The Best Online Doctorate in Supply Chain and Logistics Programs

A doctorate in supply chain and logistics can open the door to lucrative careers in business and academia. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), logisticians earned a median salary of $77,520, which is nearly twice the median pay for all other occupations. Students who use their doctorate for teaching and research jobs at a college or university can potentially earn even more. The BLS estimates that the median postsecondary business teacher earned $80,840. If you enjoy logistics and want to advance your career without leaving your current job, consider earning your doctorate in supply chain management online.

Many schools offer online doctorate degrees in supply chain management, so choose a program that meets your needs.

Most programs in this area begin with foundational coursework in areas like global operations, financial decision making and supply chain design. Students can further customize their course of study through electives such as human resource development, micro and macroeconomic theory, and the intersection of supply chains and information technology.

You should also expect to take a series of courses in research design and methods. If you pursue a Ph.D. in supply chain management, you must first conduct original research and then write and defend your dissertation. If you instead pursue a doctorate of business administration (DBA), you may only need to complete a capstone project; this allows you to apply your learning to a practical business challenge.

Students planning to work in academia should consider earning their Ph.D., whereas students interested in management and leadership roles may prefer to earn a DBA. Most students graduate from Ph.D. programs in four to seven years, while DBA students often earn their degree in as few as three years.

Students in both Ph.D. and DBA supply chain and logistics programs explore similar subjects, such as advanced mathematics, quality management and organizational theory. However, the exact nature of your course of study depends largely on the program you choose. For example, some programs require their students to participate in a field experience, while other programs feature exclusively online coursework.

• Fundamentals of Logistics and Supply Chain Management:
  This course provides doctoral students with an overview of key issues. Covered topics include inventory control, forecasting, procurement and the growing role of information technology in logistics and supply chain management.
• Microeconomic Theory:
  In this course, students explore subjects such as general equilibrium, welfare economics, duality, game theory and choice under uncertainty. Students with prior graduate-level coursework in this area can often test out of this requirement.
• Supply Chain Management Research:
  Particularly valuable for students without a master’s degree, this course introduces the basics of research design and methodology. Students learn how to frame research questions and generate a hypothesis as well as how to properly collect, analyze and interpret data.

• Theory in Supply Chain Management:
  This course traces the development of supply chain management theory from the dawn of assembly lines to today’s highly globalized marketplace. Students also examine theories from related business fields such as strategic management and marketing.
• Behavioral Supply Chain Management:
  Students in this course study the role of human behavior in supply chain management. The course particularly focuses on the relationships between a business and its clients, vendors, affiliates and government authorities.

With an online doctorate in supply chain and logistics management, you can enter many different careers. You may work as a logistician, or you may rise through the ranks of your company to take on a leadership role like chief operating officer. Some graduates pursue academic teaching or research jobs.

Regardless of the path you take, careers in this field require exceptional communication, critical thinking, organizational and problem-solving skills.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics