The Denver MBA (full-time MBA)

Founded in 1908, the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver is the eighth-oldest business school in the US, named after the cable television mogul Bill Daniels, the pioneer of the school’s challenge-based educational model (dubbed the “Daniels’ Difference”) that gives students access to real-world business challenges via action-based learning.

Nowhere is this bold approach more apparent than in its full-time MBA (known internally as the Denver MBA), by all accounts a “game-changing” program, ranked in the Top 15 Most Innovative MBA Programs by Inc. Magazine. Admission for this 20-month program is competitive, in part due to Denver’s thriving reputation as one of the top cities for young professionals and recent college graduates. That said, the process is relatively straightforward. All applicants must submit university transcripts, GMAT/GRE scores, a resume, and essay question responses. At least two years of full-time professional work experience is required of all candidates, with three years preferred. Shortlisted candidates may be invited for an admissions interview if deemed necessary, either on campus or by Skype. The full program cost (tuition and fees) for both Denver residents and all other applicants is US$91,510.

Departing from conventional course structure, the Denver MBA program introduces core business “challenges” rather than set “courses”. Each challenge – enterprise, social good, corporate, and global – is completed by small teams, and runs concurrently with classes, so what students learn in the morning they can put into practice in the afternoon. Students are continuously assessed through a Personal Growth Agenda, a mash-up of career services, academic advising and executive coaching, that takes into account students’ individual strengths and weaknesses, and matches them to the key criteria of employers in a chosen field. In effect, each student has their own individual coach to guide them through the program and ensure they achieve their potential.

Given that personal development is such a central premise to the Denver MBA, it is hardly surprising that the majority of students (68%) have no problem finding offers of employment within three months of graduation, earning an average salary of US$69,842. Financial services and technology are the two most popular sectors for Denver MBA graduates, with Apple, Deloitte, Samsung and the Bank of America among some of the more noted employers.