Online MBA Programs in Operations, Logistics, and Supply Chain Management
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An MBA can prove an essential tool for an aspiring executive or entrepreneur. Some benefits are obvious. The salary potential for those who possess an MBA is much higher than for those without an MBA. A recent report from Fortune Education found that 87 percent of MBA graduates surveyed reported a positive return on their investment within three years.
However, an MBA represents more than just a chance to make more money. There are many intangible benefits associated with this degree, including developing vital skills for successful businessmen and women, such as leadership, teamwork, strategic thinking, confidence, and networking. That being said, obtaining an MBA is not an easy task, and students must be prepared to show up for class and work hard for their degree.
Fortunately, distance education makes MBA programs more accessible than ever by allowing schools to offer online degree programs. By providing students with the opportunity to study from home and on their schedule, many schools nationwide are helping aspiring entrepreneurs reach their dreams of securing a professional degree.
Many MBA programs also allow students to specialize in some areas, such as operations, logistics, and supply chain management. This field, in particular, might be an exciting choice for aspiring students who are interested in sourcing, supply chain operations, logistics, and the movement of goods. For example, the Covid-19 pandemic has forced logistics-based industries to reevaluate risk-management policies and procedures by making supply chains more resilient to prevent shortages of essential goods.
This article features 15 accredited online MBA programs specializing in operations, logistics, or supply chain management and three highly respected professors teaching courses and researching in this field.
| Featured ERP & Operations Programs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Syracuse University | Online MBA - Supply Chain Management | View Full Profile |
| Texas A&M International University | Online MBA - International Trade and Logistics | View Full Profile |
| Southern New Hampshire University | Online MBA In Operations & Supply Chain Management | View Full Profile |
Featured Online MBA Programs in Operations, Logistics, and Supply Chain
The Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland offers a flexible two-year online MBA program ranked ninth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Students in this program may choose from various specializations, including supply chain management and accounting, finance, information systems and business analytics, and marketing.
In addition, the program allows students to build their professional network throughout their studies by connecting with over 60,000 alumni worldwide who have graduated from the school. The program includes a handful of live online classes that students must attend, although it is mainly asynchronous, allowing students to complete their degrees on their schedule. In addition, students will take courses on global trade logistics, innovative solutions to supply chain challenges, supply chain risk management, international business, and global study in the supply chain management track.
| Location: College Park, MD |
| Duration: Two years |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) |
| Tuition: $1,617 per credit |
The MBA program at D’Amore-Kim School of Business at Northeastern University was ranked eighth in the nation by the Financial Times. This degree can be completed entirely online in as little as two years while allowing students time to continue working in their existing jobs.
The school offers several specialized tracks, including one focusing on supply chain management—additional tracks include high technology management, sustainability, and innovation entrepreneurship. In the supply chain management track, students will learn about the importance of transportation planning, inventory control, warehouse management, customer service standards, and the design of supply and distribution systems. In addition, they will take courses in logistics and transportation management, global supply chain management, strategic sourcing, and sustainability.
Students who complete this program can network with the more than 235,000 distinguished alumni of the school and will have an in-depth understanding of business enterprise and critical thinking skills that will help them succeed in the field.
| Location: Boston, MA |
| Duration: Two years |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) |
| Tuition: $1,640 per credit |
Students at Southern New Hampshire University have the opportunity to complete an online MBA program with a specialization in operations and supply chain management. Students can complete this 36-credit program in as little as 15 months of full-time study. They will take courses on government impact on business, operations management, technology, leading in an organization, and other core classes, as well as concentration courses in quantitative analysis for decision-making, operations management, six sigma quality management, and supply chain management.
In addition, students will complete a capstone to culminate their MBA experience. The program offers excellent flexibility, provides 24/7 access to classes, and does not require GRE or GMAT scores during the admissions process.
| Location: Manchester, NH |
| Duration: 15 months |
| Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) |
| Tuition: $627 per credit |
The Martin. J. Whitman School of Management offers an online MBA that has been rated among one of the best of its kind by the Financial Times, U.S. News & World Report, and the Princeton Review, and even earned a spot as one of the best college programs for the military by the Military Times.
Students who choose to specialize in supply chain management must complete 54 credits across courses in global supply chain management, strategic sourcing, project management, principles of management science, and lean six sigma, among other core classes. Students must also complete three residencies as part of the program, held both in the United States and at various global locations.
