Supply Chain Management Requirements & Deadlines

Submit a completed application. Application requirements are listed below.

To be considered for admission, you must have a first university degree that is equivalent to a 4-year U.S. bachelor's degree. Students with a 3-year degree from India do not satisfy this minimum requirement and must complete an additional year of accredited post-baccalaureate study before submitting an application to the program. Visit the Graduate School website for additional information.

Unofficial transcripts must include your name and the name of the institution and can be uploaded in the online application or emailed to [email protected] for attachment to your application file. Please do not mail in paper copies of your transcript. 

You will need to submit a transcript from each college or university where you have completed coursework before your application will be considered complete and reviewed by the admissions committee. This includes institutions where you have earned credit that transferred towards degree credit at another college/university. Third Party credential evaluation reports and degree planning documents are not accepted as equivalent to a transcript.

If you have previously enrolled at any University of Minnesota campus, you can obtain electronic copies of your transcripts from OneStop Services. 

There is no need for official transcripts or academic records for initial admissions review. Official transcripts will be required if you are admitted to the program.

The University of Minnesota reserves the right to require the submission of official transcripts or credentials any time during the admission review process.

You must submit essay responses to the questions detailed below (approximately 2 pages maximum). Please answer each prompt separately. You may copy/paste each prompt into your document. The admissions committee will review both the content of your responses and your ability to communicate clearly in writing.

• What attracts you to supply chain management as a field? Why is an MSSCM program the next logical step for you in your career, and why are you interested in the Carlson MSSCM program specifically?
• Tell us about a time you had to optimize a process at work. Explain the challenge you were facing, the steps you individually took to address the issue, and what was the outcome.

• The impromptu video essay is a required component of the application that provides candidates with an opportunity to show the admissions committee the authentic you.  Think of this video essay as if you were answering a live interview question with a member of our admissions committee.
• You will need to use a computer with camera and microphone capabilities. You will also need a strong internet connection for uploading the video. You will have the ability to test your technology before starting the video essay and submit a practice video essay.
• You can test your technology and run the practice simulation as many times as you wish to be comfortable with the format and technology.  You will be able to review your practice video essay(s) and your recording(s) will not be saved beyond the testing phase and will never be reviewed.
• You can also practice responding to impromptu questions offline with a friend or colleague before completing the video essay portion of your application.
• You will be prompted to click "Ready" once you are prepared to submit an official video essay.  You will be asked one impromptu question from a bank of imaginative or behavioral questions selected by our admissions team.
• Two minutes (120 seconds) will be provided to prepare an answer and two minutes (120 seconds) to record an answer.  The recording will automatically stop after two minutes.  You are not required to use the full two minutes.  If you have time remaining once complete with your response, click the "Stop Recording" button to end the recording.
• You will only be provided one attempt to record your official video essay.
• You will need a strong internet connection to upload the video.

Prepare a current resume that includes a detailed education and employment history in no more than 3 pages.

Resume guidelines

• List both employer and official position held.
• Specify both month and year for dates of employment in each role.
• Detail job responsibilities and accomplishments in approximately 3-5 bullet points.

For additional guidance, view our Carlson Business Career Center's resume advice webpage, and feel free to use their resume template to help simplify the process.

Upload your completed resume in the online application where prompted for resume or CV.

We require two recommendations for application to the Master of Science in Supply Chain Management (MSSCM) program. These recommendations can be from any combination of professional and academic recommenders, though we strongly prefer that at least one recommendation come from a supervisor or current employer. 

Please note that you do not need to solicit letters of recommendation from your recommenders. We partner with GMAC for the Common Letter of Recommendation, so you simply need to provide contact information for your recommenders in the online application and the form will be automatically routed to them via email for completion. The form does include an optional section to attach a letter of recommendation if your recommender chooses to add that component.

We recommend getting started on your application early so you can enter the recommender contact information right away before continuing to work on your application. Both recommenders must complete the aforementioned GMAC form before your submitted application is considered complete. This means all recommendations must be received before the deadline for which you would like to be considered. 

While these test scores are not required for admission to the MS in Supply Chain Management program, you may consider including test scores if you are concerned that your academic record is weak or contains gaps.

Important Note: Applicants interested in pursuing consulting careers during or after completing the MS SCM should plan to take the GMAT as many consulting firms do look at these scores when assessing candidates.

International and domestic applicants whose first language is not English must provide proof of English language proficiency. Proof of English language proficiency is measured according to the categories detailed below. You are not exempt if you have lived in an English-speaking country for several years, but have not completed any prior education in English.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Applicants providing an exam score must have an exam date within two years of the graduate program start date. Exams exceeding two years will not be accepted.
• We do not offer an option for the English language ability to be assessed upon arrival on campus.

For additional details regarding this requirement, please visit the Office of Graduate Admission's website or contact them at [email protected].   

The application fee is:

• $75 (non-refundable) for U.S. citizens
• $95 for international applications and U.S. residents with foreign credentials

Your application fee will be automatically waived if you have served in the U.S. Armed Forces for any length of time prior to submitting an application. We are unable to offer application fee waivers to any other applicants.

Applicants will be sent an email invitation within 24 hours of paying the application fee and submitting their application to complete the self-recorded Video Interview. 

Following the instructions in the email invitation, candidates must log-in to the application portal to complete their recordings. 

The Video Interview consists of three questions. Candidates will need to respond individually to each question within the 3-minute time limit. 

Candidates will have 1 week (7 days) from the initial email invitation to complete the Video Interview. 

Applications will not be reviewed by the Admission Committee until the Video Interview requirement has been completed.