<p>Is supply chain management a useful degree if someone with an industrial engineering degree could get the same job or is there something gained within a supply chain management degree that would put them ahead of a person with an industrial engineering degree in the eyes of an employer? I think that supply chain management is the "lite" version of industrial engineering degree so that a person with industrial engineering degree would always get the job over the person similarly qualified with a supply chain management degree.</p>
<p>They do different things. Look at the course descriptions at your school to get an idea for what each does.</p>
<p>At the entry level position, IE can do whatever the supply chain person can but not the other way around.</p>
<p>Look at this thread that I created in the engineering forum, Banjohitter has provided a great reply:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/991991-industrial-engineering-vs-supply-chain-management.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/991991-industrial-engineering-vs-supply-chain-management.html</a></p>
<p>That’s funny, I’m actually debating which of these two degrees to pursue, but with a little bit of a twist. If I can get into UT- Austin’s business program (3.99 GPA/79 credits) I will pursue SCM, but if not then I might look into pursuing Industrial Engineering at lesser known Texas State down the road in San Marcos, TX.</p>
<p>Usually it would hold true that an industrial engineer would command a higher starting salary than a SCM major, but an SCM major from UT make 45-55K starting out, while an industrial engineering major from Texas State might only make 40-45K and it would take me an extra year to to get the IE degree. So many factors to consider.</p>
<p>I think A&M might actually be a better SCM program than UT, even if it might be worse in other business majors(if not all other business majors).</p>
<p>The supply chain chair at my school said in 5-10 years, IE and SCM will be the same major across many schools since they’re so related.</p>
<p>Doubt it. The first two years of IE is the mechanical engineering curriculum at most universities. Add in the extra year of science pre-reqs (cal1-2,physics 1-2, chemistry) and you’ve got something quite different if you ask me.</p>
<p>If you read the link that I posted above, Banjohitter has clarified the exact job descriptions of industrial engineers and supply chain managers. So the only way they could merge in the coming years is if SCM curriculum was merged with industrial engineering curriculum but this would create the problem of too many courses/credits for one major. Then other parts of the industrial engineering degree would need to removed and that would cause it to lose its engineering aspects so that is probably why they are two separate degrees and cannot merge together.</p>
<p>Also another thing to consider might be the fact that SCM might not be such a great degree if industrial engineers get mba’s because I would think that an ind. engineer with an mba is more qualified as a manager than a SCM degree holder even if they had an mba. If someone could please tell if this might be the case?</p>
<p>arnrg218, my guess is that if the SCM holder had been doing a core SCM job prior to his MBA, he’d be more qualified to take that job to the next level. SCM majors often go into roles as purchasing agents for example. If you did 3 years of that, got an MBA, you’d probably be a better bet to head up a strategic sourcing group than an engineer with an MBA. I don’t know if employers think that way, though. It probably depends on job. There are a lot of topics in SCM which I don’t think really have all that much to do with engineering, so if there are jobs that relate to those SCM class topics I don’t see how an industrial engineer would really have any advantage in those jobs. I’m thinking mainly of those jobs which involve financial elements but fit a little better into the SCM box rather than the corporate finance box.</p>
<p>There are IE programs where students take a finance course, the intro to accounting course and a management course at the business school as part of the IE program. Many take electives as part of their program in MIS as well. So it’s worth mentioning that IE programs do incorporate many business fundamentals.</p>
<p>can i know the differennce between MS SCM and engineering management . which is best to persue?
thanks in advance and sorry for diverting the topic</p>