7 Best Schools that Specialize in Supply Chain Management
Supply chain management delves into business at the big-picture level. It puts all the operations together to ensure that everything functions smoothly. It’s the ideal position for individuals who are interested in managing people, organizing moving parts, and analyzing global trends.
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, supply chain management and operations is a fast-growing career field. The employment rate is expected to increase by 7 percent by 2026. It’s also an industry with high salary potential with additional earning opportunities due to commissions and bonuses.
Earning an MBA in supply chain management opens up a host of opportunities to work as an inventory control manager, purchasing manager, vendor managed inventory coordinator, warehouse operations manager, and more. And almost every company needs quality employees in the field, which means you could find yourself working in retail, healthcare, technology, and more.
If that sounds of interest to you, the key is finding the right MBA program for success. Below, we’ve outlined our top seven picks for MBA programs in supply management. Continue reading…
Boston’s Essential Nonprofit MBA Programs
Business doesn’t only have to be about flipping a dollar. Some work isn’t about how much money a business makes but, rather, how much change it makes. This is part of the drive behind nonprofits and why some people dream about leading one.
Nonprofits provide rewarding work, and they’re right down the alley for those who believe in social change and people who don’t want the influence of corporate money. The nonprofit sector is a surprisingly huge as well, employing more than 10.7 million employees in the U.S. alone. Luckily, many schools have recognized the need for a proper education in this field. After all, nonprofit business is a particular kind of model, and it requires a particular kind of knowledge.
So why not learn the ropes in Boston? It’s not far from Washington DC, either, for those interested in policy work. It’s also a short ride to New York City, where there are more than 35,000 nonprofits. The state of Massachusetts offers roughly the same number, to put it into perspective, but the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network offers the state a unique resource to help connect nonprofits with funders and elected officials.
If Boston is the right city for you, here are three schools that offer competitive nonprofit MBA programs.
Questrom School of Business – Boston University
This MBA goes by another name: Social Impact MBA. Boston University’s Questrom School of Business program is one of a kind. It’s formerly known as the Public & Nonprofit MBA, but this name suits it better. The program’s key skills are marketing, public policy, and financial management—the ingredients to a boss nonprofit.
The program shares the same curriculum as the school’s full-time MBA and then some. The required social impact course is titled Fundamentals of Nonprofit Management. Electives will help students better concentrate their skills on areas they want. If you want to work in Latin America, Questrom’s got a class for that. Sustainability strategy? Yup. And even a course that teaches the importance of a mission.
D’Amore-McKim School of Business – Northeastern University
Northeastern University‘s College of Professional Studies offers a Masters of Science in Nonprofit Management on the Boston campus. While separate from the D’Amore-McKim School of Business, this program certainly gives the same business appeal from the business school.
The program comes in two sizes: full-time and part-time. Most students complete it between one and a half to two years. The school states, “Integrating theoretical approaches with practical applications, the Master of Science in Nonprofit Management prepares you for a leadership position in a not-for-profit university, hospital, charity, foundation, or religious organization.”
READ MORE: Which Boston MBA Programs Offer the Best Return on Investment?
Northeastern students can walk away with skills like fundraising, legal literacy, grant writing, and more. There are seven concentrations to choose from: global studies, human services, leadership, organizational communication, project management, social media and online communication, and sport and social change.The program costs roughly $30,000, and 11 percent of students receive financial aid.
Sawyer Business School – Suffolk University
Suffolk University has many different MBA program offerings, including a healthcare MBA, an executive MBA, and, of course, a nonprofit MBA. This specialty degree will teach students how to successfully lead a nonprofit. Seated within the Sawyer Business School, which has been around since 1937, the program includes a number of interesting courses.
One featured course is on law and ethics, with another on public service communication, as well as a vital grant writing course. The program costs $1,424 per credit and can require anywhere from 45 to 58 credits. Students will be working out of downtown Boston with easy access to businesses conducting nonprofit work daily.
Which Boston MBA Programs Offer the Best Return on Investment?
A stellar résumé, well-targeted recommendation letters, and a strong GMAT score may be vital in earning a spot in your dream business school, but one factor that may weight heavier than everything else is the return on investment. Will the school be worth it? How successful are its alumni? How do employers feel about the school name on a diploma?
A person needs to know that their time—and money—will amount to success and a well-paying job. If Boston‘s the city for you, here are the top four business schools if return on investment, or ROI for short, is on your mind.