Like other programs, graduates of Whitman have networking access to myriad alumni, and students within the program may also have personal career coaching to help them meet their goals.
| Location: Syracuse, NY |
| Duration: Two years |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) |
| Tuition: $1,734 per credit |
At the Kenan-Flagler Business School, students can complete an online MBA that has been ranked among the best in the world by U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review. This 66-credit program can be completed in 18 to 36 months and allows students to specialize in global supply chain management. Students will take classes on analytical tools, operations management, global supply chain, modeling, project management, and data analytics in this concentration.
Although much of the program is online, students must participate in various immersions, which are hosted both locally and abroad. Upon completing their degree, graduates from the Kenan-Flagler Business School can network with the more than 34,500 alumni working in over 100 countries and have lifelong access to all of their coursework and recorded lectures from the online MBA.
| Location: Chapel Hill, NC |
| Duration: 18 to 36 months |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) |
| Tuition: $2,025.63 per credit |
The School of Business and Management at Norwich University offers a top-rated online MBA program made up of six courses, each of which is delivered over an 11-week term, for a total of 36-credits. Students in this program can specialize in supply chain management and logistics. This track requires the completion of three electives focusing on all facets of supply chain management, including strategy, planning, operations, logistics, design and execution, assessment, integration, and optimization. Although students can complete much of the MBA online, the program concludes with a residency at the Norwich University campus in Vermont, where students will meet with fellow students, faculty, and program staff and participate in academic recognition and commencement ceremonies.
| Location: Northfield, VT |
| Duration: 18 to 24 months |
| Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) |
| Tuition: $808 per credit |
At the Kania School of Management at Scranton University, students have the opportunity to complete an online MBA degree in management. The school has been ranked among the top 10 universities in the North by U.S. News & World Report, and the program can be completed entirely online, allowing students to study from anywhere in the world.
Students can finish the 36-credit program in two years—although students are allowed up to six years to obtain their degree—by completing core courses, advanced electives, and a capstone class. Upon completing their degree, graduates can network with more than 45,000 alumni across the globe.
In addition, students in the operations management track will learn how to succeed in this data and technology-intensive field by taking classes in supply chain management, project and change management, business forecasting models, quality management, and production planning and control.
| Location: Scranton, PA |
| Duration: Two years |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) |
| Tuition: $965 per credit |
The School of Business Administration at Widener University offers an online MBA program focusing on business process innovation, which is directed by Yvonne Lederer Antonucci, who also serves as the SAP university alliance coordinator. Several concentrations are available, including healthcare management, leadership, and business process innovation.
The 33-credit MBA in business process innovation program requires students to take a variety of core courses and specialization courses, which include business process management (BPM), business process strategy and innovation, and knowledge management and social BPM.
Overall, students can complete the program in 18 to 24 months, and students are never required to visit the campus to finish their degree. However, all online students have the opportunity to attend on-campus events, such as career fairs or networking opportunities.
| Location: Chester, PA |
| Duration: 18 to 24 months |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) |
| Tuition: $1,063 per credit |
The W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University offers an online MBA taught by the same faculty in the on-campus program. Students can enroll in dual degree programs, including the MBA/MS in industrial engineering, closely related to supply chain logistics.
There are four tracks to choose from: operations research and production systems, quality and reliability engineering, information and management systems engineering, and logistics/supply chain engineering within the industrial engineering specialty.
The dual degree option can be completed in three years rather than four, saving students time and money in tuition costs. Application eligibility requirements include an undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or higher, one year of work experience, and GMAT or GRE scores.
| Location: Tempe, AZ |
| Duration: 21 months |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) |
| Tuition: $1,247 per credit |
Campbellsville University offers an online MBA specializing in supply chain and logistics management. Courses include international trade regulations, logistics and transportation management, and procurement and supply management. Students can complete this program in 12 months with no campus visits.
Students with undergraduate GPAs of 3.0 or higher are exempt from submitting GMAT and GRE scores.
| Location: Campbellsville, KY |
| Duration: One to two years |
| Accreditation: International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) |
| Tuition: $479 per credit |
The Pompea College of Business at the University of New Haven offers an online MBA program with three concentrations, including global supply chain management. There are no on-campus visits required, and applicants to this program do not need prior work experience to be eligible for admission.
Courses include management in global markets and operations management. Students can complete this program in 18 to 24 months, depending on full- or part-time enrollment. There are six rotating start dates throughout the year, and courses last for seven weeks.
| Location: West Haven, CT |
| Duration: 18 to 24 months |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) |
| Tuition: $772 per credit |
UNC Pembroke offers an online MBA with multiple specializations, including a concentration in supply chain management. Courses include global sourcing, operations management, logistics, information processing systems, distribution, and product development.
