G00308987
Survey Analysis: Top 25 North American Supply
Chain Undergraduate University Programs,
2016
Published: 16 June 2016
Analyst(s): Dana Stiffler
Supply chain's popularity as an undergraduate major continues to grow. To
help CSCOs target recruiting efforts, this report ranks the top 25 out of 51
responding undergraduate programs based on Gartner analysis and
industry feedback.
Key Findings
■
More U.S. and Canadian universities are unveiling supply chain majors and specializations, or
rebranding logistics, transportation and operations research programs as supply chain
programs. Enrollment has grown tremendously — averaging 43% in two years for the top
programs.
■
While the core of the 2014 undergraduate top 25 list remains, with 19 programs returning, there
have been significant changes in positioning. Seven strong programs from 2014 have been
forced out by large programs with great curricula, high starting salaries, and required or high
internship participation.
■
The average supply chain curriculum has grown in breadth. A broad, integrated curriculum is
now standard, as are basic technology and analytics content. Even internships have largely
been standardized as a component of the undergraduate experience, making it much more
difficult for a program to distinguish itself based on internship programs.
Recommendations
CSCOs:
■
Look closely at the curriculum and specialties when evaluating programs for internship and
recruiting partnerships. Even though the name of the program has changed to "supply chain,"
the curriculum may still reflect a more narrow view.
■
Improve access to high-quality recruits by expanding your candidate list to include midsize
programs on our list.
■
Ask about innovation, and the implications of digital business, as well as supply chain planning
in your recruiting and board advisory activities with university partners, to ensure that these are
up and coming in focus.
Table of Contents
Survey Objective.................................................................................................................................... 2
Data Insights.......................................................................................................................................... 3
2016 Undergraduate Program Rankings...........................................................................................5
Highlights................................................................................................................................... 6
Notable Trends........................................................................................................................... 6
Methodology.................................................................................................................................... 9
Criterion 1: Program Scope...................................................................................................... 10
Criterion 2: Industry Value......................................................................................................... 11
Criterion 3: Program Size..........................................................................................................12
Complete List of Participating Undergraduate Programs.................................................................12
Gartner Recommended Reading.......................................................................................................... 14
List of Figures
Figure 1. Comparison of Undergraduate Supply Chain Curricula, 2016 vs. 2014.................................... 4
Figure 2. Top 25 2016 North American Supply Chain Program Ranking................................................. 5
Figure 3. Top North American Undergraduate Programs in Program Scope, Industry Value and Program
Size........................................................................................................................................................ 7
Figure 4. Top Schools for Internship or Co-Op Participation....................................................................8
Figure 5. Three Evaluation Criteria for Undergraduate University Programs........................................... 10
Figure 6. Gartner Supply Chain Talent Attribute Model.......................................................................... 11
Survey Objective
Gartner's biennial North American Supply Chain University Program Survey evaluates the curricula,
experiential content and public reputations of accredited supply chain programs in the U.S. and
Canada, resulting in a top 25 ranking for undergraduate programs and an additional ranking for
advanced degree programs. The rankings and accompanying analysis help chief supply chain
officers (CSCOs), heads of supply chain strategy and supply chain HR partners to build effective
portfolios of university internship and recruiting partners. The data in this survey is from the
2014-2015 academic year.
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Data Insights
Gartner's Top Supply Chain University Programs research is back. From our initial coverage of a
dozen or so U.S. institutions in 2008, total program participation grew this year to 59 universities in
the U.S. and Canada, with 51 reporting data for undergraduate supply chain programs. As we
review the results, we're struck by the growth of the major, the caliber of students we meet, and the
sobering realization that even though we are seeing much larger volumes of supply chain graduates,
demand still far outstrips supply. Three months postgraduation, students are 93% placed, and top
students will have accepted offers way back in the fall. If you're not on intimate terms with your
university partners, the scramble for entry-level talent will be constant.
The good news is that the supply chain growth trajectory is positive and extremely steep. Students
are flocking to these programs. Enrollment from the 2014 undergraduate top 25 list has grown 43%,
from roughly 8,500 full-time students to 12,200. And new programs are springing up frequently;
eight of our participating programs have post-2010 launch dates.
As the number of students has expanded, so have supply chain curricula. Figure 1 shows the types
of courses undergraduates will typically take for a supply chain major. We use the Gartner Talent
Attribute Model to map schools' curricula against 12 different focus areas: one foundational
(finance), four enabling, six functional and one cross-functional (integrated supply chain, which
Gartner calls the demand-driven value network) (see Methodology section). You will find logistics,
sourcing and procurement, and finance courses in most supply chain undergraduate programs.
Since launching this research in 2008, the most encouraging developments have been the addition
of integrated supply chain content to course lists, and the standardization of enabling capabilities
course work in technology, analytics, project management and strategy to many programs.
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Figure 1. Comparison of Undergraduate Supply Chain Curricula, 2016 vs. 2014
Source: Gartner (June 2016)
Figure 1 also shows that supply chain planning, the core capability family for high-performing
supply chain organizations, is taught in fewer than half of participating undergraduate programs.
