8 Most Affordable Doctorates in Supply Chain & Logistics Online

8 Most Affordable Doctorates in Supply Chain & Logistics Online

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Updated August 4, 2023

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Transporting your career into C-Suite leadership without shipping yourself to a college campus is possible thanks to online Ph.D in Supply Chain & Logistics programs. Doctorates are terminal, esteemed academic degrees that produce the highest competency for managing the flow of commercial goods and services. That's great since Transparency Market Research announced that the world's logistics market will breach $15.5 trillion by 2023! Pursuing a PhD supply chain & logistics online expands your inventory of skills primarily for faculty and research roles. However, Doctor of Business Administration programs also exist online to train supply chain & logistics executives for competing against the overflowing pipeline of MBAs. Especially since the Graduate Management Admission Council reported that there are over 250,000 MBA students nationwide. Procuring cheap supply chain & logistics PhD online programs can be invaluable for packing your resume with distribution know-how.

Methodology

The Grad School Hub staff wants to help you haul the best bargain by loading cheap online supply chain & logistics PhD programs into your B-school search. We used the U.S. Department of Education's NCES College Navigator warehouse to create an initial pool of 30 advanced degrees related to logistics management with distance learning options. Since supply was limited, hybrid doctorates that require some on-campus residencies were included. We reviewed each college's mean in-state graduate tuition and kept the following 8 most inexpensive supply chain & logistics PhD online degrees charging under $20,000.

Affordable Online Supply Chain & Logistics PhD Programs

  • Capella University
    Location

    Minneapolis, MN

    Tuition

    $14526

    Linked to 72,205 LinkedIn alumni, including CEO Curtis J. Crawford and State Senator Patricia Van Pelt, Capella University is a high-tech, for-profit higher learning institution owned by Capella Education Inc. in Minneapolis that invested in Sophia in March 2011 to streamline online courses from 1,278 faculty. Washington Monthly recognized Capella for America's 172nd most service participation and 203rd highest graduation rate. Capella also landed 190th among vet-friendly schools on College Factual and third among online universities on Super Scholar. Graded A+ by the BBB, the School of Business has 1:1 engagement for the DBA Global Operations and Supply Chain Management Specialization Online. Headed by Dr. Rhonda Capron, the 82-unit, ACSBP-accredited FlexPath curriculum has 10-week quarters for progressing logistics practice fast. Two Twin Cities residencies are blended into virtual courses from supplier relationship management to financial decision-making before the research project.

  • Colorado Technical University
    Location

    Colorado Springs, CO

    Tuition

    $12139

    Selected for the Instructional Technology Council's 2016 Outstanding eLearning Award, Colorado Technical University is an innovative for-profit, STEM-centric "Military Friendly" vocational institute that's employing 1,245 faculty across six colleges to train 25,797 adults on Intellipath from its headquarters in Mint's 15th most affordable city. CTU was ranked 108th nationally for online graduate business teaching by The U.S. News. Washington Monthly recognized Colorado Technical for America's 310th best financial aid and 312nd most service participation. The School of Business & Management has a top-tier, ACBSP-accredited Online DBA Supply Chain Logistics Concentration starting bimonthly. Organized by Dr. Michael Alexander, the 2013 Online Educator of the Year, the 96-unit, three-year transmits post-grads into dissertation development for managerial thought leadership. Integrating four Colorado Springs symposia, the online courses like operations optimization and global business law can be made more affordable with the Corporate Alliances Grant.

  • Liberty University
    Location

    Lynchburg, VA

    Tuition

    $8051

    Established by Old Time Gospel Hour host Dr. Jerry Falwell in 1971 as Lynchburg Christian Academy, Liberty University is a premier for-profit, Biblical-based online education headquarters that has eight annual start dates for 110,000 Flames to ignite their passions in transfer-friendly courses on Blackboard Learn. Liberty was declared America's 242nd best research institution and the South's 157th top college by Forbes. Recognized for the 61st best online graduate B-school by The U.S. News and World Report, Liberty also ranked 138th nationally for Christian education in Faith on View. Reporting 88 percent six-month job placement, the ACBSP-accredited School of Business started the Online DBA in Supply Chain Management and Logistics. Chaired by Dr. Brian Satterlee, an Oxford Round Table member, the 60-credit, post-MBA program offers funding like the Canadian Student Discount for learning to promote operational efficiency. Leading to the three-phase dissertation, the residency-optional curriculum has fast seven-week courses from executive coaching to quality management.

