MIT Supply Chain Management Master's Program Information Session with Student Panel

Summary

在这次网络研讨会中，主持人Robert Cummings介绍了麻省理工学院（MIT）供应链管理（SCM）项目的两个学习路径：住宅项目和混合项目。住宅项目是针对有2到5年工作经验的早期职业人士，提供10个月的校园体验，包括定制职业发展和招聘机会，以及为国际学生提供的OPT和STEM工作授权延期。混合项目则是为那些在职业或学术生涯中更为成熟的非传统学生设计的，结合了MITx MicroMasters在线课程和在MIT的一个学期实地学习。学生们分享了他们选择MIT的原因，包括对供应链领域的热情、项目时长的吸引力、以及与Sloan管理学院和工程学院的紧密联系。他们还讨论了在MIT的学习如何影响他们的职业展望，以及他们如何利用MIT的资源和网络来探索不同的职业道路。此外，学生们还提供了对潜在申请者的建议，包括尽早开始准备、利用所有可用资源，并强调了在申请过程中寻求帮助的重要性。

Takeaways

• 🎓 麻省理工学院（MIT）供应链管理（SCM）项目提供两种学习路径：住宅项目和混合项目，分别针对早期职业专业人士和非传统学生。
• 📚 住宅项目为期10个月，提供校园体验，专为有2到5年工作经验的人士设计，注重专业培训和职业发展。
• 🌐 混合项目结合了在线MITx MicroMasters课程和MIT校园学习，为期5个月，为职业中期或非传统学生提供灵活性。
• 📈 学生可以选择论文或顶点项目，前者更偏研究，后者结合研究和实践，与公司合作解决实际问题。
• 👩‍💼 国际学生可以通过住宅项目获得OPT和STEM延期工作授权，有助于在美国继续职业发展。
• 🔍 项目强调研究资源和职业前景，学生可以与MIT的研究伙伴中心合作，进行为期三周的研究项目。
• 🚀 学生可以通过MIT的资源探索跨学科学习，如核聚变研究，以及参加Sloan管理学院和其他MIT项目的课程。
• 🤝 强调建立职业网络的重要性，包括与校友、行业专家和同学的互动。
• 📈 强调供应链管理技能的市场价值，特别是在全球贸易和疫情背景下。
• 📚 项目内容灵活，根据行业趋势不断更新课程，如新增PowerBI和机器学习等工具和技术。
• ⏰ 申请者应提前准备，包括GMAT或GRE考试，以及构建强大的推荐信网络。
• 📝 申请过程中，个人陈述视频和简历的清晰性对于录取委员会非常重要。

Q & A

罗伯特·卡明斯在这次网络研讨会中扮演了什么角色？

罗伯特·卡明斯在这次网络研讨会中担任了主持人的角色，他负责引导整个讨论流程，介绍参与的学生嘉宾，并回答观众的问题。

MIT供应链管理（SCM）项目提供哪两种学习路径？

MIT供应链管理（SCM）项目提供了两种学习路径：一种是住宅项目，为期10个月的校园体验，针对早期职业专业人士；另一种是混合项目，为非传统学生设计的更短的替代项目，结合了在线MITx MicroMasters课程和MIT校园的一个学期学习。

住宅项目和混合项目的课程时间表有何不同？

住宅项目的入学时间从3月到7月，8月开始有为期10个月的紧凑课程，包括秋季和春季学期的面对面课程，以及1月份的IAP合作期。而混合项目则允许学生以自己的节奏完成在线MicroMasters课程，通常在12到18个月内完成，之后在1月远程进行前期工作，然后加入校园项目。

学生如何通过参与MIT的SCM项目获得职业发展？

学生可以通过定制的职业发展、专门的招聘机会、与欧洲、亚洲、拉丁美洲的SCALE合作中心的合作，以及在春季进行的体验性学习检查来获得职业发展。此外，国际学生还可以获得OPT和STEM延期工作授权。

学生在完成MIT SCM项目后将获得哪种学位？

完成MIT SCM项目后，无论是混合项目还是住宅项目，学生将获得相同的MIT学位，即应用科学硕士学位，专业是供应链管理，对于希望进行更深入研究的学生，则可能是更高级的工程硕士学位。

为什么学生选择在MIT攻读供应链管理硕士学位？

学生们被吸引到MIT攻读供应链管理硕士学位的原因包括：MIT在该领域的学术声誉和研究成就、与行业紧密结合的实用课程、为期一年的紧凑课程、以及能够与来自世界各地的顶尖学者和同学建立联系的机会。

学生在加入MIT SCM项目之前应该做哪些准备？

学生在加入MIT SCM项目之前应该考虑提前准备GMAT或GRE考试，进行深入的研究和项目探索，以及可能的话，完成MicroMasters课程以更好地适应项目的学习节奏和内容。

MIT SCM项目的课程是如何结合实践和研究的？

MIT SCM项目提供住宅和混合两种路径，学生可以选择进行论文研究或者与公司合作的顶点项目，这允许学生在进行学术研究的同时，也能够将研究成果应用于实际问题中。

学生在MIT期间有哪些研究资源可以使用？

学生在MIT期间可以使用的研究资源包括专门的研究导师、公司赞助商和顾问的远程合作，以及与全球各地的学生一起参与的SCALE Connect项目，这些都为学生的研究项目提供了丰富的支持。

完成MIT SCM项目后，学生的就业前景如何？

完成MIT SCM项目后，学生的就业前景广阔，他们可以进入咨询、技术、医疗保健、可持续性角色等不同行业，或者返回他们之前的雇主那里，利用他们新获得的视角和技能。

学生在MIT期间有哪些非学术活动或机会可以探索？

在MIT期间，学生可以探索包括斯隆管理学院在内的校园内的各种活动和机会，如创业竞赛、与其他学科的学生合作的项目、以及利用学生身份享受的各种折扣和优惠。

MIT SCM项目如何适应行业变化并引入新的趋势和技术？

MIT SCM项目通过引入新的工具和方法，如PowerBI可视化工具、机器学习元素和Python编程，来适应行业变化。项目还会向校友了解过去25年中最有价值的技能和未来的发展趋势，以确保课程内容的前瞻性和实用性。

