Unlock Your Employees’ Management Potential and Maximize ROI
The Darden School of Business’ Darden Core program equips your employees with the crucial skills to succeed in managerial roles and helps improve business outcomes.
Unlock Your Employees’ Management Potential and Maximize ROI
The Darden School of Business’ Darden Core program equips your employees with the crucial skills to succeed in managerial roles and helps improve business outcomes.
The Darden Core Program at a Glance
Top-Ranked Business School
Partner with the Darden School of Business and develop your employees’ managerial potential through a dynamic virtual learning experience created by our expert faculty at the No. 1 public business school in America.
Exceptional ROI
Our leading-edge program enables you to develop your organization’s talent starting at $3,000 per employee, potentially resulting in longer employee retention, faster utilization, increased engagement and lower staffing costs.
Proven History of Employer Partnership
We have a strong track record of helping companies train their employees, including developing the U.S. Navy Strategic Thinking (NST) program and deploying initiatives to drive sustainable change at U.S. manufacturer Milliken & Company.
Integration, Reporting and Communication Support
Delivered online, our program integrates with your organization’s learning and communication systems. Supervisors receive progress reports, and our team manages outreach, enrollment and other employee communications.
3–4 Month Completion Time
Your employees complete each asynchronous digital course in around three to four months, allowing them to continue working while acquiring critical managerial and leadership skills.
Where Talent Meets Opportunity
Organizations with high-performing managers generate better financial outcomes and greater return on investment. While many organizations seek to hire external candidates to fill crucial management roles, developing talent within the company is often the superior strategy, yielding lower costs, reduced turnover, faster integration and increased efficiency.
The Darden School of Business Darden Core program provides employers with a smart way to build best-in-class managerial expertise to fit their organization’s needs.
Untapped Potential
There are an estimated 10.1 million hidden candidates1 for first-time manager roles who could make this transition by gaining the appropriate skills.
Cost Savings
Internal hires cost 18–20% less1 than external ones.
Increased Retention
Individual contributors promoted to managerial roles stay 33% longer1 than those in defined pathway or individual contributor positions.
Your future leaders are at your organization and already possess extensive institutional knowledge, including familiarity with your organization’s culture, processes and methodologies. In our program, your employees learn how to lead effectively and efficiently, creating stronger teams and greater engagement. Unlock your employees’ managerial potential today by partnering with the Darden School and our Darden Core program.
1 “Managing Up: Management Education as a Ladder to Mobility,” The Burning Glass Institute, 2024
Customizable Learning To Support Your Organization’s Needs
Whatever your unique objectives, we can help you meet them. We work closely with you to design a curriculum and learning experience that aligns with your goals and provide flexible add-on services to boost employee engagement and performance.
One-on-one coaching
Personalized guidance to address individual challenges and enhance employee skills
Capstone projects focused on real company challenges
Practical projects designed for employees to apply their knowledge to organizational problems
Tools to measure learner and organizational success
Analytical tools for assessing the impact of training on employee and organizational performance
Collaboration spaces and discussion boards
Digital platforms facilitate collaboration, knowledge-sharing and problem-solving
Mentor matching
Opportunities to pair employees with experienced mentors who provide valuable support and insights
On-site faculty instruction
In-person, tailored teaching provided by Darden faculty at your organization’s location
We offer a full suite of customizations to maximize your team’s potential.
Explore CustomizationsNo. 1
Public business school in America
U.S. News & World Report (2025)
No. 1
Public business school in the world
Financial Times (2024)
No. 1
in “Best Professorsˮ
Princeton Reviewʼs “Best Business Schoolsˮ survey (2024)
Learn more about how we integrate with your organization’s systems.
Explore How It WorksSeamless Integration. End-To-End Support.
Delivered digitally, the Darden Core program integrates with your organization’s learning management and communication systems to expedite rollout, boost employee adoption and scale training as needed. We keep supervisors informed with regular progress reports, providing visibility into employee development. Our dedicated team also manages outreach, enrollment and employee communications, freeing up your resources and ensuring a successful learning experience.
The Darden Core learning experience can be integrated into your organization’s preferred learning management system (LMS) or human resources information system (HRIS).