As technological advances drive demand for high-level supply chain executives, the Master of Business Administration with a Concentration in Supply Chain Management online program from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside helps you develop the skills you need to capitalize on these opportunities. The starting six-figure salaries for many of these positions might lead you to expect total academic costs in the six figures too. You might also worry that you will have to leave your current position to enroll in an on-campus program for two or more years while your peers continue to advance in their careers. Or you might feel that you are forced to settle for a general MBA online, rather than one with a supply chain concentration.

In this short review and comparison, we take a look at how the UW-Parkside online supply chain MBA compares to two other programs you may be considering. UW-Parkside, with input from major state and regional employers, has developed its MBA programs specifically for working professionals who aim to advance into managerial, executive and leadership roles. These roles include operations manager, manufacturing manager, production manager, inventory manager, and logistics manager.

The curriculum covers concepts and state-of-the-art models involved in the design, control and management of supply chain systems. It includes a study of network planning, inventory management, risk pooling, strategic alliances, ethics, logistics and sustainability. Students examine techniques to enhance decision-making, such as supply contract methods, inventory management, network planning and distribution strategies. You can customize your degree to your specific goals by choosing an elective course in integrated marketing communications, global marketing management, key account and sales management strategies, or optimization techniques.

The UW-Parkside program is accredited by the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). AACSB-accredited schools are considered in the business community to be the best in the world with superior programs and faculty, and students with higher overall GPAs. These schools attract more recruiters, and graduates attain higher average incomes and greater leadership authority throughout their careers. In short, AACSB accreditation is the recognized standard of a quality, up-to-date education that employers value.

Total tuition for the 30-credit-hour program is $18,000 for in-state and out-of-state students. This is just $600 per credit hour and $1,200 per two credit-hour course. The accelerated program can be completed in as few as 12 months, and the online format enables professionals to work while they earn their degree. With its flexibility, convenience and affordability, the program is designed to provide professionals an effective route to industry-specialized leadership development.

UW-Madison

The University of Wisconsin-Madison offers an MBA program with a supply chain management concentration. The business school is AACSB-accredited and the program appears to offer comparable depth and breadth of specialized focus for the supply chain industry. However, the program is not offered online and tuition alone is $21,166 for in-state residents and $42,704 for out-of-state residents. Additional fees raise these totals to $47,373 for in-state students and $68,911 for out-of-state students. This is also a two-year program, so the on-campus and non-accelerated factors require that students have the resources to take a two-year work hiatus.

UW-Whitewater

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater offers a 36-credit online MBA program with a supply chain management emphasis. At $637.43 per credit, tuition is the same for Wisconsin residents and out-of-state students, bringing the total tuition cost of the program to $22,947.48. UW-Whitewater’s College of Business and Economics is AACSB-accredited.

The cost estimates above were sourced from university websites (March 2020).

The AACSB accreditation, 12-month completion time and affordable tuition of UW-Parkside’s online MBA focused on supply chain management make it an attractive option for ambitious supply chain professionals.

Learn more about UW-Parkside’s online MBA program with a Concentration in Supply Chain Management.


Sources:

AACSB: Why AACSB Accreditation Matters to Students