Outlines

00:00

😀 欢迎与项目介绍

罗伯特·卡明斯作为主持人开启了网络研讨会，介绍了参与的学生小组，并简要介绍了麻省理工学院提供供应链管理(MIT SCM)的两个项目：住宅项目和混合项目。住宅项目针对有2至5年工作经验的早期职业人士，提供为期10个月的校园体验，包括职业发展和招聘机会。混合项目则是为更有经验的学生设计的，结合了在线的MITx MicroMasters课程和在MIT的一个学期学习，提供了更多的灵活性。

05:01

📚 学术与实践结合的教育模式

详细介绍了两个项目的时间表和结构，包括住宅项目的入学准备期、秋季和春季学期的课程、职业指导、研究项目以及一月份的合作活动。混合路径的开始略有不同，学生需要自主完成在线MicroMasters课程，然后远程进行预工作阶段，包括确定研究项目和参与网络研讨会。两个项目的学生都会在春季学期获得相同的体验，包括MIT的课程、职业指导和研究项目的完成。

10:04

🎓 学生介绍及选择MIT的原因

学生代表们依次介绍了自己的背景和参与MIT项目之前的工作。他们分享了选择MIT的原因，包括职业转型、学习领域内最优秀头脑的知识、以及一年制硕士学位的吸引力。他们还提到了MIT的学术和工程视角的结合，以及通过项目获得的技术和商业技能的平衡。

15:05

🤔 反思与建议

学生们讨论了他们希望在加入项目之前知道的事情，包括研究技能的培养、考试准备的时机、以及深入研究项目的重要性。他们还强调了在申请过程中及早开始准备的重要性，以及在MicroMasters课程和项目申请之间保持连续性的好处。

20:05

🔬 研究项目与职业展望

学生们分享了他们对研究项目的看法，包括与公司合作的实用性和研究的实践性。他们还讨论了项目如何影响他们的职业展望，包括对新行业和人道主义组织的开放性，以及通过项目获得的技能如何帮助他们在职业生涯中取得进步。

25:08

🌟 MIT资源与校园生活

学生们讨论了他们在MIT和波士顿地区参与的各种活动和机会，包括与其他学院的合作、参与创业竞赛和项目、以及利用学生身份享受的各种优惠。他们强调了MIT社区的多样性和丰富的资源，以及这些经历如何丰富了他们的学术和个人生活。

30:09

📈 行业趋势与职业发展

讨论了供应链管理( SCM )人才在就业市场上的需求和主要趋势。学生们提到了供应链管理技能的普及和价值，以及项目如何适应行业变化，引入新的工具和技术，如PowerBI和机器学习。他们还提到了项目如何帮助他们适应未来的职业发展。

35:09

💡 申请建议与鼓励

学生们为潜在的申请者提供了建议，包括对职业目标的深思熟虑、选择支持这些目标的课程、以及在申请过程中寻求帮助的重要性。他们鼓励申请者不要害怕提问和寻求帮助，并且要利用所有可用的资源。他们还提到了视频陈述和简历在申请过程中的重要性。

40:12

📢 结语与致谢

主持人感谢了参与讨论的学生们，并邀请在线观众或观看视频的人通过电子邮件与他们联系。同时，提醒了住宅项目和混合项目的申请截止日期，并鼓励大家提交申请。

Keywords

💡供应链管理

供应链管理（Supply Chain Management, SCM）是指对商品从生产到消费的整个流程进行有效管理的一系列活动，包括采购、生产、运输、仓储、销售等多个环节。在视频中，供应链管理是整个讨论的核心，学生们选择加入MIT的供应链管理硕士项目，旨在提升自己在该领域的专业技能和知识。

💡MIT

麻省理工学院（Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT）是世界著名的研究型大学，以其在工程、科学和技术领域的卓越教育和研究而闻名。视频中提到的MIT SCM项目，即MIT提供的供应链管理硕士项目，是学生们追求专业深造的选择之一。

💡MicroMasters

MicroMasters是麻省理工学院通过其在线学习平台MITx提供的一种专业研究生水平的课程证书。在视频中，完成MicroMasters课程是申请MIT供应链管理硕士项目（尤其是混合项目）的一个步骤，它为学生提供了一个了解项目内容和教学风格的途径。

💡OPT

OPT（Optional Practical Training）是美国的一种工作授权，允许国际学生在完成学业后在美国工作一段时间。在视频中，提到MIT的住宅项目为国际学生提供了OPT和STEM（科学、技术、工程和数学）延期工作授权的机会，这对学生在美国继续职业发展非常有利。

💡Sloan管理学院

Sloan管理学院是MIT的一个组成部分，专注于管理和领导力的教育。视频中提到，供应链管理硕士项目的学生将与Sloan管理学院的学生一起上课，这表明项目强调商业和工程的结合，为学生提供了跨学科的学习机会。

💡研究项目

研究项目是学术课程中的一个重要组成部分，要求学生进行深入的研究和创新。在视频中，MIT的供应链管理硕士项目要求学生参与为期10个月的研究项目，这表明项目注重实践和理论研究的结合，帮助学生在专业领域内进行深入探索。

💡职业发展

职业发展涉及个人职业生涯的规划、技能提升和职位晋升等方面。视频中提到，MIT的供应链管理硕士项目提供定制的职业发展服务和专门的招聘机会，这表明项目致力于帮助学生在毕业后顺利进入或返回职场。

💡学位

学位是教育机构授予个人完成特定学业后的学术称号。在视频中，完成MIT供应链管理硕士项目的学生将获得应用科学硕士学位或更高级的工程硕士学位，这代表了学生在供应链管理领域的专业水平和学术成就。

