Generations of experts provide education and hands-on experiences that help shape key logistics leaders before they step into the complex and competitive industry. In North America, the matter is not about the number of programs available but which ones encompass the highest levels of post-grad employment, company networking opportunities, and competitive knowledge.

Global Trade magazine vetted the nation’s top programs the next generation of logistics leaders are leveraging and listed the main reasons they are the five leading MBA logistics programs of 2019.

Michigan State Broad College of Business

Coming in with a reputation as one of the top-ranked programs in the world, as well as the No. 1 supply-chain school, Michigan State’s Broad College of Business breaks new ground through the use of real-world learning approaches and hands-on experiences with the program’s notable IBM On-Demand Supply Chain Laboratory. This program prepares students for global industries relating to procurement, manufacturing, inventory management, warehousing, logistics and transportation.

The Department of Supply Chain Management (SCM) at Michigan State boasts a unique Supply Chain Management Council aimed at supporting teaching, research and business of the faculty and student body. With around 40 council members, the member body consists of executives from leading companies such as Boeing, Ford, Intel, Union Pacific, General Motors and more.

At the onset of the MBA program, students are paired with a second-year MBA coach who walks them through real-life experiences, preparing for situations through resume and cover-letter reviews, elevator-pitch practice, mock interviews and workshops. The aim of the program is to not only prepare students for career success but to make professional goals a reality sooner than later. A reported 85 percent of students were accepted by employers three months after graduation.

Penn State Smeal College of Business

Globally ranked at No. 7 by The Economist in 2018 and No. 10 for academic excellence, the Penn State MBA program takes students through a rigorous two-year educational experience that shapes and prepares them to step into the competitive world of logistics one step ahead of the rest with extensive knowledge and an impressive resume. The program is led by a team of award-winning teachers, researchers, and authors who will guide, support and highlight the elements of experiential learning.

The program is known for attracting leading companies such as Amazon, Johnson & Johnson and IBM through the program’s recruitment management system that works to connect students with the best internship and post-grad opportunities. Statistics hosted on the school’s website report that 94 percent of students hold one or more offers within three months of graduating.

“Our mission is to make it as easy as possible for leading companies to connect with Penn State Smeal MBAs,” states Paul Poissant, director of Employer Relations, on the program’s website. “Because of the size of our program, we have the ability to work with individual companies in highly tailored ways, providing an environment where organizations are to get what they need and students are ideally positioned to stand out.”

Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management

Shaping managers for globally leading supply chain companies, Purdue’s Krannert School of Management offers an opportunity to tap into emerging technology markets that spark an advantageous head start on career success with its Master of Science in Global Supply Chain Management (MSGSCM). Through the STEM certified program, robust curriculum challenges students with global complexities, preparing them to develop strategies to overcome real-world challenges and roadblocks in the logistics and supply chain industries.

Additionally,  Caterpillar, Kimberly Clark and Cummins Inc. are among the major employers that connect with students upon completion of the strategic program. This special program was specifically designed for students looking to develop a robust career in global procurement, global operations, logistics, supply chains, transportation and more.

Students of the program are also given study abroad opportunities, project courses and international internship experience.

Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey Department of Supply Chain Management

Bragging a consistent national top five ranking by U.S. News & World Report, the W.P. Carey School of Business is known for its leading, globally recognized faculty and attracting companies such as Apple, Amazon and Facebook for post-graduate career opportunities.

Additionally, the program’s faculty members’ work can be found in media outlets like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, USA Today, CNN and NPR.

The STEM certified program features a small classroom setting, promoting closer relationships among peers and professors with a focus on quantitative analysis, data and modeling, and lead data-driven analyses. This program promotes the development of a multifaceted approach to global supply chain management while teaching the importance of accurately managing complex data.

University of Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business

Making the top 10 list for nationally recognized supply chain management programs, Haslam’s MBA program grants students the opportunity to work within the supply-chain concentration in their second semester.

The program hosts a prestigious Scholars of Distinction that honors top-performing supply chain management majors. Participation in the Scholars of Distinction unlocks a plethora of opportunities for students to network and experience hands-on development sessions to prepare them for the real world of supply-chain management. The program also prides itself in its dedicated recruiting team that helps facilitate student placements while also providing Scholars of Distinction exclusive recruiting opportunities with leading companies.

The program’s Global Supply Chain Institute is another huge advantage of the Haslam’s program as it provides leading research initiatives to globally recognized companies in an effort to maximize the industry’s strategies. This institute serves as a two-way opportunity for the industry and students as the program aims to educate and inform of the best ways to approach, maintain and create leading initiatives in supply-chain management by taking the lessons and research outside of the classroom and into the minds of leading professionals that can foster growth in new and innovative ways across the spectrum.