MBA Central

Your guide to an Online Master's Degree in Business Administration

The Top 10 Online Supply Chain Management MBA Degree Programs

A master’s degree in supply chain management can give you the higher-level skills and abilities to think in tandem about the people, processes, and technologies required for world-class integrated supply chain management

As systemization for supply chain networks become increasingly complex, with tighter deadlines and greater financial liability from disruptions, supply chain professionals can greatly benefit from additional education and credentials to assist them in their current position or to advance their careers in logistics or supply chain management. A master’s degree in supply chain management can give you the higher-level skills and abilities to think in tandem about the people, processes, and technologies required for world-class integrated supply chain management. Supply chain management professionals are involved in all business processes from raw materials extraction all the way to consumer purchase, ensuring the right quality product is in the hands of the correct consumer on time. The United States will have about 1 million logistics worker openings by the end of the year, and the field offers a wide range of job opportunities. Some jobs include: director of supply chain operations, senior supply chain management analyst, performance improvement senior manager, supply chain technical analyst, director of purchasing, logistics management analyst, and commodity manager. Individuals with a master’s degree will make an average of 20% more than those with just a bachelor’s and 80% more than those with no degree. As the demand to fill positions increases along with the demands of the job, a master’s degree in supply chain management is essential. Here is a list of our top 10 favorite master in business administration in supply chain management. We selected these programs for their quality classes, affordability, and student support services.

Methodology:

  • Affordability (1/3):
    • Average indebtedness of program graduates in the last calendar year.
    • Percentage of graduates who needed to take on student loan debt.
  • Support Services (1/3):
    • Online-specific flexibility, accessibility and support measures for online and non-traditional students
  • Quality Classes (1/3):
    • The average class size
    • The percentage of faculty with terminal degrees in their field

1.) Arkansas State University-Main Campus

Arkansas State University is a public research university located in Jonesboro, Arkansas. There are 13,410 students enrolled, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 17:1. The student body is diverse and represents all 50 states and international students from across the globe. According to U.S. News Arkansas State University ranks as the 59th best university in the South, 34th best college for veterans, and 20th top public school in the South. The Higher Learning Commission accredits Arkansas State University to award baccalaureate, master’s, doctoral, and a number of graduate certificates. There are over 30 programs offered online that range from the bachelor’s to doctoral level. Business and health are two of the most popular degree programs at Arkansas State.

Arkansas State University offers a Master of Business Administration with an area of concentration in Supply Chain Management. The program is comprehensive and includes an in-depth look at supply chain management as well as provides all of the core foundational materials so that learners are equipped to tackle the broad range of demands required of supply chain managers. We selected this program for its affordability and high quality of programming. Those entering without a business bachelor’s degree must be sure to take the following prerequisite classes: accounting, finance, macroeconomics, microeconomics, law, statistics, and operations management. These courses may be taken at the undergraduate or fast-tracked at the graduate level, and do not count towards the total requirement credit hours for this master’s degree program. In addition to the core MBA curriculum, Supply Chain Management students are required to fulfill 12 concentration credits in the following classes: logistics management, global supply chain management, logistics operation, and sourcing procurement. The total credit hour requirement is 39 and the cost per credit hour for this program is just $587 per credit hour.

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  • Tuition Per Credit Hour: $587

2.) Ferris State University College of Business – Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University is a public university located in Big Rapids, Michigan. There are 14,715 students enrolled at Ferris State University, and the student-to-faculty ratio is just 16:1. The average classroom has fewer than 20 students. All classes are taught by faculty who tailor programs to meet industry needs. Additionally, Ferris State provides support services to help you meet you needs if challenges arise. U.S. News ranks Ferris State as the 74th best school in the Midwest region, 42nd best college for veterans, 18th top public school, and best for their online nursing, bachelor’s, and MBA programs. The Higher Learning Commission accredits Ferris State to award associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degree programs.

Ferris State University offers a fully online Master of Business Administration with a specialization in Supply Chain Management. The core MBA program focuses on essentials for management and include ways to develop and improve organizational performance through accounting, finance, leadership, strategy, economics, statistics, marketing, legal affairs, the global environment as well as informations systems and operations. We selected this program both for its affordability and quality of classes. In addition to the core MBA, student are required to complete advanced studies in supply chain management and lean logistics. Individuals will be able to analyze and provide solutions for manufacturing, purchasing, transport and more through 4 additional required courses. The courses are in lean logistics, lean supply chain management, logistics analysis, and global supply chain logistics. There are a total of 45 credit hours required for completion and the cost is just $542 per credit hour.

