Centenary University announced Thursday that it is adding business concentrations in supply chain management and project management for the upcoming fall semester. School officials said it’s an attempt to address the growing need for trained professionals who can maximize strategies and efficiencies in today’s increasingly complex business environment.
Amy D’Olivo, vice president for academic affairs, said the Hackettstown school’s smaller size (approximately 1,200) enables it to pivot quickly.
“As a smaller university, Centenary is well-positioned to respond quickly to emerging market needs,” she said. “Working closely with area business leaders, we’ve built these two new programs to prepare our students for fields that are expected to experience high demand over the next decade.”
The 13-credit supply chain management concentration will integrate with the university’s business administration curriculum. The field, which aims to optimize corporate supply chains and bring products to market more efficiently, is expected to experience four percent growth over the next decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The program will refine the skills of students seeking careers as purchasing agents or managers, operations managers, logistics analysts or managers, logisticians, supply chain managers, and storage and distribution managers. The average median salary for logisticians is $76,000, with 190,000 jobs currently in the marketplace, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The four-course sequence focuses on forecasting and logistics, sourcing and operations, and a capstone course that challenges students to solve complex problems in logistics, operations, planning, and sourcing faced by a fictional company. Students will complete the program with a thorough knowledge of the field, as well as a portfolio demonstrating the real-world experience they’ve gained.
Centenary’s new 12-credit project management concentration will equip students with the organizational and management skills to manage productivity and generate higher profits for employers. The curriculum is designed to prepare students to implement strategic initiatives, drive change, and deliver innovation, and was informed by Dr. Harold Ainsworth, a project management expert who is on the faculty of the University of Sydney and the University of Newcastle.
The Centenary project management concentration will also prepare students to take the PMI Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification.
With a median annual salary of $116,000, the field of project management is projected to experience 33 percent job growth through 2027, according to the Project Management Institute. The institute estimates that employers will need to fill nearly 2.2 million new project-oriented roles each year through 2027.
“The best project managers have strong leadership and technical skills,” D’Olivo said. “Centenary students who enroll in our new project management concentration will receive a solid background in business and leadership through the University’s Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, as well as the specialized training needed to become an effective project manager through this new program.”
