Goods are produced for consumers. But how do those goods become finished products
and get to where they need to go? Supply chain management masterminds the flow of
goods. Raw materials must be stored and catalogued, transformed into usable inventory,
and, once finished and given the stamp of approval, must be moved from the point of
origin to the point of consumption. The movement of goods is a skillfully designed
labyrinth of interlinking networks, channels, and connecting points, with the customer
situated at the end of that supply chain. The goal is to satisfy customer demand and
optimize the number of organizations in satisfying that demand, while reducing managerial
control of daily logistics operations. Less control and more supply-chain partners
led to the original concept of supply chain management. The consumer expects dependable
and efficient service and assumes the product will arrive in good time and in perfect
condition. The manager of the supply chain must ensure that the journey from product
inception to customer reception runs without a hitch.
He’s a quality good fellow
Darrin Lucas received his B.S. degree in packing science from Clemson University in
2000. He started looking for a graduate program that fit his personal leadership style.
At the time, he was working in logistics, so pursuing a degree in supply chain management
seemed like a perfect choice. “My experience at MTSU has been wonderful. Having been
in the workforce for 13 years and away from college, I was hesitant to jump back in.”
Darrin says the faculty and course availability at MTSU have allowed him to continue
working while going to school. He began his career at Saturn as a packaging engineer
and later moved to Nissan North America. Currently he is at Nissan managing the Packaging
Engineering and Quality Assurance Groups in the After Sales Logistics department.
“On completion of my graduate program, I hope to accelerate my career by making a
positive impact directly related to the training and tools gained during my experience
at MTSU.”
What some major companies are doing
Major companies have reduced the number of links in their supply chain, which has
lowered costs and increased efficiency and customer service. Dell, the largest computer
maker in the world, eliminated retailers and distributors and therefore greatly reduced
inventory costs. Amazon.com examined and removed many of the inefficiencies in its
supply chain for a variety of goods. DHL international shipments were slowed down
considerably because of having to wait for papers to clear customs. Finally someone
came up with the idea of flying the shipping papers ahead of the shipment so that
the customs paperwork would already be completed by the time the ship arrived at port.
Related Media
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MTSU College of Graduate Studies
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MTSU | The University of Opportunities
It was once noted that supply chain management deals with a product from cradle to
the grave. Supply chain management borrowed from the process known as logistics, which
emerged as a procedure in World War II as part of an effort to deliver the right amount
of supplies to the troops in the trenches. The supply chain concept, however, focused
on the inception of the product, as far back as the design stage, and followed that
product all the way through marketing and customer service. The largest Fortune 500
Company, Wal-Mart, owes much of its success to making supply chain management a science.
Examples of career opportunities include areas such as
- Distribution operations supervisor
- Supply chain analyst
- Inventory specialist
- Materials manager
- Buyer
- Quality assurance professional
- Capacity planning analyst
- Logistics manager
- Purchasing agent
Because this program is relatively new, employer information is still being compiled.
Following are examples of employers of Management graduates and Career Fair participants:
- Bridgestone
- Yazaki North America
- CalsonicKansei North America
- Tractor Supply Company
- Consolidated Electrical Distributors, Inc.
- Mars Petcare
- Philips Hospital and Healthcare
- Hospital Corporation of America
- Nissan North America
- Under Armour Distribution House
- Office Depot
- Freedom Industries
- Geodis
- Frito Lay
The Master of Science (M.S.) in Management is offered by the Department of Management
in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business. This program, with two concentrations,
offers students planning, communication, and ethical decision-making skills through
experiential learning in which they will find themselves in the trenches of the real-world
work environment. Each concentration—Supply Chain Management and Organizational Leadership (provides students with business and leadership skills that can be applied in a variety
of leadership roles in business, government, or education)—includes a capstone project in which students will partner with an organization
in the industry or non-profit sector.
Undergraduate
The undergraduate program in the Department of Management offers the Bachelor of Business
Administration (B.B.A.) degree with majors in Business Administration, Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Management. Minors are available in Entrepreneurship and Management; the department participates
in interdisciplinary minors in Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership
Studies.
For complete curriculum details, click on the REQUIREMENTS button to the right.
Apply Now!
