GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Students in Grand Valley State University's
Seidman College of Business will now be able to major in the
fast-growing field of supply chain management.
Grand Valley's Board of Trustees approved the proposal for the new
major during its July 20 meeting.
"As supply chains globalize, the need for trained international
supply chain management executives increases," said Seidman
College of Business Dean H. James Williams. "Employers in all
sectors have a need for high-skilled supply chain managers, and our
program will help provide those workers."
The new major weaves together courses that were previously offered
as concentrations in two separate programs — the Marketing
Department's logistics emphasis and the Management Department's
operations emphasis. The new major will allow the college to broaden
the course offerings to students while allowing for the required
courses to be offered twice each year, helping students graduate more
quickly.
Supply chain management involves the planning and management of all
activities involved in sourcing, procurement, and logistics flows.
Supply chain managers are involved in purchasing, logistics, and
various manufacturing activities related to control and scheduling.
Careers can be found with manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers,
third party services providers, and freight carriers.
"Because our program is created jointly by the Operations
Management and Logistics faculty, we are able to cover all aspects of
the supply chain. Thanks to that holistic approach, graduates have
more job prospects after graduation," said Jaideep Motwani,
chair of the Management Department at Seidman College of Business.
Motwani noted that the program will cover both the technical and
non-technical aspects of supply chain management and will include a
focus on case studies and real-world projects.