#1) Harvard Business School
This prestigious university might come as no surprise as first on our list. But it’s not at the top for nothing. Home of one of the world’s first MBA programs, Harvard Business School is a bit separate from the main campus itself in Cambridge, sitting in Boston’s Allston neighborhood.
Unsurprisingly, the program’s ROI is highly-competitive. Tuition at HBS currently costs around $72,000. That’s a lot more than how much a student might pay per year elsewhere, even without considering the usually stellar track record of HBS grads. Graduates in 2016 had median base salaries of $135,000 with a median signing bonus of $25,000. Sixty-eight percent received a signing bonus. That’s a lot of people. And it’s a pretty sure thing. Work hard at Harvard, and it appears you’re sure to reap the benefits.
READ MORE: HBS Announces Largest-Ever Scholarship Donation
#2) Sloan School of Management – MIT
At MIT’s Sloan School of Management, students can feel certain they’ll succeed after graduation. Individuals, of course, may determine their own success, but Sloan knows how to get its students there. The school is known for its business offerings, particularly its global Sloan Fellows program. There, students can walk away with an executive MBA in just one year. Sloan has been growing its educational base since 1914 when its “Engineering Administration” course set a business tone in the technical school.
Currently, tuition at MIT Sloan sits at $71,000, which isn’t much less than Harvard’s. The median base salary for 2016 graduates was $125,000, with salary ranging anywhere from $40,000 to $200,000.
The business school can provide a myriad of opportunities, especially through its various centers and initiatives, which focus on, science, innovation, medical research, and more.
#3) D’Amore-McKim School of Business – Northeastern University
This business school is tucked in Boston’s arts neighborhood, the Fenway Cultural District. Northeastern University offers multiple campuses, but the MBA programs take place at the D’Amore-McKim School of Business.
MBA students pay the same tuition for classes online or in person: $1,560 per credit hour. For a year, that’s roughly $28,080—significantly less than the aforementioned Harvard and MIT. So if you’re not ready or can’t afford to drop a bunch of money on costs, D’Amore-McKim might be the program for you. Its graduates go on to make $81,000 a year, which is nearly 66 percent more than yearly tuition. The top base salary for recent alumni is $115,000.
These employment opportunities come quickly: 96 percent of D’Amore-McKim alumni accept a job offer within three months of graduation.Companies like Zipcar and Hasbro, Inc., hired graduates last year. Resources like the Graduate Career Center and the school’s clubs can help students make it. Clubs like the Emerging Markets Club gives students the hands-on experience they need to succeed.
#4) Questrom School of Business – Boston University
The Questrom School of Business at Boston University offers a variety of MBA programs. The first was launched in 1925, but the school went on to add an executive MBA, public and nonprofit MBAs, evening MBAs, and health sector MBAs.
A full-time MBA tuition costs $51,916 at Boston University. The prices vary depending on which program a student decides is right for them, which contributes to the school’s placement on the list. For example, the executive MBA costs nearly double the traditional MBA rate. However, alumni do go on to make that money back. In 2016, graduates’ mean base salary was $100,820. About 92 percent of graduates accepted a job offer just three months after earning a degree, with nearly all taking an internship. Places like General Motors and IBM hired recently hired Questrom grads.
You could be next. But it’s up to you to decide what school makes the most sense for you. You’re onto something with Boston though. The seafood will never end, and the accents will always entertain. Find the city’s best executive MBA program or explore its one-year MBAs if you need just a little bit more info.
Part-Time MBA Programs: New York City vs. Boston
Part-time MBAs offer an abundance of perks: more flexibility, online courses, and even weekend and evening classes. They open the door for professionals who want an MBA but might also have children or a full-time job or other responsibilities that take priority.
If looking at the East Coast, two cities may come to mind: New York City and Boston. Both are drastically different metros just by the size alone. New York City is home to more than eight million people. Boston is nearly 675,000. That’s a big difference.
But both places have plenty to offer. It just comes down to what a person is looking for.
Here is the quick version for both cities:
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- New York City: The city’s part-time programs cater to candidates interested in pragmatic skills like math or finance. They’re also very flexible. Being that it’s New York City, students tend to be more diverse, coming from different countries and backgrounds.
- Boston: Schools definitely offer advantages for candidates who already hold a professional certification like a CPA or CFA. Classes are dramatically smaller than those in New York. Surprisingly, some tuition is more costly than in New York City, but living in Boston is more affordable. Programs also seem to focus on international skills.