💡网络资源

网络资源指的是通过互联网可以获取的各种信息和服务。视频中提到，学生可以利用MIT的网络资源，包括与校友的联系、职业发展活动和在线课程等，这些都是学生职业发展和学术研究的重要支持。

💡申请过程

申请过程是指个人为了进入教育机构或参与特定项目而提交必要文件和信息的步骤。视频中的学生们分享了他们的申请经验，包括准备GMAT或GRE考试、撰写申请文书、获取推荐信等，这些都是申请MIT供应链管理硕士项目的重要组成部分。

💡跨学科学习

跨学科学习是指跨越传统学科边界，结合多个学科的知识和方法进行学习和研究。视频中提到，MIT的学生有机会参与不同领域的课程和项目，例如生命科学、核聚变研究等，这体现了MIT鼓励学生进行跨学科学习和探索的教育理念。

Highlights

罗伯特·卡明斯作为主持人介绍了麻省理工学院供应链管理（MIT SCM）项目，提供了两个学习路径：住宅项目和混合项目。

住宅项目是为期10个月的校园体验，针对有2到5年工作经验的早期职业专业人士。

混合项目是为非传统学生设计的更短的替代项目，结合了在线MITx MicroMasters课程和MIT校园学习。

学生可以选择论文或顶点项目，以适应他们的研究兴趣和职业目标。

项目强调实践经验，与全球合作伙伴的三周合作期间，学生将参与研讨会和研究博览会。

完成项目后，学生将获得应用科学硕士学位或更高级的工程硕士学位。

学生分享了他们选择MIT的原因，包括学习领域内最杰出的头脑和对该领域的热情。

学生建议申请者尽早开始准备，包括考试和研究项目。

强调了MIT提供的资源，如职业指导、研究项目和与全球网络的联系。

学生讨论了他们的职业展望如何随着在项目中的进展而变化，以及他们如何探索不同的职业道路。

提到了学生如何利用MIT的资源，包括与其他学院的合作和参与校园外的活动。

强调了跨校园合作的重要性，包括与斯隆管理学院的学生合作。

讨论了就业市场对供应链管理人才的需求，以及项目如何适应行业趋势。

项目不断更新课程内容，以适应行业变化，如引入PowerBI和机器学习。

学生分享了他们对于未来学生申请和参与项目的建议。

提供了申请提示，包括视频陈述的重要性和简历的清晰展示。

介绍了申请截止日期和程序，鼓励潜在申请者在最后期限前提交申请。

Transcripts

- Hello everyone, thank you for joining our webinar today.

My name is Robert Cummings and I will be the moderator

for this exciting student panel

with our student guests here and I'm happy to kick us off.

To start if anybody has any questions,

feel free to use the Q&A feature in the webinar.

And we will start with just a brief introduction

to the programs that we offer

and then dive right into our student panel discussion.

And I'll have our student panelists introduce themselves

in just a minute.

So start off the MIT SCM program offers

two programs of study, one is the SCM residential program,

and the other is the blended student program.

We have students from both joining us today

so they can provide their insights into both tracks.

First, the residential program offers

a 10 month on campus experience.

It is designated for early career professionals,

so those who have two to five years of work experience

and are looking to get a more specialized training

in supply chain management and then return to the workforce

with that new information that you've learned.

And with that in mind, we offer custom career development

and dedicated recruiting opportunities in the fall

and the spring as well.

And for international students, this opportunity

also comes with OPT and STEM extension work authorization.

So it's a great to continue your career here in the US.

On the other side, we have the blended program.

This was developed as an alternative shorter program

with the option for nontraditional students

who may be much further in their professional

or academic careers and are looking for

that supplemental training to reenergize

their career outlook and possibly advance

to further positions in their own organization

or return to their previous employers

with that newfound outlook.

With that in mind, the blended program combines

an online component of the MITx MicroMasters.

So you would begin those five online classes,

obtain the MicroMasters

and then apply to the blended program

where you would continue your studies here at MIT

for one term between January and May.

So just a five months out of the workforce,

which gives you a little bit more flexibility

to take a sabbatical or leave of absence,

or to transition to a completely new career

if that's what you have in mind.

So that just sets the stage of the two program paths

that we have.

And then just to outline that more in terms of the timeline

of each program, for the residential program

the onboarding period is from March to July,

since it's just a 10 month program

it is rather intense in terms of preparation

over the summer

and then jumping right into our orientation in August,

which includes introductions to our research program,

recruiting prep and making sure that you have

the analytical background

to really hit the ground running in the fall.

For the fall and spring terms,

you would have in-person classes here at MIT

dedicated supply chain classes along with

classes from the Sloan School of Management

and the School of Engineering.

We have career coaching,

research project that we mentioned earlier

and then a experiential study check

that happens in the spring.

Along the way in the January term, which we call IAP

we have the three week period of collaboration

with our SCALE partner centers, students from Europe,

Asia, Latin America, come to MIT

to engage in this three week long period

where we have workshops, guest speakers

and a very large research expo symposium

of your research experience so far.

And all of this culminates with

the completion of the program in May and your MIT degree.

Along the blended pathway,

it begins a little bit different as you would complete

the online MicroMasters at your own pace

anywhere from 12 months up to 18 months

is the usual duration, but you set your pace

and we have two exams throughout the year,

one around November and one in May

to be able to apply to the blended program

upon completion of the final CFX exam,

as a component of the MicroMasters.

Once you apply or are admitted to the blended program,

you would then start the same intensive pre-work period

as our residential students

but you would do it fully remote.

So that begins with identifying your research project,

working with company sponsors and advisors remotely

and joining our webinars.

So it does take some commitment in that pre-work stage

just before arriving to MIT in January.

Once you do arrive in January, just as I mentioned before,

you would begin your compressed orientation

but then join right in with the rest of the program

for our SCALE Connect,

connecting with our residential students that are on campus

and the students that we bring in from across the world

to have that global network experience.

