Supply Chain Management major
Supply Chain Management: courses, careers, and where to study
Supply Chain Management studies how goods, information, and money move from suppliers to customers, suiting students who like logistics, data, and operations.
A Supply Chain Management (SCM) major builds on the business core with coursework in logistics, procurement and sourcing, inventory and warehouse management, demand forecasting, transportation, operations management, and supply-chain analytics. Most programs are a 4-year BBA or BS that mixes quantitative methods (statistics, spreadsheet and ERP modeling, optimization) with hands-on study of how real supplier networks are designed and run, often capped by a practicum, simulation, or internship.
Graduates coordinate the flow of materials and products end to end: planning supply against demand, negotiating with vendors, routing freight, and using data to cut cost and delay. The major pairs naturally with Information Technology, Data Science, or general Business coursework, and several professional certifications (such as APICS/ASCM CPIM and CSCP) build on its foundation.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of logisticians, a primary occupation for SCM graduates, to grow 16.7% from 2024 to 2034, with a 2024 median wage of $80,880 and a typical entry-level requirement of a bachelor's degree.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Supply Chain Management maps to CIP 52.0203, Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management, within the BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES family. The official definition:
A program that prepares individuals to manage and coordinate all logistical functions in an enterprise, ranging from acquisitions to receiving and handling, through internal allocation of resources to operations units, to the handling and delivery of output. Includes instruction in acquisitions and purchasing, inventory control, storage and handling, just-in-time manufacturing, logistics planning, shipping and delivery management, transportation, quality control, resource estimation and allocation, and budgeting.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Supply Chain Management is awarded as
Of the 10,671 Supply Chain Management credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate15%1,553
- Associate7%794
- Bachelor's63%6,696
- Graduate15%1,628
This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 31 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 46 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2023-24, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Logistics and transportation management (modes, routing, freight)
- Procurement, sourcing, and supplier relationship management
- Inventory control and warehouse / distribution operations
- Demand planning and forecasting methods
- Operations and production management
- Supply-chain analytics and spreadsheet/optimization modeling
- Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and process design
- Global sourcing, trade logistics, and supply-chain risk management
Typical careers
- Logistician
- Supply Chain Analyst
- Procurement / Purchasing Specialist
- Operations Manager
- Inventory / Materials Manager
- Logistics Coordinator
Typical salary range: BLS, 2024 logisticians median $80,880Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Supply Chain Management, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logisticians | $80,880 | 26,400 | +16.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $102,010 | 18,500 | +6.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Industrial Production Managers | $121,440 | 17,100 | +1.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Business Teachers, Postsecondary | $97,270 | 8,100 | +5.7% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 4 of these 4 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Supply Chain Management does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Supply Chain Management major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Supply Chain Management program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Supply Chain Management department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Supply Chain Management program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Supply Chain Management credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- American Public University SystemWV · 816
- The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleTN · 399
- Michigan State UniversityMI · 388
- Rutgers University-New BrunswickNJ · 274
- Auburn UniversityAL · 252
- University of HoustonTX · 242
- University of ArkansasAR · 229
- University of Massachusetts-AmherstMA · 224
- Wayne State UniversityMI · 192
- Rutgers University-NewarkNJ · 167
- University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignIL · 161
- Florida International UniversityFL · 153
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Supply Chain Management credentials were awarded
20 states have a distinct enough set of Supply Chain Management colleges to be worth its own page.
Search Supply Chain Management schools by state
- Supply Chain Management in California
- Supply Chain Management in Florida
- Supply Chain Management in Georgia
- Supply Chain Management in Illinois
- Supply Chain Management in Maryland
- Supply Chain Management in Massachusetts
- Supply Chain Management in New York
- Supply Chain Management in North Carolina
- Supply Chain Management in Pennsylvania
- Supply Chain Management in Texas
Related majors
Business Administration
Business Administration is the most popular U.S. major, a broad foundation in accounting, finance, marketing, management, and economics that prepares graduates for nearly any industry.
Information Technology
Information Technology (IT) focuses on applying computing systems to organizational needs, administering networks, supporting users, building business systems, and managing IT operations.
Data Science
Data Science combines statistics, programming, and domain expertise to turn raw data into decisions, drawing on machine learning, visualization, and data engineering.
Economics
Economics studies how individuals, firms, and governments allocate resources, combining theory with empirical analysis and a strong mathematical foundation.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering applies physics, materials, and design to machines and mechanical systems, suiting students who want to build, analyze, and test physical hardware.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Supply Chain Management degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Management careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Business & Finance careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Supply Chain Management degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Supply Chain Management path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.