Purdue University is now joining eight other global universities to become a pathway to a master's degree for learners in the MITx MicoMasters in supply chain management program.
Purdue's Krannert School of Management will waive 10 credits towards its master’s in global supply chain management, which has been ranked as the No. 2 supply chain management (SCM) graduate program in the world. Students earn the remaining 20 credit hours by enrolling at the Indiana-based university to complete a master’s degree.
An accelerated pathway to a master’s
The MITx MicroMasters in SCM credential offers online learners from around the globe a foundational understanding of supply chain management. The five courses — delivered on edX —plus a final comprehensive exam represent the equivalent of one semester of coursework at MIT.
“These online courses offer the same rigor and relevance as the material taught on campus through MIT’s world-renowned supply chain management program,” says Sanjay Sarma, vice president for open learning and the Fred Fort Flowers and Daniel Fort Flowers Professor in Mechanical Engineering.
In becoming a pathway for a master’s degree for students with the MITx MicroMasters in Supply Chain Management credential, Purdue now joins the Zaragoza Logistics Center (Spain), the Malaysia Institute for Supply Chain Innovation (Malaysia), Rochester Institute of Technology (USA), Curtin University (Australia), University of Queensland (Australia), Doane University (USA), and Galileo University (Guatemala), as well as MIT. Purdue’s globally-ranked master’s in SCM program builds upon the university’s core strength in operations, supply chain management, and business analytics to prepare students and professionals for a career in managing global supply chains.
“Students and employers need exceptional education delivered with flexibility and modularity, especially in disciplines like global supply chains and operations management,” says Krannert School of Management Dean David Hummels. “We are proud to work with MIT in creating a unique pathway for well-prepared students to complete a highly ranked MS degree in SCM with great access to high-profile faculty expertise, hands-on experience from local company projects, and the state of the art educational technologies.”
A career-boosting professional and academic credential
Although the credential on its own is regarded as an impressive academic and professional achievement, learners anywhere can take their MITx MicroMasters in SCM credential and then apply to complete a master’s degree at Purdue, MIT, or at a growing number of universities around the globe.
“This hybrid approach to learning is highly-accessible and will accelerate the careers of busy supply chain professionals around the world who wouldn’t otherwise have been able to complete a master’s degree,” says Chris Caplice, director of the SCM MicroMasters program and executive director of the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics.
The average learner in the MITx MicroMasters in SCM already has six full years of work experience, and their average age is 33, which suggests that global learners are taking full advantage of the benefits this blended learning offers to advance their careers in supply chain management. The inaugural cohort of 40 MIT blended master's in supply chain management students were selected from applicants who completed the MicroMasters in SCM in 2017. They are now on campus through May, completing their course work and group projects.
“Blending” convenience with an accelerated, cost-effective approach
Experiential learning is a key part of Purdue’s master’s in SCM program. Teams of three to five master’s students complete a project for a partnering company, while being closely supervised by Purdue/Krannert Operations Management faculty. The learners are responsible for completing all deliverables as specified by the partner company and present final results to management.
An emphasis on real-world, practical learning is also a focus of the MITx MicroMasters.
“We offer a flexible approach to learning that can accommodate the schedules of busy SCM professionals,” says MIT Dean for Digital Learning Krishna Rajagopal. “We also enable them to accelerate their path towards a master’s degree with world-class, MIT-quality SCM content, and we do all this in a cost-effective way that facilitates access. The combination of the learning that can now be delivered online with the magic that happens when you have students working together in one place, as they now can at Purdue, is a powerful career accelerator.”
