Learn in-demand skills from university and industry experts
Master a subject or tool with hands-on projects
Develop a deep understanding of key concepts
Earn a career certificate from University of Virginia
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Specialization - 5 course series
This Specialization covers both the dynamics and the global aspects of strategic management. You'll learn how to evaluate industry evolution, build and sustain competitive advantage, formulate and assess business strategies, and align efforts to organizational strategy. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply your skills by creating a comprehensive Strategic Analysis for an existing business or a venture of your own.
Applied Learning Project
You will bring together all that you have learned in the foundational courses and employ your toolkit to develop a comprehensive Strategic Analysis. You will analyze the current state of the organization of your choice, strategic issues facing that organization and strategic paths it might pursue. Then you will make a recommendation of the best path for the organization to pursue, and write an Executive Summary. Your finished project will showcase your ability to conduct research on/within an organization, select and apply the most appropriate analytical tools, build a well-supported case for a specific position, and effectively communicate key points with executive leadership.
A premier institution of higher education, The University of Virginia offers outstanding academics, world-class faculty, and an inspiring, supportive environment. Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, the University is guided by his vision of discovery, innovation, and development of the full potential of students from all walks of life. Through these courses, global learners have an opportunity to study with renowned scholars and thought leaders.
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Time to completion can vary based on your schedule, but most learners are able to complete the Specialization in about 6 months.
Each course in the Specialization is offered on demand, with cohorts opening each month. If you don't complete a course on the first try, you can easily transfer to the next session, and your completed work and grades will carry over. The Capstone is offered a few times per year.
No background knowledge is required. This Specialization is designed for all professionals interested in enhancing their business strategy skills, including executives, entrepreneurs, management consultants, financial analysts, and nonprofit sector leaders and employees.
We suggest you take the courses in the order presented to get maximum benefit from the materials.
UVA's Darden School of Business does not currently offer university credit for completing this Specialization.
You will be able to conduct a strategic analysis, make recommendations for firm positioning and value creation, analyze a firm’s market position and capabilities alongside industry dynamics, and execute a strategic analysis.
Admission to Darden is highly competitive and based on a number of requirements, including undergraduate record and degree, GMAT scores, and work experience. Successful completion of the Specialization is in no way a guarantee of admission - but you should mention it in your application!
Our video lectures are designed to be self-contained; therefore, we suggest but do not require readings. The suggested readings have been selected to enhance the course experience; however, not all of the intellectual property owners of these materials make them freely available on the internet. While we strive to find sources of additional materials which are freely available, sometimes the best additional materials we would like to alert students to (books, magazine articles, journal articles or newspaper articles) are only available from their respective copyright owners for compensation. Rather than not alert the students to these materials, we have decided to list them and let students make their own decision on whether they would like to invest the money to view these materials.
All course materials are for your personal use while participating in this course. You are not allowed to share or distribute them in any form; however, they are available for licensing. If you’re interested, please contact DardenOnline@darden.virginia.edu.
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.
