Online MBA in Supply Chain Management

An online master’s in supply chain management helps professionals advance their career through a flexible format. Graduates pursue opportunities as logisticians, management analysts, and operations research analysts. These growing fields offer advancement opportunities and lucrative salaries for candidates with a graduate degree. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that operations research analysts earn over $83,000, and many employers prefer to hire candidates with a master’s degree.

This page explores the steps necessary to advance your career with an MBA in supply chain management and covers career opportunities, salary potential, and job growth information, along with how to choose the best online MBA program.

A master’s degree in supply chain management trains students for leadership roles in several industries. During an MBA in supply chain management, graduate students study operations management, procurement, transportation, and global logistics. They build leadership skills to work at the management level. And depending on the program, MBA students often take core classes in business, management, finance, and marketing to receive a well-rounded business education.

Earning an MBA in supply chain management typically takes two years. Some programs offer a part-time and/or accelerated option to fit students’ schedules. During the degree, graduate students often complete an internship to gain professional experience.

Compared to an on-campus program, an online supply chain management degree offers greater flexibility. Students can arrange coursework around their work or family obligations. An online learning format also prioritizes access, because students can enroll in top programs without relocating or quitting their jobs.

In a supply chain management program, graduate students take classes in decision modeling, operations management, and leadership. These classes prepare graduate students for careers in supply chain management. Classes vary depending on the program, but the following sample curriculum includes common courses.

Students earning a master’s in supply chain management often specialize their education through a concentration or electives. Concentrations like global supply chain management, transportation management, and manufacturing prepare students for different career paths after graduation by offering specialized training. By selecting a concentration or designing one through electives, graduates demonstrate their specialized training in the job market.

During a master’s in supply chain management, graduate students complete multiple group projects, research assignments, and presentations to build their skills. Classes design projects and exams to test student knowledge throughout the degree, strengthening abilities that graduates need in supply chain management careers.

Many programs conclude with a capstone project that integrates knowledge and skills gained through the curriculum. Graduate students design a project that fits their career path. For example, master’s students may analyze a real supply chain to identify problems and propose solutions. Students interested in operations analysis may conduct an operations process review.

Prospective supply chain management students can narrow their choices to the most high-quality online programs using several factors. Researching a program’s graduation rates, faculty qualifications, and graduate placements helps students identify quality programs. For example, many programs track the percentage of graduates working in their field. Prospective students can compare programs by identifying those with the highest-graduate placement rates.

Fortunately for students, the accreditation process evaluates these factors when granting accreditation. To earn accreditation, programs must meet high standards for academic excellence. Independent accrediting agencies also evaluate criteria like student learning outcomes, graduation requirements, and course content to grant accreditation.

In business, specialized accrediting agencies evaluate MBA programs, including the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). Unaccredited programs should raise a red flag for prospective supply chain management students.

A master’s in supply chain management prepares graduates for leadership roles in many sectors. Supply chain managers ensure that businesses deliver their products and services to consumers in a timely manner while also saving costs for the company.

In addition to careers in logistics, supply chain management graduates apply their skills as management analysts and operations research analysts, which are fast-growing fields. Specializing in an area like transportation management, purchasing management, or distribution management opens additional opportunities for professionals with a graduate degree in supply chain management.

Source: BLS, 2019

The BLS projects 5% job growth for logisticians, along with 6% growth for transportation, storage, and distribution managers. The fastest-growing careers in supply chain management include management analyst, with 14% projected job growth, and operations research analyst, with 26% projected job growth. MBA students gain strong management and analytical skills, which prepare graduates for jobs in management and operations analysis.

Professional organizations help supply chain management professionals advance their careers. With networking opportunities, professional development resources, and career advice, these organizations also benefit students. Many professional organizations offer scholarship opportunities and career centers to help MBA students with a supply chain management concentration transition into the workforce.

Students pursuing a master’s in supply chain management can pay for their degree with a mix of savings, scholarships, and loans. By researching how to pay for an MBA, prospective students can lower the cost of their degree. Opportunities like federal grants, scholarships offered by professional organizations, and graduate assistantships can save students thousands of dollars.