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  • Tuition Per Credit Hour: $542

3.) University of Wisconsin Whitewater

The University of Wisconsin Whitewater is a public university that was founded in 1868. It is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin north of Tripp Lake and Tripp Lake Park. There are 12,351 students enrolled and the student-to-faculty ratio is 22:1. UWW is one of the top 5 universities for diversity and puts ample support services in place for all types of learners. These support services work in part to aid undergraduate students looking to graduate in four years. The Higher Learning Commission accredits UWW to award bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs. U.S News ranks UWW as the 49th best university in the Midwest, 29th best college for veterans, and 9th best public school. The online business degree ranks as the 16th best for online MBA programs.

The University of Wisconsin Whitewater offers a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis on supply chain management. We like this program for the quality of classes as well as the level of student support. In 2013 the University of Wisconsin Whitewater issued an “MBA Assurance of Learning” promising its students the tools required for success in today’s marketplace. Students are encouraged to think globally, behave ethically, innovate, make strategic decisions and think critically, communicate, manage, and lead- all skill supported through programming and student services and also all required for success in the field of supply management. The MBA with Supply requires 14 credits of foundational knowledge/prerequisite material depending on the individual. Students who have completed accounting, statistics, micro and macro economics, information system, business finance, operations management, and principles of marketing in their undergraduate work will not have to complete any of these prerequisite classes. Upon completion of prerequisites, all students are required to complete 24 credit hours for their MBA, 9 credit hours for supply chain management, and 3 credit hours (one course) as an elective. The total credit hour requirement after prerequiste course material is complete is 36 credit hours. The cost for this program is $637 per credit hour.

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  • Tuition Per Credit Hour: $637

4.) National University

National University is a private nonprofit university located in La Jolla, California outside of San Diego. There are 17,488 students enrolled who benefit from small classroom sizes and a student-to-faculty ratio of 20:1. The Western Association of College and Schools accredits National University to offer bachelor’s, master’s, and professional certification programs. Some of the most popular programs are their programs in registered nursing, criminal justice and law enforcement as well as business administration and management. National University uses innovative approaches to ensure that students receive the support they need to be successful in higher education through lifelong learning, quality education and instruction and high-quality student service programs. Students may select degrees from 5 schools and colleges providing top-notch degree programs.

National University offers a Master of Business Administration with an area of specialization in Supply Chain Management. We selected this program for its affordability and student support services. All students who wish to complete their MBA in supply chain management must complete both Module 1 and Module 2 of the MBA and the 5 additional courses required for the supply chain management specialization. Intermediate Algebra is offered free to all registered MBA students and may test out of Accounting Fundamentals, and Finance Fundamentals- the two prerequisite courses required at NU. Module one focuses on “tools for problem solving” and is 8 courses in length or 36 quarter units. Each class is 4.5 quarter units. The tools for problem solving include organizational management and leadership, marketing management, global business, statistics for business, managerial accounting, economics for managerial decisions, managerial support systems, and seminar on financial management. Module two focuses on business strategy and policy. Supply Chain students must complete all 5 courses for their area of specialization and include: supply chain collaboration, strategic supply management, distribution management, and finally a supply chain risk capstone. The total quarter credit hour requirements is 63. The cost is $416 per credit unit.

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  • Tuition Per Credit Hour: $416

5.) Georgia College & State University

Georgia College and State University is a public liberal arts school located in Milledgeville, Georgia. There are 6,889 students enrolled at GCSU who benefit from small classes and a student-to-faculty ratio of 17:1. In 1889, Georgia College formed as a women’s college and has been making advancements and servicing a diverse student body ever since. According to U.S. News GCSU is ranked as the 28th best college in the region, 20th best college for veterans, 4th best for undergraduate teaching, and 9th best public school in the South. Their highest-ranked programs are in nursing and business. Their value statement includes expanding undergraduate education, creating excellence in graduate education, and challenging innovative teaching and great student support programs. In addition, all students have a variety of opportunities for community engagement as part of their programming. Not only is quality high but so is its value, in fact Kiplinger listed Georgia College as a Best Value College for the 2016/17 school year.

