Moving Up

Western’s Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management Program is among the best in the country, according to biennial rankings released this summer by Gartner, Inc.

Western’s program came in 13^th in North America, up from 18^th in Gartner’s previous rankings two years ago.  

The program prepares graduates for roles in manufacturing and logistics – and it’s a lot more than making sure the trucks run on time, says graduating senior Renee Rockett.

“Supply chain management touches every facet of the enterprise,” Rockett says. “It’s getting something from point A to point B, but it’s also asking those further questions of how did it get there and why did it get there? Where did it come from? How did the store get it?”

Western’s Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management program began in 1993 and combines courses in business, operations management and manufacturing engineering with required supply chain work experience through two summer internships. Supply chain professionals were deeply involved in developing the curriculum, and graduates are in high demand, with recent grads earning median salaries of more than $73,502 annually. 

The major also turned out to be a great fit for Rockett, who began college interested in a lot of things, including engineering, data analysis, coding, business management and informatics, but unsure on where to settle. Her mother, who had worked in the automotive industry, suggested she consider supply chain management. The more Rockett learned, the more she saw that the program hit several of her interests all at once. 

Her first few days at Western after transferring from University of Washington, Rockett met Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management Program Director Peter Haug in the elevator of Parks Hall. Soon she found a close community among the faculty and students in the program. Students are grouped by cohorts, so they take many of their classes together.

“It’s amazing how we all are very close with each other,” she says. “We all want to help each other and that’s kind of what I craved.” 

Rockett attended Haug’s quarterly sessions on public speaking, slowly getting over her discomfort in delivering presentations. She also worked on a research project exploring whether high-end fashion consumers value supply chain transparency. It all made for long days on campus, she says.

“I won’t sugar-coat it for anybody. It’s a very hard major,” she says. “We’re two classes away from (being) industrial engineers. We need to take a lot of math, we have to take physics.”

Western’s supply chain program is distinctive in requiring students to complete two internships. For Rockett, that meant spending one summer with REI and another summer with Nordstrom. 

At REI, Rockett was grateful for a community that welcomed her questions about the workings of distribution and fulfillment centers. 

For her second internship, Rockett spent this summer with Nordstrom’s transportation team, learning first-hand what it takes to ensure the products get to distribution centers and stores no matter what happens with weather, equipment, traffic or other unexpected challenges. She was also tasked with sleuthing out improvements in efficiency and collaboration. 

She felt well-prepared, she says, and took every opportunity to learn more. 

“Being a student, and being an intern, you kind of have an all-access pass to ask questions,” she says. 

Rockett expects to graduate in December with a major in manufacturing and supply chain management as well as a minor in business analytics. She’s looking forward to seeing where her degree takes her. 

“The thing that I love about supply chain is, every single business needs it,” she says. “Supply chain is so big and there are so many opportunities. It’s about testing and playing around, and finding a company that fits you.”