Finally moving into the spring term,

both cohorts combined and enjoy the same spring experience,

full class load from MIT,

more career coaching opportunities,

hopefully solidifying those job offers

before moving out of MIT, finishing your research projects

and all that culminates

with the presentation of your work so far.

And then both degrees, both the blended and residential

and with same MIT degree, a master of applied science

in supply chain management for most students,

or a more advanced master of engineering

for those who are looking to take on a much more strenuous

research approach to their project.

So with that in mind, just setting the stage,

this webinar will focus mostly life at MIT

and the student experience.

So with that in mind, we have five student guests

and I have up here are four student ambassadors,

and we have one additional guest Lauren Lauren Konopinski

who has kindly joined us as well.

Sorry, I didn't include your picture here, Lauren.

But with that in mind, we will have brief introductions

from each of the students to say where they've been

and how they joined the program here

and then we'll dive right into questions.

I have some questions to get the ball rolling,

but we are more than happy to take any questions

from the audience to really get a good sense

of their experience, why they chose MIT.

So with that, I will stop sharing my screen.

And why don't we pass it along to Liam first

to just introduce yourself and then continue from there.

- [Liam] Awesome, sure, hopefully you can hear me okay.

So I'm in kind of a public space, but hi everyone,

my name's Liam James.

So I grew up in Austin, Texas.

For the past five years before the program

I lived in Boston.

So right on the other side of the river,

working at Accenture, mostly in life sciences,

supply chain, consulting roles.

I was a supply chain major undergrad,

worked briefly going there as well.

And yeah, came to MIT to hone the hard skills

and improve my technical skills and have been hopefully

improving at that the last semester since.

So I'll pass off to whoever is next, nice to meet everyone.

- Thanks, Liam, I can go next, hi everyone, my name is Lia.

I was born and raised in China

and I did undergrad at US in Indiana University,

double majored in supply chain management

and information systems.

Prior to MIT, I work at a Commons

as a power solution company for the year,

for four years as a senior planning analyst.

I'm from Memphis, Tennessee, yeah.

- I guess it's my turn to introduce myself.

Good morning, everyone, my name is Elise Fredericks.

I grew up in a small town in rural New Hampshire.

I studied supply chain management and marketing

at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.

Prior to MIT, I was working in aerospace and defense

for Pratt and Whitney doing materials management

for one of our international military customers.

And I think that is just about everything.

I actually made the full move to Boston.

So I'm no longer in my current position

and I live in the city

and I'm hoping to stay here after graduation.

- Thanks, Elise.

Jason Maen here, I'm from the Midwest in the United States,

a little town called Des Moines, Iowa.

I'm a nontraditional student in my undergrad.

I didn't start until I was in my mid 20s,

really studied supply chain management and accounting,

double bachelored in both the supply chain and accounting,

really got my passion for supply chain in my earlier careers

that led me down this path.

It's very winding to get here

but I currently work in the utility sector,

have some background in analysis and commodities management,

as well as my most recent role,

which is a program manager of our warehousing.

- Great and I'm Lauren Konopinski, nice to meet everybody.

I am from Chicago, Illinois.

I did my undergrad at the University of Illinois

in Urbana Champagne and double major like Lia

in supply chain management and information systems.

Prior to coming to the program, I was with BP.

I joined through a graduate rotational development program

in marketing and sales, finance and supply.

And then most recently was working

in the digital transformation space

within our supply and midstream division.

I am part of the residential program here at MIT.

- Excellent, thank you everybody

for giving your introduction and your recent jobs

that you had prior to joining the program.

So one initial question to just jump right in is

what made you decide to come to MIT?

Why did you apply or what specifically drew you

to a master's degree at this point in your life?

Opening it up to anyone who wants to start?

- [Liam] I can start with,

oh, go ahead, go ahead, Elise, you're first.

- Sorry, I feel like everyone wants to jump in

at the same time, but I'll make mine brief.

I am in a transition period, actually in my career,

I'm using this master's degree to pivot the directions

that I'm going or the discipline

within the supply chain umbrella that I'll focus in.

But what drew me to MIT specifically is the opportunity

to learn from some of the most brilliant minds

in this field.

I'm just constantly in awe of the research

that not only our professors, but the partners of the CTL

have been able to accomplish

and I wanted to study under them.

So that was really what drew me to this program.

And I did choose to do a master's in supply chain

as opposed to a more general degree

because I've found that this is the field

that I'm very passionate about.

And I wanted to make sure that I was

the subject matter expert

in all things supply chain going forward.

So that is what drew me to this program.

- [Liam] Awesome, so I think I hinted on this a second ago,

but yeah, for me I wanted to first be in a program

that was only one year.

So that was a big pull for me.

I think for me one year is perfect

and the two year MBA was a bit too much,

but the other thing that drew me was

for me it's a nice blend in this program

of supply chain business perspective

and engineering perspective.

So a lot of our coursework is in Sloan,

a lot of it is more engineering focus as well.

So I felt like in consulting

I was working on a lot of soft skills

and presentation skills and those things for a long time,

but I hadn't had a chance to actually learn

from a bit more of a technical perspective.

And obviously there's no better place than MIT

to do that, so that was one of the big pulls for me.

It's like towing the line between business and engineering.

- Yeah, oh, go ahead, Lia.

- Oh, thank you, yeah, I'll be quick.

So yeah, I think the biggest reason for me to join MIT

this program is 'cause my managers

they graduate from this program, both of them.

And back to Commons where I work,

there are several colleagues,

all of them actually come from this program.

I work with them a lot on projects,

I'm very impressed by their knowledge and their talent.

I know that supply chain is something that I wanna stay,

I wanna be a subject matter, like Elise mentioned,

and I know I do supply chain master

and it's a one year program.

I don't need to spend two years in school.

That's too long and I can get my payback,

getting payback here is quite quite short.

So that's why I come here, Lauren, go ahead.

- Thanks, Lia.

So I first heard about this program

through the Supply Chain Excellence Program.

So MIT works with some undergraduate supply chain programs

across the US and offers a scholarship.