Georgia College and State University is offering a Master’s in Logistics and supply chain management and has been developing and updating this program for over 40 years. We selected this program because of its affordability and quality flexible accelerated programming. This program is straightforward and streamlined so that it only requires 30 hours to complete- much below the average requirements for these types of programs. This does not mean that Georgia College is cutting corners- after 40 years of developing this program Georgia College has come up with an efficient curriculum to help you meet your goals. Unlike other programs that attach an area of specialization to an MBA, this program focuses exclusively on supply chain management course materials. This means you save money and time. All students will engage with 21 hours of core material that includes supply chain management and strategy, logistics processes and management, logistics in quantitative methods, purchasing and materials management, international trade and the logistics environment, distribution and inventory control, and supply chain logistics and leadership Additionally, 9 credit hours of electives are mandatory and may include commercial law, operations management, information technology project management, and enterprise systems. The cost of this program is $467 per credit hour.

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  • Tuition Per Credit Hour: $467

6.) University of Nebraska Lincoln

The University of Nebraska is a public research flagship university with a land grant. It’s the state’s oldest university as well as the largest in the Nebraska system. Currently, there are over 25,200 students enrolled where 53% of the student body is male and 47% of the student body female. The student-to-faculty ratio is 22:1 and the majority of classroom sizes accommodate between 20-49 students. According to the U.S. News the University of Nebraska is ranked 111th in the nation, and 51st best public school. The Higher Learning Commission accredits the University of Nebraska to offer a comprehensive education. Lincoln is ranked as one of America’s healthiest small cities, #1 U.S. city for quality of life, and 7th best city for college students according to American Institute for Economic Research . The Distance Learning program regularly rank highly as well according to U.S. News and all students engage with their curriculum through the web, email, videoconferencing, CD-ROM and blackboard which is their online management system.

The University of Nebraska Lincoln offers a Master of Business Administration with a specialization certification in supply chain management. There are two prerequisite courses required are an undergraduate course in statistics and calculus. This is a 48 credit hour MBA plus additional credit hours for the certificate. The supply chain certificate will cover specific areas of importance to supply chain management including supply chain design, supply chain planning and forecasting, sourcing and procurement, logistics, distribution and inventory management, and lean management principles. The certificate is an additional 5 courses or 15 credit hours. Supply chain courses may include the following: supply chain management strategies, planning and controlling supply chain systems, topics in lean supply chain management, managing logistic in the supply chain, and advanced enterprise systems. The total requires credit hours for the MBA plus certification in supply chain management is 63. The cost per credit hour for this program is $600 per credit hour.

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  • Tuition Per Credit Hour: $600

7.) University of South Dakota

The University of South Dakota is a public research university located in the small town of Vermillion, South Dakota. It was actually founded in 1862, before the state of South Dakota came into the union. There are 9,971 students enrolled at USD who benefit from small classes and a student-to-faculty ratio of 17:1. USD is a flagship university and though enrollment is nearly 10,000 they boast a “small college feel” due in part to the small classroom sizes but also the unique and diverse opportunities that are suitable for individuals. U.S. News ranks USD as the 202nd best school in the entire nation, and 110th top public school. The two programs that ranked highly online where their online graduate business programs, and their MBAs. The Higher Learning Commission accredits the University of South Dakota to offer bachelor, master’s, doctoral, and graduate level certification programming. Online, USD offers a total of 21 degree programs.

The University of South Dakota offers an M.B.A. with a specialization in supply chain management from the Beacom School of Business. The Beacom School of business has been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business since 1949. We selected this program for its high quality of classes and affordability. This program may require anywhere from 33-54 credit hours to complete depending on the student’s prerequisite background. The University of South Dakota requires 18 credit hours of prerequisite material in the following areas: the foundations of accounting, finance, calculus and statistics for business, foundations of information systems, foundations of marketing and organizational behavior, and foundations of economics. Individuals who completed all or some of these prerequisites during their undergraduate will proceed to the advanced courses for the MBA. The MBA requires 27 credit hours and is a comprehensive MBA program including topics like managerial accounting, finance, quantitative analysis, management, leadership development and more. The supply chain management specialization requires 9 credit hours for completion and may include courses like supply chain management, lean management, project management, quality management, data management and warehousing. The cost per credit hour for this program is $444.

