The university supply chain management program strives to prepare students for a career in the business world by giving good educational foundation and interaction with firms for job opportunities.

According to the website study.com, the university’s supply chain management degree is ranked 23rd in the nation for its resources and future employment opportunities.

Dr. Robert Cope, a professor of marketing and supply chain management, discussed how the degree program teaches students about different aspects of business.

“Supply chain management is a multi-disciplinary degree program,” explained Cope. “It gives students the perspective of all the different components of the College of Business. We’re here to support the infrastructure, and supply chain management is making the efficient use of raw materials all the way through retail.”

According to Cope, the program was started in 2008 after hurricane Katrina when the then president Dr. Randy Moffett opened the university to first responders.

Dr. Antoinette Phillips, the dean of the College of Business, explained why numerous students chose to make a career in supply chain management.

“Supply chain management is a rapidly growing area in business, and job opportunities are really good for our students who have successfully pursued a supply chain degree and have endless possibilities in their careers,” stated Phillips. “It’s a big area in business.”

The department also provides special opportunities and internships for students to explore and experience in their chosen field of study.

“The state department of procurement have three of our students, and they’ve hired three entry-level,” said Cope. “We placed students at Marathon Petroleum, Walmart Logistics, Coca Cola, and basically, our program sends students out at either internships or entry-level positions. About 60 percent of our students go into purchasing our procurement opportunity while the other 40 percent go into logistics, warehousing or inventory.”

Matthew Haslitt, a senior supply chain management major, shared his motivation for pursuing a bachelor’s degree in supply chain management and the various classes it offered.

“It’s a quickly growing field, and there’s a lot of interesting opportunities with various companies,” expressed Haslitt. “Some classes they offer are project management, transportation logistics purchasing, production management and operations.”

Cope is glad to see students succeeding in the real world environment.

“This is a program that touches so many different ways,” shared Cope. “We have two students out at Abbott Christian in New Orleans, and they send baby-food products all over the world. It’s just so nice that our students are getting out there in a real world environment and involved in things that help the general public and our economy.”

While the degree received a recognition, Cope expressed that the program continues to improve on a daily basis and impact students’ success.

“Dr. Mike Jones, the director of the program, and I would love to provide a MBA program in supply chain management,” said Cope. “We would also look to add concentrations in specific areas in supply chain management.”