  • University of Arkansas
    Location

    Fayetteville, AR

    Tuition

    $7379

    Enrolling 27,558 Razorbacks, the University of Arkansas is a selective public, research-based land-grant college that's budgeting $373 million yearly to "Advance with Truth" on its 378-building Fayetteville campus and via the Internet. UArk was deemed America's 216th best graduate school with the 99th best faculty in Washington Monthly. Niche recognized Arkansas for America's 107th top business education and 92nd best location. Named for the Bentonville native who founded the Wal-Mart empire in 1962, the Sam M. Walton School of Business confers the Supply Chain Management Emphasis for the AACSB-accredited Hybrid Ph.D. in Business Administration. Directed by Dr. Matthew Waller, a 2013 Consumer Goods Excellence Award winner, the four-year program has an annual December 15th deadline for admitting cohorts of 10 post-grads committed to commerce logistics research. Logging into the SREB Electronic Campus supports on-site residencies and dissertation research on topics from aviation economics to retail management and Big Data analytics. Students benefit from access to 300+ Fortune 500 corporations like JB Hunt Transport and UPS via the Behavioral Business Research Lab.

  • University of Maryland
    Location

    College Park, MD

    Tuition

    $11718

    Devoted to the "Pursuit of Fearless Ideas," the University of Maryland attracts $515 million in research funding as a Public Ivy, sea-grant RU/VH Big Ten member of the Fields Institute in Prince George's County that enrolls 39,083 Terrapins from 118 nations face-to-face and online on Blackboard. The U.S. News & World Report congratulated UMD for America's 21st best B-school with the 12th best logistics education. Producing 17 Fulbright Scholars in 2017, Maryland was ranked 33rd by the Sierra Club, 53rd by the ARWU, and 69th on the Times Higher Education. Led by Dr. Martin E. Dresner, the AACSB-accredited Smith School of Business starts the PhD in Supply Chain Management each April for post-grads with minimum 3.5 GPAs. Earned by competence, the 72-credit, four-year degree takes a hybrid approach for online courses like transportation economics and hands-on research experience in the Supply Chain Management Lab. Students could join Delta Nu Alpha, attend the IANA Case Competition, intern with Maersk, and participate in the Annual Logistics Innovation Conference.

  • University of South Carolina
    Location

    Columbia, SC

    Tuition

    $12398

    Known for its Management Science Speaker Series that draws scholars like Eve Rosenzweig and Sriram Narayanan, the University of South Carolina is a state-funded, research-intensive SEC giant where 1,604 faculty train 34,099 Gamecocks. Times Higher Education ranked the "Real USC" 22nd among America's public universities for work-ready graduates. South Carolina was crowned the 77th best B-school in Financial Times, 46th best public value in Kiplinger's, and 114th top college by the CWUR too. First granted AACSB accreditation in 1962, the Darla Moore School of Business launched a Production/Operations Management Major for the Ph.D. in Business Administration. Directed by Dr. Mark Ferguson, the 60-credit, post-MBA curriculum welcomes managers with 47 months of experience on average to take hybrid courses on corporate resource transformation. Time spent in Columbia's state-of-the-art Center for Global Supply Chain is supplemented with 24/7 Blackboard access from orientation to dissertation. Graduates have secured faculty tenureship at HEC Montreal, Florida State, Oglethorpe, and more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Get a Supply Chain & Logistics Doctorate Online?

According to The Economist, doctoral output has skyrocketed by 40 percent since 1998 in OECD countries to produce an average 64,000 American PhDs yearly. Undertaking this arduous, time-consuming degree is wholly voluntary, unless entering the ivory tower for academic prominence is your goal. Supply chain & logistics PhD online programs are only intended for serious, ambitious scholars seeking sophisticated skills for advanced leadership. Gaining gravitas in today's knowledge economy through online study is the most flexible with 24/7 content access. Supply chain managers could continue working to strengthen their experience and keep paychecks steady. Accredited online colleges are typically cheaper without extra commuting, housing, meal, and childcare expenses. Time also reported that employer views have shifted to respect online education equally to on-campus schooling.