Professional Licensure Disclosure
The Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting (B.B.A.) and Master of Science (M.S.) in Management with concentration in Supply Chain Management in Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). Completion of the 120-semester hour BBA-Accounting qualifies students to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) examination in Tennessee. Awarding of a Tennessee CPA license requires 150 semester hours of credit, or 30 credit hours beyond the undergraduate degree. The M.S. in Management concentration in Supply Chain Management in Jones College of Business can provide the additional 30 credit hours of business courses beyond the undergraduate BBA-Accounting degree. In addition, there are other business degree programs in Jones College of Business that could provide the additional 30 credit hours of business courses beyond the undergraduate BBA-Accounting degree. Among these are: MAcc-Accounting; MBA: MS—Finance; MA—Economics; and MS—Information Systems.
Students should be aware that licensure requirements vary from state to state and are subject to change. MTSU has not made a determination whether these programs will meet all of the certification requirements of a US state or territory. Students who plan to practice outside the state of Tennessee should consult the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy listing of state certification requirements at https://nasba.org/stateboards/ and discuss their plans with their advisor.
Supply Chain Management, M.S.
Dan Morrell, Program Director
(615) 494-7758
Dan.Morrell@mtsu.edu
The Department of Management offers the Master of Science in Supply Chain Management and the Master of Science in Management program with a concentration in Organizational Leadership.
The Supply Chain Management program offers career opportunities in the broad area of supply chain management that includes planning, sourcing, making, delivering, and returning of supplies from suppliers to customers.
The program provides graduates with business and supply chain skills that can be applied to work in sourcing/procurement, distribution/logistics, manufacturing, continuous improvement, and inventory planning.
Please see undergraduate catalog for information regarding undergraduate programs.
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the Master of Science in Supply Chain Management program, applicants should have
- an earned bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a GPA of 2.75 or higher; and
- a minimum Index Score of 1000 calculated using (GPA x 200) + GMAT (or GRE equivalent).
The GMAT/GRE requirement may be waived for applicants that meet any of the following conditions:
- an earned bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university with GPA 3.0 or higher
- an earned bachelor's degree with a GPA of 2.75 or higher and five (5) or more years of professional/managerial or military experience
- an earned graduate or professional degree from a regionally accredited college or university
Foundation Courses
Completion of required foundational course: MGMT 6000 (or an approved introductory undergraduate course in supply chain management). Applicants without this course(s) may complete as part of their program of study.
Application Procedures
All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.
Applicant must
- submit an application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php). Once this initial application has been accepted, the applicant will receive directions on how to enter the graduate portal to be able to submit other materials.
- submit official scores on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or meet one of the exam waiver requirements;
- submit official transcripts of all previous college work;
- submit a current resume' or curriculum vita.
Degree Requirements
The Master of Science in Supply Chain Management requires completion of 33 credit hours.
Candidate must
- complete 33 semester hours as listed below. No more than 30 percent of the total degree hours dual-listed as 5000-level undergraduate/graduate hours can be counted toward the degree.
Curriculum: Supply Chain Management
The M.S. in Supply Chain Management provides students with business and operations management skills that can be applied to work in logistics, transportation, and supply chain management careers.
The following illustrates the coursework requirements.
Required Courses (18 hours)
MBAM 6875 - Supply Chain Operations
3credit hours
Prerequisite: MBAI 6835. Overview on the integration between supply chain operations strategies/decisions and their impact on other business functions in an organization.
MGMT 6200 - Lean Project Management Principles
3credit hours
Prerequisite: MGMT 3620, MGMT 6000, or MGMT 6650.Theory and practice of managing projects for services, products, and/or events in the context of operations management methods. Emphasis on application of lean concepts to project management.
MGMT 6600 - Organization Behavior
3credit hours
Behavioral science concepts and research in the management of organizations; theories dealing with interpersonal relationships, motivation systems, group dynamics, communications, and authority related to organizational behavior, control, and structure problems.
MGMT 6700 - Supply Chain Key Performance Indicators
3credit hours
Focuses on strategic use of key performance indicators (KPIs, dashboard metrics, and balanced scorecards) as a method to manage business processes. Aspects of performance measurement will be studied including design, data sources, conflicting KPIs, and presentation of results.
MGMT 6730 - International Supply Chain Management
3credit hours
Principles of supply chain management and supply chain management environments. Examines integration with other companies to manage flow of resources, including materials, information, people, etc., in a global supply chain environment.
MGMT 6760 - Continuous Improvement/Problem Solving
3credit hours
Applies two major Continuous Improvement strategies to business process improvement efforts. Compares the Baldridge Performance Excellence Framework to overall organizational evaluation (gap analysis). Applies Lean Six Sigma techniques to specific problem solving and process improvement situations.