Manufacturing is also in decline, in terms of its representation on course lists, as are customer
management and new product development and launch. So, the good news is that most programs
provide exposure to logistics, procurement, integrated supply chain and enabling capabilities. The
thing to watch out for is that deeper experience with supply chain planning and manufacturing may
be elusive, depending on the program you're working with, as would be familiarity with new product
development and launch (NPDL), and customer management and service.
Focusing on NPDL in particular, we see many companies looking for supply chain skills for
managing product development and launch processes. With past surveys indicating that 50% of
new product launches fail, this represents a major supply chain pain point for companies,
particularly as the scope of supply chain expands to include NPDL activities.
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As for real-world experience, the other primary concern of hiring companies, university program
leaders have taken this to heart in recent years. The majority of programs offer applied project
experiences for students, doing real supply chain problem solving for companies and public-sector
institutions. These may take the form of a capstone project, be supported through a student
consulting group or be the focus of a class. As for internships, 100% of participants offer them.
Thirteen programs require them, and 10 additional programs boast 90%+ participation rates for
internships, even though they are not required to graduate.
2016 Undergraduate Program Rankings
The 2016 undergraduate ranking is an intriguing mix of old reliables, big state schools that have
more recently put supply chain front and center of their business programs, and smaller programs
with great curricula and internship profiles (see Figure 2). Behind big shifts in position since 2014,
we see (1) major improvement in curricula, (2) large increases in enrollment and (3) successful efforts
on the part of larger, distributed programs to present a consolidated view of their supply chain
undergraduate value proposition.
Figure 2. Top 25 2016 North American Supply Chain Program Ranking
Source: Gartner (June 2016)
Data for this research is gathered through surveys and interviews of academia and industry. The
surveys are designed to identify industry sentiment and recruiting patterns, and to gather
information on university program composition, including numbers of students and professors, as
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well as the scope of the curriculum. Three categories are evaluated, using the research
methodology detailed in Figure 5, to determine comparative position. For a detailed explanation,
please see the Methodology section.
Highlights
■
Pennsylvania State reclaims solo occupancy of the No. 1 slot, with Michigan State moving to
No. 2. The University of Tennessee's position remains unchanged at No. 3.
■
The biggest upward movers since 2014 were long-established programs at Georgia Tech, Texas
A&M and Arizona State.
■
The most highly ranked new entrant in the undergraduate ranking is Indiana University (No. 12).
■
Other newcomers to the undergraduate list are Howard University, the University of Illinois, Iowa
State University, the University of Minnesota and the University of Texas at Dallas.
Notable Trends
■
The average undergraduate supply chain curriculum continues to expand beyond purchasing
and logistics. When measured against the 12-point Gartner Supply Chain Talent Attribute
Model, we saw average curriculum expand from 7 to 8 points.
■
Since the majority of undergraduate supply chain programs sit in business schools, nearly all
North American supply chain undergraduates will take finance and accounting. Three out of four
will also have formal course work in technology and in analytics. These are roughly the same
ratios as 2014.
■
Across the 51 programs, women account for 40% of undergraduate enrollment on average, flat
with our numbers from 2014. In the top 25, this is slightly higher: 42%. For the first time, we are
also tracking numbers for female faculty, who make up 22% of full-time instructors, on average.
■
The average starting salary for undergraduates is $55,749, up from $53,584 in 2014. The
average starting salary for the top 10 undergraduate programs is $61,590. Top students
continue to command premiums well beyond these averages.
■
Average career placement at graduation is 76%, with 93% of students placed three months out.
Figure 3 looks at program performance in greater detail, highlighting some excellent programs that
barely missed the cutoff for the undergraduate top 25.
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Figure 3. Top North American Undergraduate Programs in Program Scope, Industry Value and Program Size
Source: Gartner (June 2016)
■
For program scope, where a diverse, balanced program based on the Gartner Supply Chain
Talent Attribute Model received the highest marks, the top program was the University of
Tennessee, followed by Marquette University, Penn State, the University of Houston and the
University of South Carolina.
■
Industry value leaders tend to have large, externally facing supply chain centers and strong
internship participation with big companies — their graduates command premium starting
salaries. This year, Michigan State was again at the top of the heap for industry value, followed
closely by Penn State, Arizona State, Georgia Tech and the University of Tennessee.
■
There are some big programs out there, and they're getting bigger. We look at both the number
of full-time faculty and the number of full-time students for the undergraduate ranking.
Programs that have doubled undergraduate enrollment since the 2014 study include Arizona
State, Indiana University, North Carolina State and the University of Arkansas.
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Internships have been core to our ranking since its inception, forming a key input to the industry
value score. We used to award points on a binary basis — programs that required internships or coops to graduate received one point. Programs that didn't got zero points. In 2014, we changed this
methodology to evaluate internship participation on a sliding scale. Figure 4 lists programs that
require internships or co-ops, as well as programs that put 90% or more of undergraduates through
internships prior to graduation.
