The leading undergraduate program in student satisfaction, placement rate and starting salary in Cal Poly Pomona’s College of Business Administration is entering the graduate market with a new Master of Science program in digital supply chain management (MSDSCM) coming in the fall.
According to an annual exit survey of seniors graduating from the CBA over the last six years, students selecting a supply chain option with either the technology and operations management (TOM) or e-business (EBZ) departments reported the highest levels of value, employment and pay. The MSDSCM graduate program, debuting fall 2022, will share the same core philosophy that makes the undergraduate program such a success.
“The amount of supply chain knowledge among our faculty is incomparable,” said Yuanjie “Ed” He, department faculty and chair of TOM and EBZ, and now MSDCM co-director. “Factoring in key industry relationships that allow students to build relevant experience, we expect our success to continue at a graduate level.”
The new STEM-coded MSDSCM program focuses on data-driven supply chain decision making, offering contemporary business technologies such as SAP/ERP and block chain androbotic process automation (RPA). The program combines the knowledge of business functions (procurement, production, logistics, inventory, lean operations etc.) with analytics skills (statistics, machine learning, and optimization etc.).
Applications for the inaugural cohort of the MSDSCM program will be accepted through July 1, (May 1 for international students) with classes scheduled to begin in August. The 32-credit STEM graduate degree can be completed in as little as a year via the accelerated option or students can set their own pace through the traditional plan. The new program will also offer evening and weekend classes to accommodate full-time professionals.
Although the pandemic highlighted the frustrations and difficulties the supply chain industry faced, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 30 percent growth in the industry by 2030, with 95 percent of professionals remaining employed through COVID-19. Almost half the respondents to the 2020 Logistics Management annual salary survey indicated continuing education as, “the most important step in career advancement.”
He said that CBA Supply Chain undergraduates are courted by top automotive, hospitality and logistics brands, often receiving an offer for full-time employment with signing bonus before graduation. Strong partnerships with local and national organizations provide a learning experience expanding far beyond the classroom and will continue with the MSDSCM.
“Faculty is excited to teach advanced supply chain topics and assist students with more involved industry projects,” He said. “A Masters is digital supply chain management creates countless opportunities for everyone involved.”
The MSDSCM is the fifth AACSB-accredited business graduate degree option for the College of Business Administration, joining a list that includes Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Science in accountancy (MSA), Master of Science in information security (MSIS) and Master of Science in business analytics (MSBA). Due to the pandemic, the GMAT and GRE requirements for 2022 have been waived.
For more information on the Master of Science in Digital Supply Chain, visit the website at https://www.cpp.edu/cba/technology-and-operations-management/gradprograms/index.shtml.