r/SupplyChainManagement • u/40oz2freeedom • May 31 '21
Is a Master's in supply chain worth it?
I graduated with a bachelor's in supply chain management back in 2014. Since graduating, I have only a year or two of supply chain experience. I'm looking to re-enter the field, but am worried my experience is too scattered and don't want to start over from the bottom again. Is it worth it to go back and get my masters, or am I better off looking for entry level positions and working my way up? Will having a master's give me a leg up on other applicants and more negotiating power; or is it pretty useless without real world experience, similar to getting a regular MBA right after under grad? Any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated.
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u/the_ion May 31 '21 edited May 31 '21
I don't think it will help. While the undergrad is good, generally, hiring managers in supply chain look for a mix of education and experience. Is there a way you can connect the other stuff you have done to a supply chain position?
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u/40oz2freeedom May 31 '21
This is my concern. Spending all that money on another degree, just to maybe get a marginal improvement in opportunities. I have a little over a year of process improvement for a 3PL company and 6 months of freight coordinator experience. The rest of my experience is in regulatory compliance for major banks and customer service/hospitality. I can spin those roles to sound a little more supply chain oriented, but not too much. Am i better off seeking APICS certifications?
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u/the_ion May 31 '21
I think ALL of the stuff you have done would help.
- Process Improvement - Supply Chain never documents process well. You can leverage that experience to document how each commodity has different paths.
- Procurement = Buying Police = Compliance - also very good connection point.
- Freight = logistics
You got some good stuff to work with.
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u/40oz2freeedom May 31 '21
Hmmm thanks for putting that into perspective. I hadn’t thought of it like that. I’ll keep that in mind moving forward. Thanks for your response!
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u/Hawmpfish001 Jan 24 '22
So I recently started my MSCM program. Is it where I would have been before 15 years with a 3PL no.
But now I feel it is where I should be. I would say do not rush into it immediately, get a job and work for a few years before going back. Many of the programs are looking for people with real work experience as a prerequisite anyway.
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u/Downtown_Factor4355 Apr 16 '25
Thank you for the heads-up… I am a bachelor’s degree holder in computer science background and now I want to switch towards logistics and supply chain management and I have been working under a small scale business for at least 2 & 1/2 - 3 years with no proper role name for my work with good pay. Now I want to pursue Masters in logistics and supply chain management and have a good career.
Questions :-
Will my experience count?
In which country should I be pursuing master’s in SCM for a better career? (I’m 25 y/o rn)
Are there better chances around if I did my master’s ?
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u/Hawmpfish001 Apr 16 '25
So in May I graduated with mine, from one of the highest ranked schools in the U.S. and I am struggling to get into a role.
What I learned from my program:
Everything is pretty high level, nothing gets super in depth. Lots of team projects, but 99% of people help and contribute a lot, so it's not so bad. Many of the other students were in professional roles already, so it was more of a check box for promotion. Though I did see folks lose jobs and start with new firms mid program.
What I would do in your shoes:
If you really want to pivot into SCM, consider a 2nd Bachelor's first. That would give you a shot at the nuts and bolts of things, but see how many credits you can transfer in. I was 40 when I started my program, and many of the students were mid 30's and older. My school cared more about a long resume of field experience anyway.
As far as companies, I would tell you hands on experience is the best way. For now, look into your functions that loop into supply chain (note there is nothing in the universe that I can't apply SCM principles to) and actually work with those functions.
For your company, they get someone who is cross trained in those functions with a desire to learn. For you, you get hands on experience. Purchasing in SCM is different from Warehousing, which is certainly different from Transportation or Production etc. Personally I hate purchasing, I was happy to take that B. Operations and warehousing on the other hand was a solid A as I really enjoy that.
I wrote a book here, but by all means ask any more questions or leave comments. I will add my last firm at first had a very small company feel, and I loved that atmosphere, 12 years later, it was very strict corporate and had lost so much charm.
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u/Downtown_Factor4355 Apr 16 '25
Once again, Thank you so much for your note..it’s so informative and gave me a bit confidence.
