Survey Ranks Penn State’s Supply Chain Program No. 1

A survey of 126 companies and 19 academic institutions conducted by AMR Research, a research firm focused on the global supply chain and its supporting technologies, has identified Penn State’s Smeal College of Business as having the best supply chain program in the United States in terms of industry value, program depth, and program scope.

The 19 U.S. supply chain programs considered for the report, “Leading U.S. Supply Chain Programs, 2009,” were rated on 11 criteria arranged into three categories. The first category, industry value, focuses on “whether companies feel that the university is delivering as promised.” The depth of program category evaluates the programs’ commitment by measuring their enrollments, programs, and professors. The third category, program scope, evaluates whether “the university understands what needs to be taught and how research and other innovations make their way back to the student population.”

In addition to the overall rating, Smeal’s supply chain program finished at the top in both the industry value and depth of program categories. Smeal tied for second in the program scope category.

“From our undergraduate program to our Ph.D. program, Smeal is committed to providing tomorrow’s supply chain leaders with the skills they need to research, design, and manage complex global supply chains,” said Smeal Dean James B. Thomas. “The AMR Research results affirm what our students and recruiters have always known to be true—that Smeal offers a comprehensive supply chain education among the best in the world.”