MS in Business: Supply Chain Management

Today’s supply chains are truly global. Effective supply chain management is crucial and solves many of the problems encountered by businesses today. Supply chain professionals are sought after in a wide variety of industries, with new and growing opportunities in biotech, cyber-security – even aid logistics.

Whether you’re a recent graduate with an interest in how goods move around the globe, or a manager who would like to broaden your understanding of the global supply chain, the Smith MSB in SCM will help you develop strong analytical and interpersonal communications skills and make connections with supply chain executives from a cross-section of industries. You’ll be prepared to lead innovation that drives business growth, promotes efficiency and helps sustain the planet - and gain the relevant, real-world experience most sought after by recruiters.

Our outstanding teaching and research faculty is unparalleled and consistently ranks among the top five American universities in research productivity in top-tier logistics, supply chain management and transportation journals.

The Supply Chain Management Center (SCMC), established in 1998, was one of the first SCM centers in academia, garnering clients such as the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). The center builds on the university’s half-century commitment to advancing supply chain practices and research, and is distinguished by state-of-the-art technology. It has built working prototypes of leading-edge supply chain portals, developed RFID demos to help hospitals lower costs and improve patient care by managing their inventories in real time, and, through its collaboration with Delft University in the Netherlands and with Interactive Learning Solutions (ILS), Inc., created the world’s first real-time global supply chain game, helping students prepare for careers and compete for jobs by learning in a decision-rich environment that closely mimics today’s complex global supply chain. A new version of this game has been designed to mirror volatility in a global environment. The center is currently working on a multidisciplinary collaboration with the University of Maryland to design a national test bed for Cyber Supply Chain Risk management.

We have one of the most technologically advanced facilities in the world for research in supply chain management – our Supply Chain Laboratory. The lab provides students with the opportunity to receive training in industry leading supply chain software, such as SAP enterprise resource planning (ERP) and i2 network design.

Classes are held at the University of Maryland’s College Park campus, located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region, an area which spans from Baltimore to northern Virginia and boasts employment opportunities in private industry, government, not-for-profit, and the military.