Belmont University’s Massey College of Business is adding a supply chain management major in the fall.
According to a release, the college developed the new curriculum in conjunction with local Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit organizations and other outside groups. The new major allows students to pick concentrations in health care, international, analytics, services and general. Juniors and seniors in the track will be required to complete a hands-on work experience.
“Through partnerships with key companies in Middle Tennessee, we are creating pipelines for future leadership, beginning by placing our students in experiential internships,” Dr. Dennis Chen, BU associate dean and associate professor of management and international business, said in the release. “With three major interstates, the Cumberland River, an international airport and a rail terminal, Middle Tennessee is already a major intermodal player in the nation’s supply chain across a wide variety of industries. The knowledge base in this field has been tested continuously during the pandemic, by necessity, which translates to our program being informed by truly leading-edge insights.”
The supply chain industry was booming even before COVID-19 forced millions to stay home. Panic buying and slowed manufacturing led to empty store shelves and other highly visible pipeline interruptions, and a stuck ship in the Suez Canal forced the typically in-the-dark supply chain once again to the forefront.
With major companies like Dollar General and Tractor Supply locally based and Amazon soon to fill out its new Nashville operations center, the region is expected to further develop as a supply chain hub.
