University of Denver – Daniels College of Business - Full-Time MBA

Daniels College of Business Full-Time MBA Program Structure

The full-time, 21-month University of Denver Daniels College of Business MBA begins in September of each year. Both years of the program are comprised of five five-week modules over the course of the fall, winter, and spring. The first year is a mixture of required core courses as well as four “core business challenges”, real-world case studies and challenges undertaken with a small student team and a faculty advisor. The second year consists of remaining core courses, electives, one core business challenge, and “Launch”, the final module before graduation that focuses on career preparation, skill review, and achievement of personal and professional goals.

Curriculum

At the heart of the Daniels full-time MBA is real-world application: four core business challenges called the Enterprise Challenge, the Social Good Challenge, the Corporate Challenge, and the Global Challenge. The first three challenges take place in the first year of study, occurring simultaneously with core classes. Daniels focuses on the idea of students taking classes in the morning and then working on their challenges in the afternoon as a means of constantly applying classroom knowledge to real-life situations as it is acquired.

Students begin with the Enterprise Challenge, in which they work on small teams to create their own start-up company. Following the Enterprise Challenge is the Social Good Challenge, which allows students to partner with a local business to demonstrate noticeable social impact within the community. Next is the Corporate Challenge, a corporate partnership that lets students solve real-world business problems in the current environment. In the second year, students complete the Global Challenge, an international experience that gives students a taste of the global business world and the challenges it faces.

After a first year comprised of three business challenges, fourteen core courses, and two electives, students will spend the summer completing a mandatory internship. In the second year of the MBA, students then take four of their six mandatory electives. Four of these six total electives comprise a concentration, and students can choose between accounting, business analytics, finance, marketing, real estate and the built environment, or a custom option. At the end of the second year, students complete “Launch”—a comprehensive final module designed to prepare students to transition into their next career steps. Launch is also known as a “Lifelong Learning Lab” and provides an academic wrap-up and refresher while also completing a final check of Daniels’ “Personal Growth Agenda,” the individualized learning plan each student strives to complete over the 21-month program.

Full-Time MBA Rankings

• U.S. News & World Report: 80 (tie)

Class Profile

The average GPA of the incoming full-time MBA class is 3.36 and the average GMAT is 612. The program is comprised of 45 percent women and 8 percent international students, allowing a high level of diversity. As with other leading MBA programs, the average age at matriculation is 29 and students have an average of five years of prior work experience.

Careers

The Daniels College of Business hails its career preparation as one of the most distinctive features of the MBA program. Taking a fully integrative approach, students begin thinking about their professional development from the moment they step foot on campus. Utilizing an ongoing 360 review process, individual advising, online resources, mentorship programs, and a plethora of networking opportunities, Daniels Career Services ensures comprehensive preparation for each student entering the post-graduate school employment force. The continual self-assessment allows students to grow and adapt to their changing goals throughout the course of the program.

Tuition, Scholarships, & Financial Aid

The total assessed tuition for the entirety of the 21-month program is $96,000. Daniels notes that over 80 percent of students receive some form of scholarship award, ranging all the way to full tuition.

There is no additional application required to be considered for these scholarship awards, rather, the admissions committee considers academic merit, test scores, professional experience, and essays and interviews when making scholarship decisions.

Additionally, students are also eligible for need-based scholarships, which range from $1,500—$6,000 per year; as well as federal loans.

Admissions

A completed application to the Daniels College of Business requires official or unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended, a GMAT or GRE score, two mandatory essays and one optional essay, proof of at least two years of work experience, a professional résumé, TOEFL or IELTS scores if applicable, and a $100 application fee. The school offers an exception to the application fee for any DU graduates, and any current or former member of the U.S. military, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, or Teach for America.

Interviews are offered by invitation only and are conducted either in-person or via Skype. After submitting a completed application, a member of the admissions committee will contact students if they are selected to interview.

Application deadlines are as follows:

While there are four rounds of admissions, the school recommends students apply as early as possible.

Deadlines for Spring Quarter 2022

Spring Quarter 2022 is currently open for eligible programs.

Round 1—October 15, 2021
Round 2—December 5, 2021
Final—January 15, 2022

Applicants will be considered on the basis of available seats through March 15, 2022.

Deadlines for Fall Quarter 2022

Priority—October 15, 2021
Round 1—January 15, 2022
Round 2—March 15, 2022
Final—May 1, 2022

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