Unlock Your Employees’ Management Potential and Maximize ROI
The Darden School of Business’ Darden Core Certificate program equips your employees with the crucial skills to succeed in managerial roles.
Tell us about yourself and your organization.
Top-Ranked Business School
The Darden School of Business is ranked No. 1 in public business schools globally by the Financial Times (2024) and No. 1 in “Best Professors” in The Princeton Review’s “2024 Best Business Schools” survey.
Exceptional ROI
Our leading-edge program enables you to develop your organization’s talent at a tuition rate of $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 a 50-year partnership with the U.S. Navy for leadership development and deploying initiatives to drive sustainable change.
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.
Customizable Services
You can add services to drive employee engagement, including one-to-one coaching, capstone projects linked to real-world company problems, and other services customizable to your organization’s needs.
3–4 Month Completion Time
Your employees will complete four asynchronous online learning modules in 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.
Untapped potential
There are an estimated 10.1 million hidden candidates for first-time manager roles who could make this transition by gaining the appropriate skills.
Cost savings
Internal hires cost 18–20% less than external ones.
Increased retention
Individual contributors promoted to managerial roles stay 33% longer than those in defined pathway or individual contributor positions.
The Darden School of Business’ Darden Core Certificate program provides employers with a smart way to build best-in-class managerial expertise to fit their organization’s needs.
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 will 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 Certificate program.
How It Works
Over three to four months, employees complete four asynchronous learning modules in key managerial competencies:
- Communications
- Leadership and initiative
- Business operations (fully customizable to fit specific organizational contexts)
- Data analytics
Each module includes one live session to deepen learning and foster collaboration with peers and faculty. Employees also have access to expert coaching support.
Other benefits of our program include:
- Direct integration with your organization’s learning and communication systems
- Progress reporting for supervisors
- Skill mastery tracking
- Program management and governance
- Outreach, enrollment, registration and other employee communication
- Curriculum customization to support your organization’s career paths
- Capstone projects linked to real-world company problems
- Optional coaching sessions for both participants and their managers
Programming to begin as early as March 2025.
Why Darden?
As the graduate business school of the University of Virginia, an iconic public institution of higher education, the top-ranked Darden School of Business offers unparalleled learning experiences and world-class faculty. A pioneer in business ethics, leadership and general management, Darden is committed to providing students with the skills to reach their full potential. Students learn to discover their purpose, ask the right questions, empower others and create an enduring impact — all within an inclusive community that enables its diverse members to excel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Employees enrolled in the Darden Core Certificate program complete four customizable asynchronous online learning modules and finish the program in three to four months.
Promoting from within your organization creates greater ROI, longer employee retention, faster utilization, increased engagement and lower staffing costs. The Darden School of Business will provide your employees with the critical skills they need to succeed in management roles. Our program integrates directly with your organization’s systems and provides valuable reporting and employee communication support.
The tuition for the Darden Core Certificate program is $3,000 per employee.
Are You Ready To Develop the Hidden Potential in Your Organization?
Cultivate employee talent and generate greater results for your company with the Darden Core Certificate program.