UT Undergraduate Supply Chain Program Ranked in Top Five

KNOXVILLE, TN—The undergraduate supply chain management and logistics program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is ranked fifth among the nation's public institutions, according to U.S. News and World Report's 2014 rankings released this week.

The program ranked sixth among all institutions nationally, up one spot from 2013, according to the report. It is housed within the UT College of Business Administration.

The undergraduate business program also ranked 27th among public universities.

"We are pleased with the recognition from U.S. News of our supply chain management program and the college overall," said Stephen Mangum, dean of the UT College of Business Administration. "While rankings are not our primary measure of success, the feedback afforded is significant and adds to the accumulating evidence that our faculty and staff are moving our programming in directions deemed valuable by our constituents."

The university keeps close tabs on lists such as the U.S. News annual rankings as UT continues its journey toward being a Top 25 public research university. The Top 25 initiative includes efforts to make strides in recruiting and retaining excellent students, hiring world-class faculty and staff, and strengthening capacity and productivity in research and scholarship.

Areas where UT has improved in the U.S. News ranking criteria since last year include graduation rate, class sizes, faculty resources, alumni giving and assessments from high school counselors across the nation.

U.S. News and World Report ranks universities based on academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, student selectivity, resources and alumni giving. The list includes American colleges and universities offering bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.