New York City
New York City is one of the greatest cities in the world. This is true when it comes to culture, business, networking, and all of the above. People from all around the world frequent this city. The city has its quirks, of course. The public transit system is in a state of emergency. During the summer, it’s not uncommon to find putrid smells sneaking into your nostrils. And there are, of course, the pests and rodents.
But all of this is worth it to the many transplants who move to New York City. After all, the city does hold the title of the world’s second largest metropolitan economy, following Tokyo—a city with a significantly larger population. More than three million of the city’s residents are foreign-born, which is a perk for someone who wants to break into the international sector. New York City really is a magnificent place if you’re looking for vibrancy and a taste of the world beyond the U.S. may look like. It’s a global city.
These schools offer part-time MBAs around New York City:
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- Lubin School of Business – Pace University
- Rutgers Business School, Newark and New Brunswick (New Jersey)
- Stern School of Business – New York University
- Tobin College of Business – St. John’s University
- Zicklin School of Business – Baruch College
Every school offers its unique set of courses and perks. St. John’s University’s Tobin College of Business has classes during the evenings and weekends. Its curriculum is straightforward: Take 54 credits with a maximum of 36 going toward your concentration.
For NYU Stern, there’s a bit more flexibility. Students can take up to six years completing their MBA if they need. If just the weekends are ideal, candidates are limited to two concentrations: finance and management. The campus is diverse with 34 percent of students female and 24 percent people of color.
The Lubin School of Business offers classes at all times of the day and week. The school offers concentrations in international business and international finance, a benefit to any student wanting to take their work global. It requires that three credits outside a student’s concentration be in international business, so the program definitely leans toward teaching competitive skills for an international market.
The Rutgers Business School is a little far out with its campuses in New Jersey. However, that’s a short ride from New York City (and the cost of living is cheaper in New Jersey, too). The school’s part-time program doesn’t stray too far from its full-time one. It includes an interactive course requirement and makes sure that its students walk away with a working knowledge of statistics and calculus. Math will come in handy when handling business.
The Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College allows students interested to pursue their JD/MBA in partnership with Brooklyn Law School or New York Law School. Accountancy majors can also obtain a CPA with their MBA.
Boston
Boston is like a little piece of Europe in New England. Perhaps that’s why Boston sits at the heart of the region. Its cobblestone sidewalks and streets are an ever-present reminder of the region’s history. While it is certainly not as bustling as New York City, it doesn’t mean it’s quiet. Boston is always booming with tourists on the hunt for the perfect lobster roll or college students traversing their way to class. It’s also culturally diverse with most of its population non-white.
The city doesn’t see the musty summers that New York does, but it does see some severe winters. If snow’s your thing, that’s a perk. If it’s not, well, tough luck. The city does, however, rank among the highest concentrations of employment, so a graduate is sure to find a job in the area. Unlike New York, Boston has already invested in its public transit infrastructure to ensure that residents can get around easily.
Then again, that means parking and driving in the city sucks. You can’t have it all.
These schools offer part-time MBAs around Boston:
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- Carroll School of Management – Boston College
- D’Amore-McKim School of Business – Northeastern University
- Sawyer Business School – Suffolk University
At Northeastern University, flexibility is a strong suit. The program starts in September and January of each year, but students can take as long as they need to complete the program. The D’Amore-McKim School of Business gives students the option to take part in an international field study, which last one to two weeks.
The Carroll School of Management at Boston College gives online and hybrid courses. The school is big on experiential learning, so it does a great job of exposing students to real-world professionals. If a student already holds a CFA or CPA, they are eligible for advanced standing. Like many other Boston schools, the Carroll School is big on expanding students’ experiences beyond Boston. They take TechTreks to nearby New York City or even Seattle. But that doesn’t exempt students from the mandatory 20 hours of community service.
The Sawyer Business School offers a part-time MBA that can be completed in 10 months. That’s shorter than some full-time MBA programs. There’s a summer option, too, for anyone who’s in a rush to graduate. From the beginning, candidates must plan for their career with their first semester including a one-credit business simulation course. The program also has a three-credit global requirement. Students have gone on to China and Brazil in the past for a week-long global travel seminar.
D’Amore-McKim Prof Talks Impact of Constant Change in White House
Following the recent and very abrupt exit of Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, D’Amore-McKim School of Business Assistant Professor and leadership expert Parker Ellen spoke with News@Northeastern writer Molly Callahan about the “constant change on organizational culture” within the White House.
Northeastern Professor Talks Obamacare’s Precarious Future
D’Amore-McKim Professor Timothy Hoff, a health policy and healthcare systems expert, recently discussed the precarious situation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) within the current healthcare landscape.
