Newswise — CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia— 22 September 2015— Darden Executive Education of the University of Virginia Darden School Foundation has announced the launch of a new program in the Washington, D.C. area, the Darden Business Institute, which will begin in October 2015.

Led by Darden’s world-renowned faculty, Darden’s new Darden Business Institute program is designed to introduce young professionals to business fundamentals in the functional areas of accounting, finance, operations and marketing.

“Many young adults enter professional fields that differ from what they studied in college,” said Ron Wilcox, NewMarket Corporation Professor of Business Administration and associate dean, MBA for Executives. “This program not only helps these young professionals build the business knowledge needed to advance their current careers, it also provides an exceptional glimpse into business school for those who are considering an MBA.”

The course format will include one weekly in-person evening session, at Sands Capital Management, and one weekly online session for eight weeks. Specific topics for each functional business area will include:• Accounting: The Language of Financial Position and Performance• Financial Performance Analysis• Portfolio Theory and Investing• Branding • Pricing• Process Analysis and Improvement• Supply Chain Management

“We’ll be using some of the case studies taught in the residential format of Darden’s MBA program,” said Mary Margaret Frank, associate professor of business administration and Institute for Business in Society academic director. “This will enable participants to interact with one another and engage in deeper discussion, allowing for innovation while also growing their networking circle.”

To learn more about Darden Business Institute please visit the website.

About the University of Virginia Darden School of BusinessThe University of Virginia Darden School of Business delivers the world’s best business education experience to prepare entrepreneurial, global and responsible leaders through its MBA, Ph.D. and Executive Education programs. Darden’s top-ranked faculty is renowned for teaching excellence and advances practical business knowledge through research. Darden was established in 1955 at the University of Virginia, a top public university founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

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