So that was something that I had on my radar

since graduating from undergrad.

I don't know if anyone on the call

is from a participating university,

but if you have any questions

and Jason is a fellow supply chain excellence student.

So if anyone has questions about that, feel free to ask.

- Yeah, really just finally wrapping this up,

echoing everybody's sentiments,

the short term of the program is highly motivational

at least for me.

I also was the participant

in the Supply Chain Excellence Program

where I had a professor who got his master's,

got his PhD here and I was considering a traditional

master's of business analytics, something like that.

And he said, really, if you wanna make a difference

as a practitioner in the industry,

go with the master supply chain from MIT.

So I had some incentives from the short term of it

having been a nontraditional student,

I was already behind the eight ball.

I felt like in terms of getting my career

'cause I changed at the age of 32 what I was doing.

So that've been a big part of it.

And then just like Elise said,

some of the most brilliant minds are here

and the things that they're unlocking and looking at

and solving are amazing.

And it's nice to be a part of that.

- That's great, thank you everybody for your insights.

And I know that's probably the hardest starting point

for prospective applicants to decide if they're ready

to take the plunge and invest the time and money

to join the program.

So I think you've offered some great examples

of your success so far.

In that same vein one great question that we have

from a guest online is what do you wish you had done

before joining the program?

So is there something that could have prepared you more

or something that you would've done differently

before getting to this point?

- I have up one right off the bat.

Me coming from a nontraditional role,

my background's actually in law enforcement,

spent a 10 year career dealing

with people in a correction setting.

I did not have a ton of research experience.

So one of the hardest things for me has been

diving into academia in terms of research papers.

I didn't have to do a ton of that in my undergrad.

So it was a skill set that was not really,

it very roughly honed for me.

So I wish I had spent a little more time studying that

and being a little bit better

at diving into the research side of things.

I feel like that would've been more helpful.

- I can share one, I think I would say if you're,

depending on where you're at in your life

and when you think you wanna go back to school,

if this is something that you're gonna pursue

I would just say to think about it early.

I wish that I had shortly after graduating undergrad

just buckled down and taken the GMAT or the GRE

and gotten it out of the way.

So that that wasn't a barrier to entry

later when I was thinking about applying.

I think it would've been easier when I was fresh school

and used to studying and those scores last for a little bit.

So you can see when you wanna take that.

And just in terms of research

and looking into programs,

'cause I did explore MBA programs,

going back part-time looking at a few other programs

around the country.

It's a good amount of research,

so I would say just start early

so you're not bumping up to the lines.

- I have a comment.

- [Liam] Elise, go ahead again.

We're always the exact same spot, no worries, go ahead.

- Mine is not necessarily just something

that I wish I had known or would've changed,

but it's actually something

that I would encourage others to do.

I am a blended student like Jason.

So I did the five MicroMasters courses before going through

with the application process.

And I had done, I took no breaks in between

taking those classes and applying to the program.

And I think that that was a real asset.

That was a real benefit to me because

I had all of the knowledge that I had just learned

and I'm just carrying it right through

until graduation in May.

And I feel like that quick timeline really did help me.

So I would encourage all of you who are considering

the blended route to try to work that schedule

so that you do the five courses in 18 months

or whatever is a good timeline for you

and then go right into the program.

There are some people who took some pretty significant gaps,

but I think that it would benefit you in the end

if you did it more at an accelerated pace.

- [Liam] Awesome, yeah, I was just gonna say like

echoing Lauren, it's a long process from application

to entry and everything.

Whether that's like an MBA that you're looking at

or this program, but just start early,

if you're worried about doing it one year or the next,

just supply this year and if it doesn't work out

you have the next year versus if you're a year late,

then it's maybe your only chance

where it makes sense in your career.

That's not as optimal.

So if you're thinking about it all,

I'd say get started early, it's a long timeline

and there's nothing specific from a skillset

that I think you need to practice early.

I think it's always like it's helpful,

it's all fresh in your mind.

It'll definitely make it easier for you.

Like if you're graded Python, that'll be easier for you,

if you graded all the topics in the supply chain courses

but don't be stressed if you have taken them a little bit,

you can always catch up as I've had to do,

but it's definitely helpful, it's top of mind.

- I want to add to Elise's point.

I am residential student but I actually completed

MicroMasters before I joined the program.

It's really good for you to understand,

get a taste of what the program is like

and what the professor's likely teaching style,

what's your knowledge level.

And once you get, if you are going to do residential

and you take a MicroMaster,

you're actually able to waive some courses,

definitely will help you get ready for the program.

- I think one last thing too to Elise's point

about the timing of it, I did it in 10 months.

I had just graduated with my undergrad

in supply chain management and accounting.

The pandemic hit and I was on a timeline.

So I hit the ground and I ran and I ran as fast as I could.

I took up to three courses at a time.

It was a very rigorous load, I would spend six, seven hours

a night working on the coursework.

So remember to take it at your pace,

if you need to do two or three years

because that's what your finances provide

or your timing because you have other obligations,

family, whatever, make those adjustments.

But the quicker that you can do it, the better,

the more knowledge I think that you'll retain,

but you may want to not do it in 10 months

because everything just gets smashed together like that

and you might have some knowledge that doesn't stick.

- Great, Jason, thanks for the insight.

(Robert clearing throat)

And along Jason's earlier point

and a question that we had from the audience

is regarding if the program is more recent oriented

or practical oriented.

And I will say that from my perspective,

that is one difference of doing

the supply chain management program versus an MBA

is we are in the School of Engineering.

So we do have a very applied science approach to education.

So the research project

is a required component of the program.

Blended students are able to propose projects

in the admissions process and potentially bring them to MIT.

Residential students get to select projects

from our partners, our research partners

(Robert clearing throat)

here at the Center for Transportation and Logistics,

but in either case, definitely we're looking for students

who are interested in committing

to that 10 month long research experience.

I don't know if any of you have any comments

on your research project so far?

