Best Online Master’s Degrees in: Logistics

Editor's Picks: Online Schools for Logistics

Value

Penn State wins best online master's degree program in logistics. Penn State offers a 7.6% annual return on investment without financial aid and an 8.7% return on investment with financial aid, according to PayScale.com, which ranks Penn State 264. The master's degree program in supply chain management requires 30 credits at $912 per credit. Penn State provides several financial aid opportunities and payment plans, including military payment options and scholarships.

Flexibility

Florida Institute of Technology wins best online logistics master's degree program for flexibility. The online logistics master's degree program at the Florida Institute of Technology is asynchronous, and students may complete assignments on their own schedule, provided they meet course deadlines.

Career Support

Penn State wins best online master's degree program in logistics for career support. Through Career Services, Penn State students can receive resume and cover letter help, mock interviews, and job search strategies, not to mention access to career fairs, workshops, and career counseling. Penn State online students have the opportunity to join the Penn State Alumni Association after graduation and access LionLink, Penn State's professional networking program. Through LionLink, students may access professional opportunities and career fields with the aid of Penn State alumni.

Financial Support

Colorado Technical University wins best online master's degree program in logistics for financial support. According to the Online Education Database, Colorado Technical University provides 96% of its students with financial aid. Colorado Technical University also provides a net price calculator to estimate program cost online, and access to an online financial aid advisor.

Technology Support

Florida Institute of Technology wins the award for best technology support in an online logistics master's degree. Students at the Florida Institute of Technology have access to a smartphone app to access course resources and e-mail. Florida Institute of Technology also provides its course lectures through both live streaming and recorded audio and video, compatible with Apple, PC, Unix, and Linux. Florida Institute of Technology also supplements its courses with online labs, simulations, and online bulletin boards.

Student Engagement

Penn State wins best online logistics master's degree program for student engagement. Penn State provides several tools for peer collaboration, including Skype and online discussion forums. Students have access to Penn State World Campus student events, online, clubs, and philanthropic opportunities. U.S. News & World Report ranked Penn State 15 in student engagement.

Disability Support

Arizona State University wins best online logistics master's degree program for disability support. Arizona State University's Disability Resource Center provides equipment and necessary accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Accessible online for all students, Arizona State University's Disability Resource Center provides testing, note taking, alternative format, and interpreting services.

Library and Research Support

Arizona State University's Library One Search tool allows students to access books, journal articles, and streaming media online. Online students may also access subject librarians through Arizona State University's libraries' website. Arizona State University wins best online library and research support in a logistics master's degree program.

Learning Support

Colorado Technical University's My Unique Student Experience program allows students the choice of online learning through video, audio, and textual support in a multimedia dashboard. Logistics and supply chain management are an available concentration in Colorado Technical University's Master of Business Administration. According to its website, Colorado Technical University's Professional Learning Model is designed for students to collaborate on product design, warehousing, distribution, procurements, and contracting study topics.

Faculty Credentials

Arizona State University wins best online logistics master's degree program for faculty credentials. While Arizona State University does not require its instructors undergo online training to teach, Arizona State University finances online instructor training, and 100% of its faculty have at least two years of online teaching experience. Faculty and instructors that teach on the Arizona State University campus also teach ASU Online courses.

Faculty Accessibility

Penn State wins best online logistics master's degree for faculty accessibility. According to U.S. News & World Report, Penn State University World Campus instructors have a 24-hour response time to student e-mails. Instructors are also accessible over Skype, Eluminate Live, and through the discussion forums.

Alumni Engagement

Penn State's alumni association is the largest in the world according to its website, with more than 164,000 members. The Penn State Alumni Association offers its first year of membership free to graduated Penn State students. Members may access volunteer and professional networking opportunities through LionLink, and search for friends and former contacts through the alumni directory. Penn State wins best alumni engagement in an online logistics master's degree program.

Prior Learning Options

Colorado Technical University wins best online logistics master's degree program for prior learning options. Colorado Technical University's Prior Learning Assessment reviews previous academic, military, and civilian work experience for credit when a student enrolls online. Students may test out of course work through Prior Learning Assessment, and military students may have access to clubs, activities, and events including open house and orientation through the military education online program.

New Online Student Orientation

Arizona State University's online student orientation is an overview of the tools and resources available to Arizona State University online students compiled in one website. Students have access to registration, academic advising, email, and learning management system tutorials through the student orientation website. Students may also access video tutorials on class operation, online library navigation, and ASU's Spark app for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry, where students can interact with other ASU online students and alumni. Arizona State University wins best online logistics master's degree program for new online student orientation.

Explore a Master's Degree in Logistics

Logistics is the management of people, facilities, and movement of supplies in all steps of an organization's processes. An online master's degree in logistics prepares students for a career in what is becoming an increasingly critical field. As the world's economy continues to globalize, logistics professionals will be needed to help organizations and companies manage their increasingly complex supply chains. A master's degree in logistics, or logistics management, typically requires the completion of 36 credit hours of course work, although the length of the program may vary by college or university.

Class Curriculum

Students of a logistics master's degree program may enroll in courses such as logistics systems, enterprise resource planning, international logistics management, supply chain planning, and more. These courses are designed to give students a comprehensive education in the applied concepts of supply chain and inventory management in all steps of the process. Read on for a closer look at three logistics courses:

• Logistics Management. A logistics management course covers the physical supply, movement, storage, and distribution of product within a logistics system in an industry. This class may cover transportation, facility location, networks, and logistics information systems.
• Logistics Systems. The logistics systems course covers the foundational concepts of effective supply chains within an organization or industry. This includes inventory theory, aggregate planning, forecasting, and quality and project management.
• International Logistics Management. This course examines global logistics in all steps of the production process, from the production of raw materials to the product sold to the consumer. Students in this class learn about the role governments, intermediaries, and trade laws affect logistics.

Students of an online logistics master's degree program are typically required to complete reading assignments from an academic textbook or a journal article chosen by the professor, essays in response to the chapters or articles, and a research project or paper. They may also be assessed by their performance on quizzes and exams.

Building a Career

A graduate of a master's degree program in logistics should be qualified for employment as a logistician or a logistics director. A logistician analyzes, coordinates, and improves an organization's supply chain, develops business relationships with suppliers and consumers, directs the allocation of materials, and presents performance data to management. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that a job candidate needs at least a bachelor's degree for an entry-level position. Meanwhile, a logistics director oversees and manages operations within the logistics department and develops plans and procedures to meet corporate goals. Although a bachelor's degree and 10 years of experience are typically a minimum requirement for employment as a logistics director, 53% of professionals in this position have master's degrees, according to Salary.com.

According to the BLS, logisticians earned a median annual salary of $70,800, while Salary.com reports the median salary of a logistics director is $115,855. Employment of logisticians is expected to increase 26% from 2010 to 2020 because of the logistical demands that come along with an increasingly globalized economy, according to the BLS. However, keep in mind these statistics are no guarantee of actual salary of employment opportunity, which is determined by employer, location, and the condition of the economy.