywhere. Graduates begin their post-graduation careers in a wide variety of the world’s most in-demand sectors. Explore even more career journeys.