King of Supply Chain Continues Reign into 2022
Last Updated April 1, 2021
MSU Recognized as Top Graduate Supply Chain Program for Fifth Consecutive Year
When it comes to creating a transformational education experience, Michigan State University’s supply chain management program continues to raise the bar.
Once again, MSU stands alone as the No. 1 Supply Chain/Logistics Graduate Program in U.S. News & World Report’s rankings of Best Business Schools for 2022—the program’s fifth consecutive year to be ranked in the top spot.
MSU first claimed the top spot in 2018 and hasn’t looked back, continuing to be the standard bearer in supply chain management education.
“The rankings of our programs are essential for MSU’s Broad College to be a top-of-mind school for supply chain management,” said Vedat Verter, McConnell Endowed Chair of Business Administration and chairperson of the Department of Supply Chain Management, in a Broad College article. “They elevate our ability to attract the top students, whom we can place at the best companies upon graduation.”
MSU’s depth in supply chain management is apparent in the rankings and accolades its programs continue to receive. The undergraduate supply chain management program received the top ranking from U.S. News & World Report for the tenth year in a row in 2021, while the Master and Advanced Master Certificates in Supply Chain Management position the expertise and thought leadership of many of the faculty in the top-ranked graduate program within a 100% online learning experience easily accessible for working supply chain professionals.
Rigorous Research, Real-World Application
A distinguished, engaged faculty that anticipates, explores and meets the challenges of the 21st century supply chain is key in the Master of Science in Supply Chain Management program’s success.
“Our faculty’s relevant and applicable research provides real and immediate value, not just in an educational setting but also for our students professionally,” says Lizzie Fisher, Director of the M.S. in Supply Chain Management program. “The passion and vision MSU has for supply chain is shared by our faculty, students, alumni, and industry partners, alike.”
The faculty’s deep supply chain industry roots, partnerships and conference presentations are all ways these thought leaders actively bridge the professional application of their academic research.
“This commitment to our program truly elevates our program and makes it top of mind,” Fisher says.
Top Ranking Attracts Top Talent
Not only does this combination of real-world focused research and industry-leading expertise continually place MSU in the upper echelon of supply chain management programs, the program’s top-ranking is a key differentiator and attractor for top supply chain management talent from diverse professional backgrounds.
As a U.S. Army veteran, Rasheen Chatmon saw “the frustration of having the supplies that you need…within arm’s reach, but the supply chain was damaged,” as he served in Haiti in the aftermath of that country’s 2010 earthquake. “That was a pivotal moment for me, seeing all these people suffering from a lack of resources.”
Dealing with a supply chain disrupted by natural disaster inspired Chatmon to complement his first-hand experience with more in-depth supply chain knowledge as he embarked on his post-military career.
“When I saw MSU was ranked No. 1 in Supply Chain Management, it stood out to me,” he says of his decision to apply, and then be accepted to the M.S. in Supply Chain Management program. “Supply chain management touches everything, and I really didn’t think how deep it went until I entered this program.”
Helping students see the “big picture” of supply chain management by developing a holistic, end-to-end understanding of the supply chain, all in an online format with three on-campus residency sessions, has not only created a dynamic, top-ranked program. The approach has also helped to establish a “very strong alumni base of supply chain professionals because we’ve been very good at supply chain for a long time—for a generation now!” says Sriram Narayanan, Associate Professor and Kesseler Family Endowed Faculty Fellow in Supply Chain Management. “So, students who graduate out of the MSU program have a leg up from that standpoint.”
As Ana Cifuentes Gonzalez considered graduate school and began “talking with different people in the field,” the senior import and customs manager at Lidl U.S., and now graduate of the M.S. in Supply Chain Management program, saw the “leg up” the program could provide: “I realized that, in the industry, this is a very good program that people recognize and that people value.”
Learn more about the Master of Science in Supply Chain Management:
