Logistics and Supply Chain Management Program Receives Top 25 Ranking
The UNT Logistics and Supply Chain Management program was ranked 23rd in North America, according to research published on October 6 by Gartner, Inc.
This marks the first time UNT has been ranked in Gartner’s top 25 programs.
“Program rankings, including Gartner, can have a positive and long-term effect on the UNT supply chain programs,” said Dr. Terry Pohlen, Director of the Center for Logistics Education and Research.
“College recruiters use the rankings to identify the very top programs to recruit the best talent available,” he said. “Executives also use the rankings to determine where to develop corporate relationships, send their employees to complete their education, and where to invest in scholarships.”
According to Pohlen, greater interest in the program will impact the number of opportunities available to the students.
"As the word gets out, we will be able to attrac the “best and brightest” students to our supply chain programs," he said. "And as the quality of our students and programs move to the next plateau, UNT will further move up in the rankings resulting in even more recruiters, companies, and students being attracted to our campus.”
In the study, Gartner assesses North American university supply chain programs and provides insights on the ones doing the best job developing students into supply chain professionals.
Institutions were ranked according to three criterion: 1) industry value (highly recruited schools); 2) program scope (students have a broad understanding of industry concepts); and 3) program size (number of students and professors in a program).
The study found that programs had a high industry value when students have real-world experience, i.e. internships. According to the study, “programs that require internships and have curricula that reflect a broad, supply chain span of control performed best in our assessment.”
Past industry research shows recruiters want graduates who can make an immediate impact. Many graduates tend to be “book-smart,” but are deficient in skills necessary to do the job.
In order to address this gap, every student majoring in logistics at UNT is required to complete an internship prior to graduation.
Gartner, Inc. is the world’s leading information technology research and advisory company. Founded in 1979, Gartner’s research is utilized by leaders in all areas of business.
To read the full research report, visit http://cob.unt.edu/documents/2011GartnerStudy.pdf.
