Eleven students from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business achieved Level One SCPro certification from Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) in December.

The industry certification requires candidates to demonstrate their knowledge on comprehensive aspects of supply chain management through a written exam. SCPro Level One candidacy requires an undergraduate degree or four years of experience and is the first step in a series of higher professional supply chain certifications.

“Although it isn’t as widely adopted in the industry, obtaining this certification is the supply chain equivalent of passing the CPA exam,” said Lance Saunders, assistant professor in the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management and faculty advisor for Haslam’s CSCMP student chapter. “This is a remarkable achievement for undergraduate students, and one that will definitely help their careers.”

Haslam’s CSCMP student chapter coordinated study sessions over the semester, covering one of eight modules each week using material provided by CSCMP. 3M financially sponsored the program, and the university created an ongoing Vol Starter campaign to help defray the cost of the examination for students.

Jake Young, a senior majoring in supply chain management who passed the exam, said that he believes the education he has received impacted his success as much as the study sessions.

“Each and every professor I had provided the knowledge I needed to excel at the SCPro,” Young said. “My professors taught not only the application of subjects, but the reasoning in which those applications apply. That gave me the insight I needed to answer questions I didn’t already know.”

The full list of students who received the certification includes:

CSCMP also recognized the students’ achievement in its monthly newsletter.