Figure 4. Top Schools for Internship or Co-Op Participation
Source: Gartner (June 2016)
While a required internship is the not the distinguishing characteristic it used to be in these
rankings, we continue to highlight the detail in the undergraduate analysis. Because far fewer North
American students have had paying jobs prior to college, exposure to real professional settings is a
1
must. If you're allocating scarce internship and recruiting resources to a program, you want to
know that:
■
The program is good at partnering and providing support on internships.
■
Any student you talk to will have had one or more solid professional experiences prior to
walking through your door.
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Methodology
Gartner sent out individualized request for information (RFI) links to 69 supply chain program
contacts at universities in the U.S. and Canada. In total, 59 universities responded, 51 of which had
undergraduate supply chain programs and provided complete RFI responses. We followed up with
respondents where RFI responses were incomplete or unclear, and consulted university websites
and course catalogs for additional information on program and course content. Responses and
clarifications were collected throughout the spring of 2016.
The evaluation criteria for the programs appear in Figure 5. The final placement of university
programs in our relative comparison is based on a composite score of three categories:
■
Program scope
■
Industry value
■
Program size
Where programs tied, we looked at program scope and advanced the program with the higher
score. Where programs were still tied on program scope, the program with the higher percentage of
students participating in internships was advanced.
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Figure 5. Three Evaluation Criteria for Undergraduate University Programs
Source: Gartner (June 2016)
Criterion 1: Program Scope
We framed the scope of supply chain with our Supply Chain Talent Attribute Model, which consists
of 12 attributes: one foundational (finance), four enabling, six functional and one cross-functional
(see Figure 6). As we evaluate programs, we look for well-rounded curricula since industry puts a
value on that. We then assess "well-rounded" by comparing the curricula of programs against our
Talent Attribute Model, which represents a wide variety of disciplines and should be taught to
prepare students for careers. The supply chain course score used for this component ranking is
based on the courses listed in RFI responses and any publicly available course catalog data.
Program scope is weighted at 40%.
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Figure 6. Gartner Supply Chain Talent Attribute Model
Source: Gartner (June 2016)
Criterion 2: Industry Value
Weighted at 40%, industry value has an industry-facing survey component and an internal
component. In parallel with sending out surveys to the university programs, we also conduct a
survey where we ask supply chain practitioners across sectors two simple questions: (1) In your
professional opinion, what are the top five supply chain university programs? and (2) What are the
top five supply chain programs your company recruits from? Points are accorded for each mention.
From the university-provided data, we add scores for average starting salary and internship
participation. In our view, programs that require internships or have a high percentage of students
participating in internships are programs that are preparing students to solve real-world problems
through real-world experience. Programs that require internships or co-ops receive the highest
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scores for this question, with programs accorded points on a sliding scale, depending on what
percentage of their undergraduates participate in internships prior to graduation.
Criterion 3: Program Size
The number of supply chain students and full-time faculty in the program provides quantification of
a given university's ability to sustain a pipeline of supply chain recruits for industry. Even though the
need for pure quality of recruits continues to be a theme as we talk to industry clients, we continue
to give program size a 20% weighting. We counted only full-time faculty engaged in classroom
delivery of supply chain courses or research related to the supply chain program.
Complete List of Participating Undergraduate Programs
Arizona State University
Auburn University
Bowling Green University
Brigham Young University
Bryant University
East Carolina University
Georgia Institute of Technology
HEC Montréal
Howard University
Indiana University
Iowa State University
Lehigh University
Loyola University Chicago
Marquette University
Miami University
Michigan State University
North Carolina A&T University
North Carolina State University
Northeastern University
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Pennsylvania State University
Portland State University
Rider University
Rutgers University
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
State University of New York, Plattsburgh
Syracuse University
Texas A&M University
Texas Christian University
The Ohio State University
University of Alabama, Huntsville
University of Arkansas
University of Houston
University of Illinois
University of Kansas
University of Minnesota
University of Missouri, St. Louis
University of North Texas
University of Oklahoma
University of Pittsburgh
University of South Carolina
University of South Florida
University of Tennessee
University of Texas, Austin
University of Texas, Dallas
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University of Wisconsin, Madison
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Wayne State University
Weber State University
Western Illinois University
Western Michigan University
Western Washington University
Gartner Recommended Reading
Some documents may not be available as part of your current Gartner subscription.
"Prepare for the Future With the Supply Chain Talent Maturity Model"
"The Supply Chain Profession Arrives: A Report Card"
"Predicts 2016: Chief Supply Chain Officers Wrangle With Cybersecurity, Sustainability and
Retaining Women in the Profession"
Evidence
1
D. Desilver. "The Fading of the Teen Summer Job." Pew Research Center. 23 June 2015.
This research is based on findings from the 2016 Gartner North American Supply Chain University
Program Survey. Please see the Methodology section for more information.
Additionally, it is based on findings from the 2016 Gartner Industry Value University Survey. We
surveyed Gartner's contact list of supply chain practitioners in the U.S. and Canada (433) and
received 41 responses.
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