This is a cohort program where students from all three universities study together on each of the three campuses for one semester before returning to their home institutions for the final semester and graduation at their respective universities. A majority of credit hours for UTK students will be earned at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and the degree will be solely from the University of Tennessee.

The purpose of this degree program is to prepare students with an undergraduate degree in business or engineering for a career in supply chain management. Integrated supply chain management has emerged as a critical strategic priority for many firms over the past decade, but the talent pool that can properly conceptualize and drive supply chain from this new strategic perspective is currently lacking. This program will provide the strategic, integrative, and analytical skills that businesses desire in new talent and prepare students for the day-to-day problems they will face on the job. The structure of the proposed Supply Chain Management major, MS would approach the subject with a truly integrative approach that encompasses sales, procurement, operations, logistics, customer service, and other functions of the overall process, in order to develop talent that can effect change across an integrated supply chain and, ultimately, the entire organization.? This integrative approach is innovative, global in outlook, and will be prized by both students and the business community.