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Home » Blog » News » MBA News » MBA News You Need: New Darden Analytics Degree, Wharton Announces Graduation Speakers, Parents Paying for MBAs, and More

MBA News You Need: New Darden Analytics Degree, Wharton Announces Graduation Speakers, Parents Paying for MBAs, and More

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Each week we collect all the MBA news that’s fit to print to give you a quick overview of the latest trending topics from top schools around the world.

Here’s your quick MBA News You Need digest for the week of Feb 12, 2018.

  1. New Master of Science in Business Analytics at UVA Darden

Late summer 2018 will see UVA’s Darden School of Business offer a new 12-month Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) degree in partnership with the McIntire School of Commerce. The MSBA is organized into six curriculum modules delivered both online and in-person, which makes it ideal for early career professionals.. Ready to apply? Learn more. The Darden Report

“[It’s] a unique opportunity for professionals of all backgrounds who want to sharpen their data skills while gaining a multidisciplinary understanding of business as future decision-makers,” said Darden Dean Scott Beardsley.

  1. Director of Strategic Initiatives at Tuck Honored for Her Contributions to Community and Diversity

On Martin Luther King Day, Dartmouth College honors community members who have made an impact in social and environmental justice, civil rights, diversity, and more. Dia Draper, the director of strategic initiatives at the Tuck School of Business, was honored in 2018 with the Holly Fell Sateia Award. For the past 12 years, Draper has worked tirelessly to improve diversity and build an inclusive community at Tuck, including a focus on the LGBTQIA+ living learning community Triangle House. Tuck Communications

“I’m a magical unicorn: Black, gay, and female, and I struggled with that for a while, and resisted it,” said Draper. “[But] this is what I was put on Earth to do. My one word is ‘connect.’”

  1. Wharton Gets an Early Jump on its 2018 Graduation Speakers

As a top-tier business school, The Wharton School tends to set the pace at which the MBA game is played. Then it may come as no surprise that preparations for the class of 2018 graduation ceremony are already well underway. Wharton has already announced four guest speakers who embody the school’s qualities of innovation, global awareness, collaboration, and responsible leadership. Hamdi Ulukaya, founder, chairman, and CEO of Chobani, will share his insight and advice to Wharton MBAs on May 13th. Visit Wharton News to learn more about the other graduation speakers.

“Hamdi Ulukaya has blazed an entrepreneurial path based on risk-taking, imagination, and a deep-seated desire to help people,” said Geoffrey Garrett, dean of the Wharton School.  

  1. Do Your Parents Pay for Your MBA?

It’s uncontroversial when an undergraduate student enlists their parents’ financial help to pay for their English lit degree, but how common is it for MBA students to ask mom and/or dad to pick up their b-school bill? The answer might surprise you. More and more MBA students are getting their parents to foot the bill for their schooling—just over one in 10 American students according to GMAC. Are parents the most surefire way to an MBA? Financial Times

“If parents have the discretionary income, they consider business school one of the endless costs of raising children,” an anonymous parent who paid the entire six-figure bill for her son told the Financial Times.

  1. New Harvard Fellowship Helps MBA Graduates Work in Africa

Up until recently, Harvard MBAs who chose to work in Africa post-graduation often found themselves trying to reconcile their desire to make a difference with the grim financial reality of six-figure debt. Harvard Business School’s MBA Class of 2018 graduates now have access to a new Global Opportunity Fellowship (GO: Africa), which was established to build upon and enhance Harvard’s global footprint in Africa. The fellowship supplements a graduate’s income as much as $50,000 in order to bridge the gap between the alumni’s salary and $100,000 USD. Harvard Newsroom

“The GO Fellowship is another example of Harvard Business School’s commitment to developing and strengthening its relationships with business and other leaders across Africa,” said Pippa Tubman Armerding, director of the HBS Africa Research Office. 

  1. UCLA Anderson Dean Steps Down

Since 2006, Judy Olian has served as dean of UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Under her tenure, the school has launched numerous initiatives including new research centers, new degree programs, and the Anderson Venture Accelerator, which helps students start their own business. At the end of the academic year, Olian will take her expertise to Quinnipiac University in Connecticut where she will take over as president. An interim dean will be appointed shortly. Daily Bruin

Kelly Vo
Kelly Vo is a writer who specializes in covering MBA programs, digital marketing, and topics related to personal development. She has been working in the MBA space for the past four years in research, interview, and writing roles.