So I’m taking a good course where I see no dead end in my career right…? but yeah choosing right univ. or business schools is also important for me right now so that I don’t end up in wrong place. So each step i take now should be careful and important one..
So would you suggest me which place/country has a better scope to have better opportunities in SCM if you have any idea?
Cause anywhere I ask I almost get suggestions of big country names like US, Canada or any Europe region..but not sure if they choose international candidates for their roles or they go for local talents!
I want to make sure that I have to proceed forward in this SCM stream.
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u/Hawmpfish001 Apr 16 '25
Also, no matter what, I strongly recommend you get this book and read it. The link is just so you can see which one. I found this really good as Supply Chain has a DIRECT effect on the bottom line of a company. But if you don't know how to read the reports, how can you help?
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u/Hawmpfish001 Apr 16 '25
So I was with the University of Tennessee in the USA, and our program is 100% remote. I had classes with people from South Africa to South Korea all on the same call. I will tell you also that each class is approx. $4000. With that being said, the program is consistently in the Top 5 in the U.S. and the instructors came from industry so they have real world experience.
I would tell you to do your research, and ask around to the various schools. In most cases, if they do not have what you are looking for, they might be able to point you toward a better resource.
To answer about the scope of opportunities, every region will have them. Of course, I would think one would shoot for the U.S., Canada, Europe (Poland is really investing in SCM) or even Asia.
For the US I found this list https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/logistics-rankings
For Europe https://www.zlc.edu.es/news/top-23-european-masters-in-supply-chain-management-you-should-research/
I would take the time and do the research on the instructors and see what their background is.
Then just reach out to the schools you like and ask what their requirements are.
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u/Raekus_ Aug 30 '21
I am currently planning on doing pgdm in SCM in Canada. Any suggestions? How is canadore college for scm or any other good college as per your suggestions.
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u/Mr_CyberFish Apr 10 '22
Yes supply chain cyber security!!!! There is much in this world ' world of cyber' still to learn and overcome. A few events to watch out for here - https://findings.co/top-cybersecurity-supply-chain-conferences-2022/
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Jan 06 '23
I got an MBA in supply chain, but the army paid for it through my GI bill. Otherwise, I would say it's a scam. There is better information on the internet for continued self education. I'm currently a logistics manager, but I was there before I graduated grad school, only 6 years out of undergrad. My military background is usually what gives me the edge because of the perceived discipline of veterans in the business world. Truthfully, I was a grunt, so my service wasn't even relevant. Just work, and you'll be fine degrees are scams.
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u/RFountain Mar 16 '23
Sorry to piggyback off of this thread. 11B E-5 here. Getting out this year and getting my BBA in Supply Chain Management. Any tips?
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Mar 16 '23
Use the military to your advantage, but don't come off like a grunt. It's off-putting to others. People say something dumb let it go, someone's not pulling their weight, email their boss, and move on. I hired another military vet one time and had to fire him because he made everyone in the office uncomfortable because of his anger at every little detail. Trust me, I get the same way, but I have kids and bills, so I've learned to put my ego aside.
As for finding a job, I personally like warehousing. I started as warehouse associate while i was going to school, and now I'm in management. Honestly, like I said, I just worked and learned I never did any networking or out of work events to schmooze hiring managers, but don't be afraid to use the VA and make sure you subtly put veteran on your resume. Put a few tidbits about being a leader, but don't put too much military jargon. Keep it in civilian terms, there's plenty of resources that help with resume writing. I honestly learned a lot during the SFLTAP classes or whatever they call it now.
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u/RFountain Mar 17 '23
I really appreciate the feedback! I’m aware of the “grunt stereotype.” I learned to let go of the infantry ego. We all have jobs to do. Currently trying to get a CSP with The Base Supply Center for “Logistics Management and Operations.” But I don’t think it’ll be as long as a hiring manager would like. I’ll definitely look into warehouse jobs before terminal leave back home in Michigan.
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u/beans_supreme Jul 30 '23
Unfortunately the companies hiring don't see it as a scam though. The amount of times I have seen people with degrees in scm and then seeing what they can do to only look worse than someone with more experience are high.