Applicants to this program must have an undergraduate degree with a minimum GPA of 2.5 or higher. The GMAT and GRE are waived for those with undergraduate GPAs of 3.0 or higher or a master’s degree. Previous work experience is not required. Those with undergraduate degrees in a field other than business must take four foundation courses before enrolling in the MBA courses.
| Location: Pembroke, NC |
| Duration: 12 months |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) |
| Tuition: $269 per credit (residents); $966 per credit (non-residents) |
The College of Business at Ohio University offers an online MBA program concentrating on supply chain and operations management. The curriculum in this program focuses on four areas: entrepreneurship, strategic leadership, innovation, and professional development.
To complete this degree, students submit a team-based capstone project consisting of a computer simulation activity where they run a business and compete with other teams of students to accomplish a business-oriented goal. Applicants to this program should have two or more years of professional experience and an undergraduate degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The GMAT and GRE are not required for admission.
| Location: Athens, OH |
| Duration: Two years |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) |
| Tuition: $1,047 per credit |
Located in Mobile, Alabama, Spring Hill College offers an online MBA program specializing in logistics and supply chain management. Students can complete this degree in an accelerated timeline in only 10 months. Upon completing this program, graduates are eligible to take the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam.
Spring Hill College is a Jesuit institution that teaches business through a theoretical framework of business ethics and social responsibility. Graduates with a concentration in logistics and supply chain management are prepared to work in materials procurement and management, logistics information systems, and inventory distribution, which apply to business areas such as transportation, constitution, and storage.
| Location: Mobile, AL |
| Duration: 10 months |
| Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) |
| Tuition: $540 per credit |
The Robert W. Plaster College of Business and Entrepreneurship at Lindenwood University offers an online MBA program with a 12-credit specialization in supply chain management. This institution was founded on Judeo-Christian values and emphasizes integrity, excellence, creativity, dedication, and community.
Applicants to this program must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, and those with a bachelor’s degree in a non-business discipline must complete 18 foundational credits in courses. The GMAT and GRE are not required so long as the minimum GPA requirement is met. Students can complete this program full-time in just 15 months or 36 months of part-time study.
| Location: St. Charles, MO |
| Duration: 15-36 months |
| Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) |
| Tuition: $555 per credit |
Professors to Know in Online MBA in Operations, Logistics, and Supply Chain Programs
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Ritu Agarwal, PhD University of Maryland
Dr. Ritu Agarwal is the dean’s chair of information sciences and senior associate dean for faculty and research at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. Dr. Agarwal is also the founder and director of the Center for Health Information and Decision Systems at the school. From 2011 to 2016, she was the editor-in-chief of Information Systems Research. She has published more than 100 papers in journals, including MIS Quarterly, the Journal of Management Information Systems, Health Affairs, and IEEE Transactions, among many others.
In 2010, Dr. Agarwal initiated and chaired the Conference on Health IT and Analytics (CHITA), a multi-disciplinary research conference to engage the research, policy and practice communities in understanding the role of digital technologies in healthcare transformation. Dr. Agarwal obtained her doctorate in information systems management and master's in computer science from Syracuse University, her MBA from the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta, and her undergraduate degree from Delhi University in India.
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Kingsley Gnanendran, PhD University of Scranton
Dr. Kingsley Gnanendran is an operations and information management professor at the Kania School of Management. He is also the director of the online MBA program. For more than two decades, Dr. Gnanendran has led inventory and production planning courses, management science, supply chain and logistics management, and database application development. His research interests focus on the optimization of modeling to supply chains. He has published widely in journals such as the European Journal of Operational Research, Mathematical Programming, and Decision Support Systems, among others.
Dr. Gnanendran has also been a visiting professor at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, and the Capital University of Economics and Business in Beijing, China. He completed his bachelor's in mechanical engineering from the University of Moratuwa, his master's in industrial engineering from the Asian Institute of Technology, and his doctorate in management science from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
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Burak Kazaz, PhD Syracuse University
Dr. Burak Kazaz is the Steven R. Becker professor of supply chain management and the Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. He also serves as executive director of the H.H. Franklin Center for Supply Chain Management at Syracuse University, the first research center dedicated to supply chain management in the United States. His interests include integrating supply chain operations, marketing, and finance, with a specific interest in managing uncertainty and risk in global supply chains. His writing has been featured in journals such as Management Science, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, and Operations Research.
In addition, his papers have received the best paper awards from the Production and Operations Management Society in 2016 and the Decision Sciences Institute in 2014. Dr. Kazaz received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial engineering from Middle East Technical University in Turkey and his doctorate from Purdue University.
