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Supply Chain Frontiers issue #2. Read all articles in this issue. 

A survey of MIT logistics masters' graduates shows that starting salaries have risen significantly, offering further evidence of the increasing value companies are attaching to the supply chain management discipline.

MIT's Master of Engineering in Logistics (MLOG) program was introduced five years ago. MIT was recently ranked number one among graduate programs in logistics and supply chain management by US News & World Report, the third year in a row that MIT has received the accolade.

This year's MLOG class was the largest to date. A survey of graduate employment patterns confirmed a trend that has been gaining strength since the program's inception: logistics specialists with high-level practical and technical skills are in demand.

The median starting salary for the class of 2004 is 80% higher than the median of their incoming annual salary just nine months ago at the start of the program. Additionally, the range of job opportunities is wider.

Many students resumed their careers as consultants working for companies such as McKinsey, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, and Deloitte & Touche. Several graduates started as project managers or operations directors for Pepsi Bottling CO., Johnson & Johnson, Colgate Palmolive, Celestica and WR Grace & Co.

MLOG students are succeeding in the job market largely because the program prepares them to meet the exacting standards of modern supply chain management, believes Chris Caplice, MLOG executive director.  "MLOG is unique in that it addresses the supply chain from both engineering and management perspectives," he said.

The combination of managerial and analytical skills is crucially important in today's commercial environment. In addition, the MLOG course puts students in direct contact with prospective employers through seminars, research projects and theses partnerships. Over 60% of the students this term worked with Partner companies such as Intel, Shaw's, Gillette, Reebok and Lucent for their theses.

Jarred Schriber, a 2004 MLOG graduate who will join NCR Teradata as a consultant, agreed that the program's blend of academic and real-world teachings is invaluable to students who want to build a career in supply chain management.

The program augmented his industry experience "with a toolbox of leading theories and best practices in the industry," he said. Moreover, regular interactions with leading executives in the field gave him "unique insights into the specific challenges and strategic role of supply chain management in different industries."

Experiences such as these are reflected in MLOG's growing roster of successful graduates. The number of applicants has grown by over 34% annually since MLOG started. The program has produced more than 130 graduates, many of whom now occupy senior positions in major retailing, manufacturing, transportation, software, and consulting firms. 

For more information on the MLOG program, and the Partners program that gives companies and students the opportunity to work together on research, contact Chris Caplice, tel: 617 258-7975, email: Caplice@mit.edu.