KNOXVILLE, Tenn., July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The graduate supply chain program in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's Haslam College of Business is ranked second among programs in North America, according to a report from a leading industry research organization.

Gartner Inc. periodically assesses the top supply chain programs in the country, based on such factors as program scope, industry value and program size. In 2020, Gartner measured 67 universities in the United States and Canada through surveys and interviews of industry professionals and academics. Supply chain programs around the country consider Gartner's evaluation the premier ranking of its kind.

This year's No. 2 ranking places UT's program ahead of such peer institutions as Michigan State University, Georgia Tech, Arizona State University and MIT. Additionally, the undergraduate supply chain management program is ranked No. 6 in the current report.

"These ranking are an affirmation of the quality of the supply chain management program's offerings," Stephen L. Mangum, dean and Stokely Foundation Leadership Chair at Haslam, said. "Through our faculty's dedication and leadership and our students' skills and applied knowledge, we are aiding companies across the U.S. in designing the supply chain of the future."

According to Gartner, the current average starting salary for a graduate with a supply chain management MBA is $91,949, while Haslam's is $101,273. Haslam has more than 1,200 supply chain management students, making it one of Gartner's program size leaders. Also, supply chain management was the No. 1 major at UT based on number of degrees granted in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

"Over the past 15 years, our department has been developing a broad, integrated supply chain curriculum that provides students with a solid, results-oriented grounding in the field," Chad Autry, FedEx Endowed Professor of Supply Chain Management and head of the department of supply chain management, said. "These rankings demonstrate that we continue to approach that goal, and the program is providing value to both our students and the firms that hire them."

Gartner's reports also indicate that integrated supply chain management, project management and process improvement and strategy and change management are becoming more prevalent subjects while technology, analytics and manufacturing are being deemphasized in program curricula. UT provides a broad spectrum of supply chain programs, including the Executive MBA for Global Supply Chain, the full-time MBA with a supply chain management concentration, the MS in Supply Chain Management Online and the undergraduate supply chain management program. These offer wide-ranging curricula that familiarize students with the most current practices in supply chain.

"Through our program, students become knowledgeable in all areas of contemporary supply chain management and proficient in their chosen areas of specialization," Ted Stank, Harry J. and Vivienne R. Bruce Chair of Excellence in Business in the department of supply chain management and faculty director of UT's Global Supply Chain Institute, said. "Organizations know when hiring our students that they will immediately begin to contribute in their workplace, and that makes our program extremely competitive."

The supply chain programs at Haslam are consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally by Gartner, U.S. News and World Report, SCM World and Supply Chain Management Review.

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SOURCE University of Tennessee, Haslam College of Business