I think you've reached the halfway point now,

hopefully, maybe a little bit further

if you have any thoughts on that.

- Maybe just one comment on my end.

Sorry, Liam, do you wanna go?

- [Liam] No, go ahead.

- Okay, I was just gonna say depending on the path you take,

if you are doing a capstone project

and depending on your research partner,

so I'm partnered with a company right now,

it is a research project but it can feel very practical.

It's pretty familiar to some of the stuff that I worked on

when I was actually working with a company

other than the fact that we're pulling in research

and pulling in the existing literature

and knowledge on the topic.

And I guess increasing the scope to try to add something

to the discourse and the discussion around the topic,

but some of the nitty gritty details of the project itself

is pretty similar to things that you could work on

if you're in the supply chain industry.

So that's a cool aspect.

- [Liam] Awesome, yeah, I was just gonna say,

and you've probably heard of this from Robert

and seen on the website, but you have the choice

in the residential program to choose a thesis or a capstone.

I think from that question

the thesis is more research focused

and the capstone is really in my mind both

because it's part research,

then part applying it practically with the company

and that problem that they brought through MIT.

So it's either your focus is purely in research.

Maybe the thesis is right for you

or if you want that practical element

while still getting the research blended into that,

then I think the capstone is are a nice bendable

and you have the choice

of which those options you wanna pursue.

- Excellent, so with that in mind,

one follow-up question is what research resources

would you recommend?

I will say that during the program itself we do offer,

you would have an advisor here at CTL.

(Robert clearing throat)

So you would have a dedicated research mentor

who would help along the way.

And many of our companies

have also done projects in the past.

So there's a good support network there

in terms of actually writing and putting together

the components in both the fall and the spring students take

supplemental writing classes to be able to hone

your writing skills as well.

So those are just additional components

to the research process overall.

Great, so one additional question that we have is,

and this I think is actually a very good one is,

has your career outlook changed at all

from when you originally applied

to now that you've gone through the program

a little bit further?

Did you always know that you wanted to do a, job X

and now going through the program,

you actually got an offer from job Y

and it's much different than you would've thought?

So any thoughts there just on your career journey so far?

- I'll answer this first.

So I'm still in the process just for transparency sake,

I'm still in the process of applying.

I have not received any offers yet,

but I will share that I came

from a very structured industry, aerospace and defense,

not a lot of wiggle room.

It's very, very rigid because you're working

on behalf of the government and I'm actually in a class now

which opened my eyes to the possibility

of working for humanitarian organizations

and doing logistics for them.

And that is not something

that had ever been on my radar before

but is something that I'm seriously considering now

because of the applications that we've had in class

and the benefit that I see,

I actually I'm really passionate now about using the skills

that I'm learning in school to help others in a way

that I didn't think that was possible.

So that certainly has changed for me.

I don't know if I'll end up pursuing a career

but I know that there are organizations

who are looking for volunteers

that have supply chain skills.

And I think that that would be something

that I can continue on after the program,

even if it's not in the formal package of a job offer.

- [Liam] I'll go next, I guess.

I think for me it hasn't changed so much

just because I came from consulting

and I plan to return the consulting space afterwards,

but I definitely used it to pressure test first of all,

is this something that I wanna continue to do?

'Cause we have the chance to see lots of firms come in

and give impositions and alumni come in

and give more details about their role and what it's like.

And for me, it was a good way to pressure test

that this is something that I wanna do,

but I will say that it has enhanced it from my perspective,

in my essay wrote that I probably will return to consulting,

but with a whole host of skills that I didn't have before,

and hopefully the ability to climb

through the consulting ladder a lot more quickly

than if I didn't have that.

So I think for me, it's definitely enhanced it,

but as far as like the outlook

it's been able to remain pretty steady for me,

as far as thinking what I wanna do when I come in

to what I'll end up doing when I come out.

- I can go next.

So my background was in automotive industry

and prior to the program I was open for anything.

I wanna try maybe tech and or consulting.

It's definitely one of them, but I'm open for everything.

So I prepared both, lot of behavior interview

and case interview and I only get a consulting offer.

So I guess that's where I'm gonna go after the program.

And I know that I have many friends in this program,

they were in, like Elise had a prem visit

and they are looking for healthcare opportunities.

And I know some friends, they work in Microsoft before

and they're looking for more sustainability role.

So the resource in MIT in our program is a lot,

it definitely can help you to switch gear

to go to the industry you've never been before.

- Yeah, maybe just echoing Lia's point.

My background is in the energy industry.

I will caveat this with, again, I don't know

where I'm going after the program, still exploring

and still recruiting

and looking at returning to my previous company.

So a lot of open doors at the moment,

but one thing I've really appreciated about the program

is just getting exposure to what supply chain

and supply chain roles could look like

in different industries.

I think it would've been hard without coming

to a program like this to make the leap from oil and gas

into another industry without this stepping stone.

I have gotten feedback that my resume reads

very oil and gas experience.

So it would've been hard to do on my own.

And I've appreciated just opening those doors, I guess.

- I would say it has tremendously changed for me personally,

just because of I'm in the utility sector,

my capstone's on my company.

I'm planning on going back to that company.

But it did give me an appreciation

for the other opportunities

that do come out of this program.

And then a piece of that question that I don't know,

that we really touched on is one of the biggest benefits.

It's the four other people

that are sitting on this call with me.

The cohort that you join into

when you first join the residential program

is gonna be about 41 other people.

But when we blend together with blended in the residential,

it's gonna be 81 of some of the smartest peers

that you have from across the world and the program staff,

Robert, Lynn, John, Justin,

they all are so tremendously helpful,

as well as the research faculty.

That's one of the biggest benefits of the program

that you get, that exposure and then building that network.

It's something that I'll emphasize now

but when you get here,

they will emphasize over and over and over again.

- Thanks, Jason, that is definitely one hallmark

of our program that we definitely pride ourself on.

And I'm sure all of you on the call

can probably list at least a dozen alums

that you've already interacted with or heard from

over the past five to seven months.