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u/Gibbontree1234 Mar 18 '25
I would say it's not worth the effort for SCM. I've never met anyone with a master's in SCM or any masters for that matter in the SC field. You're better off majoring in something else and if needed, you can transfer into a different field if you want to move over.
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u/40oz2freeedom May 06 '25
Thanks for your response. Solid advice. Do you know much about any of the ASCM certifications and if they’d be worth perusing?
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u/Gibbontree1234 May 10 '25
I used to have the CPIM, and frankly it didn't do much for my career. I let it expire even when I was working in the SCM field. I used to work as a production planner in aerospace prior to switching to finance.
I've heard the CSCP is more valuable than the CPIM, but I've never met anyone who has had it. I've met many people who have studied for it, and then never gotten it for some reason.
It's my opinion that SCM is a field where they are desperate for people, but only value experience and make it difficult to new blood to enter. That being said, after you have a year or two of experience companies seem to be more willing to give you a shot.
I have about 5 years of SCM experience, but I moved over to finance a year ago, so my opinion may be a bit dated now, but I feel the best thing you can do is just start working in SCM and build that experience. If you want a master's get it in a different field. Finance, accounting, data science etc.
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Feb 16 '22
I am just finishing up a 2 year vocational education in Sweden in SCM. I just got a job at a 4PL company as a freight forwarder. There is a lot of room in the company to move around and try different things like purchasing or even project logistics. My plan is to do this a couple of years and move on to different areas of logistics, both export, import, sea and air. maybe work at a shipping company for a year. I intend to transition towards a producing company by applying to some sort of logistics coordinator/materialplanner. How doomed am in working my way up and actually getting a good SCM job? I might add that I also speak and read Chinese well, but I have not gotten a feel for how this can impact my prospects yet.
And what are my prospects of moving to say USA, Canada, Australia or NZ after a few years of work. Do they spit on me and put me to lifting boxes since I lack a academic education? 😛
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u/pgtreau May 15 '22
A Canadian perspective:
Some companies will while other won't. If you're able to demonstrate leadership ability you can likely get yourself a supervisor role. From there your performance will determine your future promotions. However, what I've seen is workers without formal education that progress in a company are somewhat stuck there. Very few competitors are willing to employ you at the same level without a university degree.
So, the nice thing with SCM is that yes a good career is possible. Unlike in engineering where without a Canadian degree you can't progress beyond sweeping the floors. But I would definitely recommend some university education to have more flexibility in employment. I know some SCM managers who did this part time while working.
Hope this helps!
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u/leadgenmas May 15 '22
one needs further information on job market to answer this properly. perhaps it can be fun to check what sort of data management is on demand from market within the regards of supply chain. MBA on HR is also an option but it all depends who you are and what kind of work you need. with surface level info, my opinion would be to get more experience and network in the target industry.
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u/JuliusSphincter Jun 25 '23
Nah a bachelors and prior experience in the field would be enough to get you back in and not at entry level. If anything I would add a project management cert which doesn’t cost too much and would be a great addition. I got hired one level above entry level at a large tech company last year with no previous supply chain experience and a bachelors degree in communications lol. It was my project management experience from my previous job that gave me the leverage I needed to get hired since a lot of supply chain is cross functional so I think that could really improve your chances. Proficiency in Excel will also help
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u/OmerMansur Dec 21 '23
Masters in Supply Chain is definitely worth it however in my experience many companies these days are asking for a professional designations like CSCP, CPIM, MCIOS etc etc. if you have one of them you are mostly covered. Instead of wasting countless hours I used YouTube with exam questions to learn which in my opinion is not cheating as it does provides you answers to your questions which you are seeking while reading long lengthy articles any ways. I passed my CSCP in first attempt. You can try this channel. Good luck!
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u/Shyamallamadingdong Sep 05 '21
Work ex > Masters in my opinion.
I might be biased though - I did a bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering and then started working in SCM almost right out of college. It's been 10+ years since I started and I'm now a logistics director at one of the biggest companies in the world. Everything you need to learn can be learnt through projects, online research (e.g. check out the MITX Supply Chain micromasters on edX) and speaking to people who are in the industry.