Global MBA for Executives

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Darden’s Global MBA for Executives (GEMBA) is designed for experienced managers who seek to further their international careers while continuing to work full time. The 21-month program is taught by the same top-ranked faculty that teach in the other Darden MBA formats and focuses on preparing students to thrive in global firms, operating across markets, across cultures and in emerging regions.

Program Design Curriculum & Residencies

The GEMBA curriculum is made up of six terms, each of which is anchored by a two-week international residency in a location selected to create the optimal learning experience for the courses being delivered. Each time you and your classmates meet in person, you’ll attend classes, visit influential firms, gain cultural knowledge and contacts and learn to work across international borders. In each term, apart from the residency, approximately one-third of the course work is delivered through distance learning in the form of live classes, virtual learning team meetings and integrated work projects.

Leading the Global Enterprise: In Term 1, you will learn the fundamentals of leading a global enterprise, explore perspectives required for success in multinational environments and be challenged to formulate and recommend actions. You will also be introduced to the global market fundamentals of capital, products, currency, commodities and leadership. International Residency: Charlottesville, Virginia, with the home base at The Darden School, University of Virginia.

Global Capabilities and Opportunities: In Term 2, you will explore global business environments, opportunities facing organizations globally and prerequisites for global success. The term will emphasize the fundamentals of the language of business, including global economies and markets, corporate finance, accounting and leadership. International Residency: Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Managing and Sustaining Organizations Across Different Cultures and Contexts I: Term 3 will develop your ability to lead and execute strategy, operations and processes in a global enterprise. You will focus on activities and factors that drive costs and revenues and learn to successfully manage processes and supply chains. International Residency: Shanghai and Beijing, China.

Managing and Sustaining Organizations Across Different Cultures and Contexts II:Term 4 will deepen your ability to lead a successful global enterprise by focusing on the creation, development and management of its value proposition to different stakeholders; the marketing and selling of its products and services;the way that firms deal with currency risks and expand via mergers and acquisitions; finally to study how business operates within society.

International Residency: Paris, France and Berlin, Germany.

Entering New Cultures and Contexts: Term 5 focuses on taking the strategic perspective, entering and succeeding in new markets and innovating in a global context. You’ll gain a more in-depth understanding of new market entry and new product development; management of uncertainty and risk; management of joint ventures and collaborative enterprises; and the role of R&D. You will also complete a professional development course with a career coach and complete an independent study that began in Term 4 on a topic that you are interested to study further. International Residency: Delhi and Chennai, India.

What’s Next and Creating the Future: Term 6 is about putting it all together and reflecting upon the entire course of study. Faculty and classmates will guide you to integrate, synthesize and commit to ongoing individual and organizational changes. You will also participate in integrated curriculum advanced seminars which will explore more deeply key topics covered in previous terms such as accounting, finance, and leadership, as well as new topics such as innovation and entrepreneurship. International Residency: Charlottesville, Virginia.

Statement of Standards for the Executive Format Program

The Darden School requires its MBA students to meet a minimum performance standard for graduation. In addition, the School has performance standards for each term of the Global Executive Format Program and for each course.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

A student will be dismissed from the MBA for Executives Program when the student receives an F grade. In addition, academic standards are enforced on the basis of ASC points as described below:

	Dismissal Condition #1 (cumulative grades)

End of term #5	9.0 or more ASC points
End of program	15.0 or more ASC points

COURSE AND TERM GRADE REQUIREMENTS

F Course Grade and Makeup Requirements

Students who earn an F interim or final grade in a core course, Global Leadership Explorations course, or Professional Development course must successfully complete, with a minimum grade of LP, an examination or paper covering the entire course. This makeup requirement will be administered by the course head of the relevant course and must be completed within a 90-day period from issuance of the course grade. The course head must inform the Academic Standards Committee of the outcome. Receiving a grade below LP on the examination or paper results in dismissal from the program with no appeal to the Academic Standards Committee.

No makeup activity is required for a student earning an F grade in a non-core course. An F grade remains on a student’s transcript and continues to be counted in the student’s performance record.

Mid-Program Review: Term #3

At the end of Term #3, students normally will have completed almost half of the credit hours(27.0 credit hours)., Of these credit hours, students normally will have completed 9.0 of the 15.0 credit hours of Global Leadership Explorations courses.

A student who has accumulated 9.0 or more ASC points shall be notified by the Academic Standards Committee, acting on behalf of the faculty, that he or she is dismissed from the Global MBA for Executives Program but may petition the Academic Standards Committee for readmission.

End of Program

At the end of the program, a student who has accumulated 15.0 or more ASC points is dismissed from the Global MBA for Executives Program and will not be recommended for the MBA degree.

THE READMISSION PROCEDURE

A student who is dismissed from the Global MBA for Executives Program may petition the Academic Standards Committee for readmission, except under the final term of the Executive Format Program condition where the grade record is as stated in the Darden Policies and Procedures Manual. Readmission will depend on the presence of extenuating circumstances and the ability of the student to complete the remainder of the program satisfactorily.