Published: Jan. 29, 2018

The Leeds School of Business MS in Supply Chain Management program finds itself in good company in a recent review of supply chain masters programs, published by PredictiveAnalyticsToday.com. Ranked #3 of the thirty reviewed, the Leeds’ MS program was outranked only by the University of Texas at Dallas (#1) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (#2). Other schools that fell within the top thirty included UT Austin’s MBA in Supply Chain and Operations, University of Michigan’s Master of Supply Chain Management, and Ohio State University’s Master of Business Logistics Engineering. The Leeds School of Business is proud to be leading the way of such a strong university cohort focusing on the future of supply chain management.

Founded in 2014, the MS in Supply Chain Management program focuses on balancing data-heavy classes with the communication and leadership skills necessary to join the C-suite. By partnering the two, graduates of the MS program are equipped to lead in today’s modern business environment which relies so heavily on data and will only continue to do so. The 12-month, full-time program cohort works closely together throughout their time at Leeds, building the relationships that will strengthen their network far into the future. Additionally, members of the cohort have access to other Leeds MS program offerings, such as Business Analytics, which provides further skills in optimization and decision modeling. 

In determining the rankings, PredictiveAnalyticsToday.com used their trademarked “PAT Index,” which they also use to review products and enterprise software, with a focus on preparing IT professionals for future technologies that may influence their IT implementation strategy. In their review of the Leeds MS program, they highlighted the strength of the faculty, led by Faculty Director Gregg Macaluso, and the placement rate for our graduates, which hit 90+% within 3 months of graduation.

Faculty Director Macaluso believes the placement rate is the outcome of strong student cohorts combined with the opportunity that lies ahead in the supply chain field and the close ties Leeds enjoys with the local business community. When asked to explain further, he shared two reasons. “One, we work very closely to develop personal relationships with partners in the program. Those personal relationships breed interest in the students and we try to manage and set the expectation that if the internship is going well to consider them for hire. Second is that year over year, the strength of the student cohort continues to improve. The combination of the soft skills with their technical skills makes a difference.”

What lies ahead for the top ranked program? Macaluso shared that in addition to continuing the program’s track record of success, the MS program is exploring the option of adding a remote offering that working professionals could take advantage of and matriculate at their own pace.