Tech

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. 

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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

11%
of graduates entered careers in technology
$155,000
median base salary
$40,000
median signing bonus
18%
of technology graduates enter corporate/general management roles
9%
of technology graduates entered operations/logistics roles
30%
of technology graduates entered marketing roles
Students in the library

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

Pam Cline

Associate Director of Employer Engagement and Recruiting

Jenny Zenner

Jenny Zenner

Senior Director of Technology Careers

 

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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 Guide.

Career Elective Guides

  • 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

  • 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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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.

  • 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 
  • 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.  

  • 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. 

  • 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. 

 

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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

 

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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.