And that that network is really very important

to build those connections

and learn from others and then pass on the skills.

So I'm sure we'll have all five of you back in some capacity

in the future as well for the next class

that may be watching right now.

Along those lines of the connections

or somewhat non-academic components in the program.

Have there been any activities or opportunities

that you've explored at MIT in Boston, in Cambridge

that you feel are worth sharing?

I know we keep within the bounds of our program in E40,

but there is definitely the Sloan School of Management

and lots of programs and offerings throughout MIT.

Any that come to mind that you would like to share?

- So for me of particular interest

being in the utility space,

it's something that I'm a little bit fascinated by

is the research on nuclear fusion

that's going on here on campus.

There's a tour that our group's gonna be taking

a little bit later with some of the nuclear program.

That's just super fascinating as we move away

from more dangerous technologies in the power space

or those technologies that are contributing

to climate change.

That's something that I've been watching for a long time

and keeping a close eye on.

I think it's super interesting

and I love that it's on the same campus

that I'm on right now.

- [Liam] Yeah, I think taking your perspective, Robert,

of outside of the academics of our program

but still within academics overall,

I think you have a lot of opportunity to explore,

especially the credit

you can use for some of your other interests.

So what I've loved about having access the rest of MIT

is I'm able to explore some of those.

So for example, I worked in pharma clients for a long time.

And so life sciences is a space I really like,

and last semester I got to take a completely unrelated class

to anything else I was working on,

but it was on the principles

and practice of drug development.

So it was with a bunch of course registered

with Harvard PhDs and applied math students

and bio majors and a few business majors.

And I was the only supply chain person in that class.

But supply chain came up a few times

in the context of drug manufacturing.

So I got to learn some helpful insight

but I think that was an awesome way for me

to just bring myself like in a whole different direction

on campus and explore something new

and challenge myself that way.

But it's a world class professor that teaches it.

It's an amazing class.

So it basically speaks to the network and the power of MIT

that you have access to by doing this program.

And so if you have some other interests

outside of supply chain, like Jason just mentioned

or for me life sciences,

you have the opportunity to explore that

at the best university for science and math that exists.

- Yeah, maybe just a couple random things for me,

I think to Liam's point, a lot of opportunities

is within the grounds of the university.

And I've enjoyed just being back on a campus.

I've joined a graduate woman's book club.

So trying to take advantage of making my own schedule

and having a bit more freedom than I did during work life.

And that's been a fun way just to meet people

outside of this program to Roberts point,

we get stuck in a supply chain or Sloan bubble,

just 'cause that's who all your classes are with

and your focus, but it's been really cool to meet people

studying and getting PhDs in biology,

just things that I wouldn't have come across normally.

So that's been interesting, very random one,

but it's been nice having a student discount again,

there's a lot of different things

you could take advantage of with that.

So yeah, just having the student card is fun.

- Yeah, I think even as staff members,

I just went to the the Museum of Fine Art last weekend,

which is free.

So it's actually great to be so closely connected

to the city that you can explore those things as well.

And even though I've support the supply chain program,

even I've done lectures and gone to talks,

one of my favorite was actually on exoplanet exploration

from the aeronautics and astronautics department.

So it's like completely different than anything

I've ever done, but I find space very interesting.

So that was a one of my personal experiences.

(Robert chuckling)

Great, so one other question we have here,

we talked a little bit about our connection to Sloan

and you've all mentioned that you have classes

with Sloan students as well.

Has there been any cross campus collaborations

or projects that you've done entrepreneurship?

Maybe if anybody has any thoughts from IAP

on the different entrepreneurship sessions

that we offered or any of the competitions done so far?

- [Liam] Yeah, I mean, I would just say

and other people can chime into,

but the most of your Sloan work is a lot of in projects.

And so when you're in a Sloan class,

whether it's a finance based class or accounting,

or I think we all have some different classes in Sloan,

but there's no distinction between

really you are an SCM student and you are a Sloan student.

It's just like find a group of four, five,

to do your assignments or do your cases

or do your projects.

And so it's really on you.

I mean, if you wanna only work with supply chain students,

that's definitely an option.

But usually we try to have a little bit of a mix

to have one or two Sloan students in a group of five

or one or two SCM students, for example.

So you have complete access to Sloan in that sense,

in terms of your cases and all of your classes, projects.

And then some of the more outside of class opportunities,

like Delta V, for example,

is a big entrepreneurship startup competition.

You're more than welcome to reach out to Sloan students

or find an engineering student, it's totally up to you.

But yeah, I think a good portion of your curriculum

is in Sloan and when you're in there

everyone is together as a student,

it doesn't feel like a separated that you don't have access

to Sloan students, or you can't work with them.

It's pretty much everyone's in the same boat.

- Yeah, I will say one benefit and on the other side curse

of the program is that there's no restriction

on the number of classes you can potentially take

up to the limit that we have within the program.

So that means you can explore classes outside of MIT

or outside of SCM or even MIT.

I don't know if anyone here took a Harvard class or not,

there's always that allure, but we try to keep you close by.

There's plenty to still do at MIT.

Great, so I don't see any other questions yet,

but one that I had that,

oh, sorry, yeah. Jason.

- Sorry, Robert, there was the one that Carol asked earlier

about major trends on the job markets demand on SCM talents,

what skills, quantities, are they looking for?

That was something that I was hoping that get to

one of the things that I took before I finally settled

on my schedule, took an operations management course.

And one of the things that they talked about

within the first few days typically the CEO,

like the trend of CEOs is that they typically come

from a very operationally focused area.

But then within that,

if you look like the number two field behind that

was supply chain management,

from their functional perspective,

I think it's supply chain, especially with the pandemic.

One of the things that it shown us is that

there will not be a shortage,

especially with the increase of global trade

and other things that are going on and developing

supply chain skills are coming out of premium.

So if you know how to think logistically

and that you can problem solve things that other people

have looked at and said,

"Well, that's not important,"

but then it ends up becoming critical.