Electives (9 hours)
BIA 6905 - Applied Business Analytics
3credit hours
(Same as MBAI 6905.) An applied approach to the understanding, development, and application of prescriptive and data analytic tools to model and analyze business data. A hands-on focus utilized with both commonly-used spreadsheet software and specialized business intelligence software for the student to develop skills for self-service business analytics.
BIA 6910 - Business Intelligence
3credit hours
Prerequisite: BIA 6905 or QM 6770 or equivalent. A more advanced look at the application of business intelligence tools to solving business problems. Coverage will include the development and deployment of sophisticated reporting and dashboard systems to monitor and manage operations. Industry-standard business intelligence software utilized.
MGMT 6250 - Health Care Resource Management
3credit hours
Addresses the forecasting, planning, utilization, and management of resources in organizations within the health care industry as well as industry peripheral organizations. Examines the management of the full spectrum of resources to meet the highly complex demand model as a health care leader.
MGMT 6450 - Health Care Quality and Accountability for Leaders
3credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to Jones College of Business. Addresses health care quality and required accountability within the health care industry from the perspective of a non-clinical leader. Discusses the critical topics of continuous quality improvement (CQI), CQI models, CQI project planning and implementations, accreditation standards, Lean, and Six Sigma from the perspective of non-clinical leaders in organizations serving in multiple tiers of the health services delivery systems. Examines the nuances of healthcare organizational culture and its impact on healthcare quality and accountability.
MGMT 6550 - Distribution Center Management
3credit hours
Prerequisite: MGMT 3620 or MGMT 6000 or MGMT 6650. Focuses on the concepts and techniques required to manage a contemporary distribution center. Emphasizes the role of a distribution center within a supply chain and best practices leading to efficient operational performance.
MGMT 6575 - International Logistics and Transportation
3credit hours
Prerequisites: Admitted to graduate studies; admitted to Jones College of Business. An analysis of logistics and transportation, inbound and outbound, as applied to international trade, incorporating the overall process of managing how resources are acquired, stored, and transported to their final destination. Examines course concepts in the context of agility and adaptability for global supply chains.
MGMT 6585 - Supply Chain Management Information Management
3credit hours
Prerequisites: Admitted to graduate studies; admitted to the Jones College of Business. Explores technologies that drive global supply chain management. Assess and develop integrated supply-chain, procurement, and service management strategies for organizations that rely on information technology to communicate with suppliers and end consumers through experience with supply chain management (SCM) systems such as SAP or Oracle.
MGMT 6800 - Applied Management Project
3credit hours
Prerequisites: Open only to M.S. in Management students who are in their last semester of coursework (must have completed 24 graduate level hours); permission of department required; must be completed with B- or better. Capstone course that provides students with the opportunity to integrate and synthesize knowledge gained throughout the graduate program. Development of a substantial project that demonstrates mastery of competencies, concepts, principles, and practices for success in their field of leadership, supply chain management, or not-for-profit management.
MKT 6830 - Marketing Systems and Purchasing
3credit hours
Identifies optimal channel design and procurement systems. Assess business situations to understand key foundations in determining agile supply chain and distribution systems to be able to effectively manage costs and inventories to achieve customer satisfaction. Evaluate system alignment by examining relationship motivation and be able to effectively evaluate the best channel systems.
Career Electives (6 hours)
In consultation with their advisors, students will select and complete 6 hours of courses in a professional area that relates to their career interests in supply chain management.
Our adjunct faculty bring outstanding professional experience to our programs. Many are industry leaders with decorated careers and honors. Importantly, they are innovative educators who offer hands-on learning to our students to prepare them to enter and thrive in a dynamic, and oftentimes emerging, industry and professional world. They inspire, instruct, and challenge our students toward academic and professional success.
Assistantships
The Department of Management offers a limited number of assistantships each semester that are awarded on a competitive basis. An assistantship covers tuition,
most fees, and a monthly stipend in return for 20 hours a week of service. Assistantships
can be renewed for up to two years.
Additional Resources
Online or Hybrid Programs at a Glance
This program is available fully online.
For More Information or Explore Your Options
Contact your department / program coordinator or advisor for more details about the program OR work one-on-one with your advisor to explore your options.
The Online Advantage
With over 25 years of experience in online teaching and learning, MTSU Online offers students access to innovative, high-quality programs. Designed with students in mind, our courses allow maximum flexibility for those unable to participate in person.
Resources and services for online students are available from MTSU Online or contact us at distance@mtsu.edu.
