For many companies, the era when goods could be transformed from raw materials to finished products and then sold in the same country has long since passed. From food to electronics, companies increasingly use an interconnected web of suppliers and locations around the world to source, make and distribute their products or services.
To help supply chain professionals succeed in this environment, the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has partnered with universities in Germany and China to create its new Master of Science in Global Supply Chain Management (MSGSM).
“Supply chains are almost always complex, usually span multiple countries and often are a primary source of a company’s competitive advantage,” Shay Scott, director of the program, says. “This degree will develop both deep supply chain management skills and a practical understanding of international business, two skills which are in high demand from top companies as they seek talent to manage their supply chains.”
A combined class of students enrolled by Haslam, Tongji University’s School of Economics and Management and Kuehne Logistics University (KLU) will study for one semester at each partner university and two at their own home campus, spending all but their final semester together. The program exposes students to three of the world’s largest economies and helps them build required skillsets and understanding of business practices in each.
This format has proven successful with Haslam’s Executive MBA for Global Supply Chain, which similarly emphasizes international cohorts and study periods.
“Students gain a broader perspective invaluable to the business world when they study with people from other countries in other countries,” Scott said. “We’ve created an academic program that models the work environment for modern supply chains.”
The master’s in global supply chain management, which was approved at UT’s spring board of trustees meeting, aims to admit a full class of 30 students, (10 at Haslam) when it begins this September. For this initial year, applications will be accepted until six weeks before the start of classes.
Haslam, Tongji and KLU are already renowned for their supply chain education programs. Haslam is ranked second in the United States for graduate supply chain programs by Gartner. Tongji is the seventh-ranked business school in China, and KLU has been ranked in the top five internationally oriented universities for business.