Which Careers Benefit from Supply Chain & Logistics PhD Online Degrees?

The best thing about PhD online supply chain & logistics programs is that graduates are left qualified education-wise for every industry leadership career. Doctoral candidates endure the intensive, multi-year academic journey to add the title "Dr." to their name alongside other certifications. For instance, the American Production and Inventory Control Society has credentialed over 125,000 managers with the Certified in Logistics Transportation and Distribution (CLTD) and Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) programs. Founded in 1915, the Institute for Supply Management also offers the Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) and Certified Professional in Supplier Diversity (CPSD) tracks with 165-question, $229 exams. Let's review four sample job descriptions where a supply chain & logistics doctorate online pays off:

Director of Logistics- Private and nonprofit entities hire senior-level logistics directors to keep operations running smoothly by overseeing the product life cycle from design to shipment. Working in America's 19th best business job on the U.S. News & World Report involves supervising warehouse facilities, controlling labor schedules, choosing shipping carriers, analyzing transportation procedures, abiding trade regulations, allocating production materials, implementing logistical software, addressing customer complaints, and boosting profit margins.

Storage and Distribution Manager: Tackling the online supply chain & logistics PhD curriculum would line you up for storage and distribution management jobs setting corporate transportation policies. The United States employs 113,270 S&D managers who supervise shipping clerks, develop warehouse safety protocol, inspect cargo fleets, order packing materials, adhere to government laws, reduce delivery times, manage stock levels, monitor product quality, documenting emergencies, and respond to retailers' concerns.

Management Professor- Teaching at Forbes top supply chain B-schools, such as Michigan State, Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge, Bocconi, Purdue, and Eindhoven, generally mandates a PhD or DBA. Management professors are responsible for drafting course syllabi, moderating class discussions, assigning grades, lending career advice, supervising internship credits, advising Sigma Chi Mu Tau chapters, writing business research literature, procuring grant funds, revising department curricula, and serving on administrative committees.

Chief Supply Chain Officer: Following the footsteps of Chief Supply Chain Officers like Nestle's Kevin Petrie, Pinnacle Foods' Daniel Poland, and SafeSourcing's Debbie Wilcox would take you into the boardroom for ultimate decision-making power on inbound and outbound flow. Typical CSCO tasks include spearheading product innovation, setting manufacturing standards, leaning production budgets, reducing tactical risks, sustainably sourcing materials, complying to safety regulations, collaborating with vendors, and communicating policies to investors.

How Much Will PhD Supply Chain & Logistics Online Graduates Make?

Cheap online supply chain & logistics PhD online offerings maximize your returns for an average business doctorate salary of $94,000. According to Georgetown's Center on Education and the Workforce, the median lifetime earnings jump from $2.7 million to $3.3 million from the Master's of Supply Chain to the doctoral level. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the 7.09 million U.S. management jobs confer mean pay of $118,020. Transportation, distribution, and logistics managers snag average salaries of $97,630. Top executives, including CSCOs, are paid the most at $194,350. Salary.com reports median yearly wages of $99,702 for import/export managers, $92,451 for operations managers, $94,933 for production control managers, and $96,906 for commodity managers. College business teachers make $96,770 in faculty and $105,770 in department chair positions on average.

What is the Job Outlook After Online Supply Chain & Logistics PhD Programs?

In 2014, Fortune recognized America's $1.3 trillion logistics industry for employing around 6 million workers to ship 48 million tons of cargo each day. Reports from Material Handling Industry (MHI) predict that the supply chain will serve up 270,000 job openings yearly. While other sectors grow sluggish, CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly foresees a strong market for supply chain & logistics PhD online grads with 22 percent growth! Empirical expertise is extra important with 31,300 new jobs expected for operations research analysts by 2026 for a 27 percent increase. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also highlights business schools' dire need to hire 18,900 more PhD-level professors for total faculty employment of 123,000 this decade. Demand is great for online PhD in Supply Chain & Logistics students who study while shaping impressive managerial resumes.

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GradSchoolHub.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

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