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  • Tuition Per Credit Hour: $444

8.) Colorado Technical University

Colorado Technical University is a for-profit university that offers comprehensive programming at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels and is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The Career Education Corporation subsidizes Colorado Technical University enabling a flat tuition rate for online programming. According to the Military Times Colorado Technical University is a “Best for Vets” college as the university was founded because two military men wanted to help U.S. Veterans transition back to civilian life through education. U.S. News also ranks Colorado Tech for its best online programs for veterans. Presently, there are 6 colleges offering degrees in business and management, engineering and computer science, health sciences, information systems and technology, security studies, and project management. CTU offers a Fast Track program enabling students to save up to 30% off of their tuition through accelerated programming.

Colorado Technical University offers a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in operation/ supply chain management. This is a 32 credit hour MBA plus a 16 hour certification for a total of 48 credit hours. The core MBA program provides the learner with vital business administration philosophies and a deeper understanding of the principles and practices in applied managerial accounting, strategic human capital management, leadership and ethical decision-making, and more. The concentration includes supply chain management, operations management, operations strategy, and logistics/SCM inventory and distribution. The final 4 hour course in a capstone experience that allows the individual to apply what they have learned in real-world operations/ and supply chain scenarios. The cost per credit hour for this program is $585.

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  • Tuition Per Credit Hour: $585

9.) Penn State World Campus

The Penn State World Campus is Penn State University’s online extension campus that was established in 1998. The program is an extension of a long-standing tradition Penn State University established with distance learners back in 1892. As distance learning is a long-standing tradition with Penn State, the World Campus has built quality and established programming for distance learners at both the undergraduate and graduate level. According to U.S News , Penn State World Campus offers the 4th best online graduate engineering program, 5th best online graduate CIT program, 7th best online graduate business programs, 8th best online MBA programs 8th best online bachelor’s programs, and 9th best online graduate education programs. The World Campus has put a tremendous amount of effort into building strong online programming and supporting its students to succeed in today’s market place. Though our most expensive pick, Penn State World Campus is one of the best schools in the world offering online learning.

The Penn State World Campus offers a Master of Professional Studies in Supply Chain Management. We love this program because it is accelerated, flexible and the quality of classes are high. Unlike most programs which are an MBA + a certification, Penn State World Campus created a streamlined degree for professionals who need an accelerated program. This 30-credit hour degree may only require two years to complete and will raise your salary by about 20%. The curriculum teaches you how to design and manage an effective supply chain, improve operational efficiencies of a supply chain, understand and apply supply chain analytics, apply project management techniques in a logistics context, design and implement protocols that mitigate supply chain risk, and much more. Though our most expensive choice, at $1025 per credit hour, this program only requires 30 credit hours for completion and is a comparable tuition rate to other institutions.

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  • Tuition Per Credit Hour: $1025

10.) Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire University is a private non-profit university with more than 60,000 students, and is one of the fastest-growing institutions in the country. The New England Association of Schools and Colleges accredits SNHU to offer hundreds of associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and certificates. G.I. Jobs regularly recognizes its military-friendly status and the U.S. News ranks SNHU as the 101st best university in the region. Fast Company named Southern New Hampshire University the 12th most innovative organization in the world. Online degrees range from accounting to business to nursing. In fact, Southern New Hampshire University offers more than 50 specialized MBAs. All business degrees are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.

Southern New Hampshire University offers an MBA in Operations and Supply Management. We like the affordability, acceleration, and quality of classes and student support offered in this program. This program is 36 credit hours in length and requires 5 prerequisite courses that are not included in the 36 credit hour total. These courses are mathematics and statistics for business, economics for business, financial reporting and analysis, business law, and human behavior in organizations. Individuals who have taken these courses during their undergraduate programs will be exempt from all or some of these courses. The foundational MBA core includes: business environment innovations and entrepreneurship, accounting and financial analysis, leading in an organization, and marketing and strategies. The final three courses focus on supply chain management and must include quantitative analysis for decision making as well as supply chain management. This program culminates with a capstone experience of your choosing and may be in operations management, Six Sigma quality management, or topics in operations management. The cost for this program is $627 per credit hour.

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  • Tuition Per Credit Hour: $627

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