Angie Guidarelli combines majors for more choices

A supply chain management (SCM) specialization wasn’t on Angie Guidarelli’s radar when she first enrolled as a marketing student, but she says she’s glad now that she added it to her business degree. Guidarelli is scheduled to graduate this spring.

“I loved marketing and I knew I wanted to do that,” she said. “I had been involved in DECA during high school, and my teacher, a BGSU alumna, encouraged me to pursue marketing as a career.”

Marketing is one of the College of Business Administration’s most popular programs, offering two specializations (marketing and sales and services marketing), along with a minor. The student chapter of the American Marketing Association is rated among the top 5 percent of chapters worldwide.

Guidarelli that after visiting BGSU as a high school student, she was even more determined to earn her marketing degree here. It wasn’t until she had enrolled and started classes that she learned about the supply chain management program.

“They talked to us about it during my BA 1500 Overview of Business Administration class, and it just really appealed to me,” she said. “There’s a lot of growth in that area, and my goal was to create more unique opportunities for after graduation and learn about how the two work together.”

Supply chain management, defined

Marketing is a familiar term to most people, but supply chain management is still new to many.

Supply chain management professionals coordinate the materials, information and finances that companies need to produce and deliver finished goods to customers. They need to be good problem-solvers who work well with people and manage details without losing sight of the larger processes that may be affected.

Supply chain management is a skill set in high demand among professions that range from technology and manufacturing to retail, healthcare and consulting. The average starting salary for graduates of this program is $50,000, with many receiving multiple job offers.

Scholarship opportunities

Each year, business students earn more than $300,000 in scholarships, with about 10 percent of that going to supply chain management majors.

Guidarelli is one of many students who has benefited from scholarship support, and she’s quick to praise the difference it has made. “Scholarships have made it possible for me to come here,” she explained. “After graduation, I won’t have an overwhelming amount of debt hanging over my head.”