I think that that's something

that's gonna be extremely valuable.

But as far as specific skill sets,

I don't know that there's any one area that I would target

or say was more important or different than the others,

but definitely realize that this is gonna make you

a very marketable professional.

- Yeah and I think that is actually an interesting point

in terms of the program.

Our ability to be somewhat resilient

to changes in the industry.

Sometimes you might envision large institutions like this

moving at a slow glacial pace but the SCM program

has been able to adapt and add new methodologies and tools.

Just this year, we added PowerBI for an example,

in terms of visualization tools.

Within the past two years there's been a real focus

on machine learning.

We've incorporated elements of Python on as well.

So we are very attuned to the trends.

And just this year, we'll be reaching out to our alumni

to see over the past 25 years of the program

what skills have been the most valuable

or what do they see as a future trends that we can act upon.

And that's why we introduced the machine learning element

so much in the recent years.

So I think these are all elements

that our program is definitely always changing.

So if you ask an alum from five years ago,

they would've taken some different classes

or different focuses than the ones that we have now

than the four of you that are here with us.

Excellent, so I don't see any broad questions,

but one that I can leave us with as people think,

or we could start wrapping up the webinar

just a little bit earlier if there's no other questions,

we talked about this earlier, the piece of advice

that you would give to an incoming student

or somebody who is thinking about joining the program.

And then I can close with my thoughts as well

of what we're looking for on the Admissions Committee.

- I'll start, so as someone who is in a transition period

in their career as I've mentioned,

I would encourage incoming students to think long and hard

about what they want their careers to look like

after graduation from the program

and cater your class schedule to really support or help you

achieve those goals.

I can guarantee you might be overwhelmed

by the number of course offerings that interest you,

and you might be really inclined to just take all of them.

And I actually thought it was tricky

to narrow it down or to I guess,

cut down the number of credits that I was taking,

because there were so many courses that I was interested in,

but at the end of the day how I framed it

is what's gonna help me in my career moving forward

or what's gonna help me in this next step.

So that would be my biggest piece of advice

for incoming students.

- [Liam] I can go next,

I think one of the pieces of advice I would give

is just if you're unsure, like just apply.

I mean, if you have any doubt definitely go for it

I would say, don't be afraid that it's gonna be

a waste of your time

or that the chances aren't good enough for something,

just definitely give it a shot.

The other thing is, I think you can't do it alone

as far as the application process.

So just make sure you have people that are gonna be able

to really support you in rec letters

that you've been working with

or that you've been reporting to.

If you have any peers that have gone through

like a business school admissions

or a master school admissions process, talk to them,

reach out to them for advice

on what they learned from the program.

Just make sure you use all the resources around you

and make sure that you're not just siloed on your own

as you apply and get all the help that you can.

But I would say those two things

are what come to mind for me.

- I wanna add one thing, is do not afraid ask for help.

No matter like previous students or cohort.

Initially I was afraid asking people

just to help me understand the program more

because it might just be taking a lot of their time,

but everyone is willing to help you.

They would love to give you advice and help your need

just don't be afraid, don't hesitate, go for it.

- I had a unique advantage in that two of my classmates

from undergrad had actually gone to the program

before I did.

And they subsequently ended up being the ones

that were pestering me about joining.

If I was gonna be applying for the program,

they reached out and said,

"Hey, would you like to think about it."

But one of the things too is one of the CTAs

that was instrumental to my learning

during the MicroMasters also went through the program.

And like Lia said, that network of ask questions,

learn, could you read this letter for me

or read my proposal for me?

That's actually what Danielle did for me.

I wrote a proposal for my application

and she was there and willing and very insightful

in helping me to tune that.

I definitely did not get into MIT by myself.

I had a vast network, my wife was very supportive,

my family is supportive.

And then all of my peers that helped me to be here today

are the reason that I am here today,

I definitely did not go at it alone.

So I think that's the point that Liam brought up

that's crucial, is remember that you are not in this alone,

ask questions, ask for help.

I'm certainly willing to, if you guys wanna reach out,

find me on LinkedIn, run any questions by me,

I'll answer anything for you.

- Excellent, thanks so much, Jason.

And yes, one resource

that we like to do a little shout out for

is definitely our student blog,

where you can see stories from our current students

and previous students as well,

sort of navigate their experience here at MIT,

reasons to apply and possibly tell us to reach out to them.

So just wrapping up,

one additional note in terms of application tips,

the tips that our student panelists have provided

are definitely 100% in line

with what we are looking for as well.

Two other smaller components to keep in mind

when you are submitting in your application.

One is our video statement.

It is very helpful for the Admissions Committee

to get that sort of two minute snapshot

of why you want to join the program.

And we definitely ask that you really try to be yourself,

underline there, avoid reading your script.

We wanna see why you're joining the program,

what do you hope to get out of it.

And it can be really minimal, just joining a Zoom call

and recording it is definitely fine.

It definitely helps our program out

and gives a better perspective on why we should admit you.

Another important aspect that that's worth highlighting,

it's just your resume since work experience is a component

of the program, two years minimum,

just making sure that you meet that requirement in some way,

but when you're laying out the resume,

make sure that it's clear identifying your experience

when it was so that we don't have to hunt

for the information too much.

It should be that one page concise information,

which is what will really help us review applications.

So with that, we have three admission rounds

for the residential program and two for the blended program,

we're approaching our final rounds in both.

So for residential applications,

you can apply by March 28th.

So we have a few weeks until then.

And for the blended program, as we mentioned,

our application deadline

is aligned with the MicroMasters program.

So the next deadline will be in June

following the May CFX run.

So with that, I would like to say,

thank you to our panelist.

Oops, let me stop sharing.

Thank you to our panelists for joining here.

And of course, anyone online

or watching this video afterwards,

feel free to reach out to us [email protected]

and we look to reviewing your applications

or answering any questions in the future.

Thanks again, bye.

- Thanks everybody, good luck.