ISM and USD Launch Educational Relationship Over Specialized Master's Degree

Web-based program focuses on flexible, interactive skill development for supply chain management professionals.

(TEMPE, Ariz.) Oct. 4, 2007 — Institute for Supply Management™ (ISM), in collaboration with the University of San Diego School of Business Administration, is pleased to announce it has approved one of the private institution’s specialized master’s degree programs. The ISM Approved Master of Science in Supply Chain Management (MS-SCM) is available to supply chain management professionals currently working in the field. USD’s MS-SCM is the first program to receive ISM’s approval.

According to ISM CEO Paul Novak, C.P.M., A.P.P., shared educational and professional values held by both institutions led to the alliance. “ISM’s mission to lead supply management and extend the global impact of supply management aligns with the format and blended learning approach of this specialized graduate degree,” Novak says. “ISM offers supply professionals educational opportunities, knowledge, resources and certifications that span a broad spectrum of components and functional areas. The interdisciplinary nature of the MS-SCM at USD is a valuable opportunity for professionals who seek career success and advancement in those same functional areas.”

Simon R. Croom, Ph.D., executive director, USD Supply Chain Management Institute (SCMI), and USD faculty member, asserts that both organizations are passionate about developing and providing skills needed by supply chain management professionals.

“USD’s Supply Chain Management Institute has established a global reputation for its expertise in the field and so we are naturally delighted that the Institute for Supply Management™ has chosen our master’s degree in supply chain management as their only approved specialized program. We see this as a great affirmation of the quality of the curriculum, our faculty and our MS-SCM graduates. ISM and SCMI share common goals and ideals in terms of professional development and we look forward to continuing to support ISM in its mission,” says Croom.

The MS-SCM is a 36-unit program delivered in two phases. Phase I of the program leads to a Graduate Certificate in Supply Chain Management (GC-SCM). Students have the option of completing Phase I only or matriculating into Phase II to complete the MS-SCM. The program is offered online and requires 26 months for completion. Distinguishing features of the MS-SCM degree program include:

Cohort-based curriculum

Flexible, interactive learning environment

Applied projects

Personalized faculty attention

Development of a lifelong personal and professional network

Online interactions are supplemented with face-to-face sessions conducted three times a year at the University of San Diego. The target enrollment date for the next cohort is December 3, 2007 with the program starting February 6, 2008. The following cohort will begin July 16, 2008 with a target enrollment date of May 16, 2008. Enrollment requirements for the MS-SCM can be found on the University of San Diego School of Business Administration Website at www.sandiego.edu/msscm.

Institute for Supply Management www.ism.ws

As the first and largest supply management institute in the world, the mission of Institute for Supply Management™ (ISM) is to lead supply management. By executing and extending its mission through education, research, standards of excellence, influence building and information dissemination — including the renowned monthly ISM Report On Business® — ISM continues to extend the global impact of supply management. ISM is proud to recognize professional excellence in supply management with awards such as the ISM R. Gene Richter Awards for Leadership and Innovation in Supply Management and the J. Shipman Gold Medal Award. ISM's membership base includes more than 40,000 supply management professionals in 75 countries. Supply management professionals are responsible for trillions of dollars in the purchases of products and services annually. ISM is a member of the International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management (IFPSM).

University of San Diego www.sandiego.edu

The Supply Chain Management Institute is committed to helping organizations achieve world-class supply chain performance by focusing on the development of strategies and techniques in integrated supply, operations, logistics, and strategic account management. The Institute concentrates on three areas: world-class education, collaborative relationships and applied research. The School of Business Administration is committed to developing socially responsible leaders and improving global business practice through innovative, personalized education and applied research.

The University of San Diego is a Catholic institution of higher learning chartered in 1949; the school enrolls approximately 7,500 students and is known for its commitment to teaching, the liberal arts, the formation of values and community service. The inauguration this fall of the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies brings the University’s total number of schools and colleges to six. Other academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences and the schools of Business Administration, Education, Law and Nursing and Health Sciences.

– ### –

About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is the youngest independent institution on the U.S. News & World Report list of top 100 universities in the United States. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.