Purchasing and Supply Management
Major
Program Overview
Businesses must balance supply and demand. They must purchase raw materials manufacturers need to produce the products customers want to buy. And retailers must have products on store shelves when customers seek to buy them. Our purchasing and supply management program prepares you for leadership in this vital link in the manufacturing and sales chain.
Program Snapshot
Why This Program & What You'll Learn
When you go to the store, you expect to find what you're looking for. A lot goes on behind the scenes to ensure that happens. Factories need to have the raw materials on hand to make those items. And retailers need to keep their shelves stocked before customers arrive.
Those critical tasks involve hundreds of moving parts across factories and businesses. You'll learn to understand logistics, marketing channels, purchasing, inventory and more. You'll graduate from our purchasing and supply management program ready to find qualified suppliers, negotiate contracts and review product quality. This is key to keeping manufacturing lines running and making timely deliveries to stores.
Program Highlights
In class and out, the purchasing & supply management major prepares you for the real world.
- Join the Logistics Management Council Honor Society, which conducts projects with major corporations.
- Do volunteer work and find leadership opportunities with the Supply Chain Management Association.
- You'll gain professional experience and contacts if you complete an internship or co-op.
- Learn how to identify global sources for supply, establish logistics and support systems, maintain quality control, design vendor evaluation systems, and more
Careers & Outcomes
Purchasing & supply management graduates can pursue careers as material or purchasing managers, material and supply quality analysts, or buyers.
| Career | Projected Salary |
|---|---|
| Procurement Clerk | $45,150 |
| Production, Planning and Expediting Clerk | $48, 040 |
| Purchasing Agent | $63,470 |
| Operations Manager | $97,970 |
