Georgia Southern University to offer its first Ph.D. program

Georgia Southern University has received approval to offer its first ever Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree, a Ph.D. in Logistics/Supply Chain Management. Classes are scheduled to begin in Fall 2010.

“The approval of Georgia Southern's first Ph.D. degree can be included among many firsts for the university, such as achieving university status and recognition as a Doctoral-Research institution by the Carnegie Foundation. All are major milestones along the road of our more than 100 years of history,” said Georgia Southern President Bruce Grube.

While the new program is the University’s first Ph.D. program, it is also one of only two degrees in the state of Georgia to focus on the fast-growing field of logistics and supply chain management. University System of Georgia institutions offer more than 180 doctoral programs, but Georgia Southern will be the only university to offer the Ph.D. in logistics/supply chain management through its College of Business Administration.

“This is a major accomplishment for Georgia Southern, particularly as we continue to grow not only in size, but in quality,” said Gary Means, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Georgia Southern. “The Ph.D. builds on Georgia Southern’s already nationally-recognized College of Business Administration’s undergraduate degree program in logistics.”

The new degree program will train students for both advanced practice and academic positions, providing a tactical solution to the need for Georgia residents trained in logistics and materials management.

“With the Port of Savannah emerging as one of the largest ports in the country and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport’s prominence in air cargo, Georgia is home to many major distribution centers and trucking terminals,” said Ron Shiffler, dean of the College of Business Administration at Georgia Southern University. “Logistics is a critical function in the business economy and is expected to add more than 500,000 jobs during the next decade.”

“Employment opportunities for graduates in this field are abundant and in high-demand. Nationally, only a limited number of universities offer such a degree. In fact, existing doctoral programs are unable to supply enough graduates to meet current demand not to mention future expected growth,” said Jerry Wilson, chair and professor of logistics and marketing. “This program will provide a pathway for today’s professionals to teach future logistics students. In addition, those entering industry will be prepared to act as consultants and analysts helping develop Georgia’s preparedness to enhance the logistics and transportation industry.”

The College of Business Administration, which will offer the new degree, is recognized as one of the Best 296 Business Schools by Princeton Review.

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