Penn State New Kensington, in collaboration with the Penn State campuses of Beaver, Fayette, Greater Allegheny and Shenango, has been granted joint authorization to deliver the bachelor of science in project and supply chain management program. The new four-year major will begin in fall 2016.
The project and supply chain management major concentrates on developing knowledge, skills and abilities in project management, an important discipline in modern corporations. Project management skills include the development of new projects and coordinating procurement and project delivery systems. The major also emphasizes the integration of manufacturing and service operations, logistics, purchasing, and distribution that enable organizations to develop supply chain networks.
"Our ability to offer this new degree is a great step forward for students who are looking for a different approach to the study of business,” said Andrea Adolph, director of academic affairs at Penn State New Kensington. “Knowledge of project management has become a necessity in most professions, and supply-chain management is an evolving field as technology allows for a highly refined approach to moving goods and getting them into the hands of consumers. This degree will be a wonderful addition to our offerings at the New Kensington campus."
Students will have an opportunity to develop the quantitative and people skills necessary to design and operate complex management systems. The skills can be used to schedule and coordinate resources, monitor and control projects, and coordinate procurement and project delivery systems.
Graduates will be prepared for careers in many professions in business. They are able to manage supply chain and project initiatives in global corporations, government, public sector organizations, construction, third-party logistics providers, and goods and services distribution operations.
All courses needed for the degree will be offered at each campus, although students in the program should expect to take some courses through a combination of Web-based and face-to-face technology in addition to the traditional classroom setting.
Program coordinatorThe campus program will be coordinated by Michael McGinnis, professor of business administration at New Kensington. His research areas are purchasing, logistics strategy, negotiations, and supply-chain management.
McGinnis joined the New Kensington faculty in 2001 after 11 years as professor of logistics and management at the University of South Alabama. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Michigan State University and a doctorate in business from the University of Maryland. He is a Certified Professional in Supply Change Management and a Certified Purchasing Manager.
The Michigan native has published more than 50 articles in the academic literature and trade press. A paper he co-authored was selected as Outstanding Paper of 2013 by the International Journal of Logistics Management. “A Comparison of the Effect of Logistic Strategy and Logistics Integration on Firm Competitiveness in the USA and China” was published in the journal (Vol. 24, Issue 2, pp. 153-179) and reviewed by the editorial board at Emerald Group Publishing Limited, which publishes the journal.
McGinnis is active in his profession. For more than 15 years, he served with the Institute for Supply Management at the local, district, and national levels, and as a reviewer for several logistics/supply chain management academic journals.
Other joint venturesCollaboration with other Penn State campuses and higher education institutions is commonplace at New Kensington. The biobehavioral health bachelor’s program, a recent joint venture of New Kensington and Greater Allegheny, also begins in fall 2016.
The administration of justice program, which was established in 2010, is shared by the New Kensington, Beaver and Shenango campuses. New Kensington recently signed an articulation agreement with Butler County Community College allowing BC3 students to make a smooth progression to the campus and Penn State’s 13 other Commonwealth campuses.
With the addition of the new program, the New Kensington campus now offers 10 baccalaureate degrees and five associate degrees. Students can earn bachelor of science degrees in administration of justice, biobehavioral health, business, electro-mechanical engineering technology, information sciences and technology, nursing, project and supply chain management, and psychology. Bachelor of arts degrees can be completed at the campus in communications and psychology.
Associate degrees are available in the fields of biomedical engineering technology, business, information sciences and technology, letters, arts and sciences, and radiological sciences.
For more on admission to programs, call the admissions office at 724-334-LION or 888-968-PAWS.