FAQ
How should I begin to think about securing sponsorship from my employer?
Think carefully how a Master’s degree in SCM will benefit you your employer. Determine how the added skills will make you better at your current job and how your employer will benefit.
Educational support can take several forms. Tuition reimbursement is an employment benefit open to most employees. Many firms will reimburse up to $5,250 per year for graduate degrees.
Corporate sponsorship, however, is generally reserved for high potential employees who are strategically important to the organization. If available, this form of support can be significantly greater and include time off to attend an in-person program. Candidates who are sponsored often agree to remain with the firm for at least 2 years after degree completion or repay the benefit.
Develop Your Case
Understand what makes the MIT SCM degree unique, and how it aligns with organizational objectives. Address how your company will benefit through your participation in the program, and how you will manage the time commitment.
Consider the following:
• Does this request align with my manager’s goals or strategic initiatives? Does it align with the department goals/objectives? What about the company’s goals/initiatives?
• Will my manager champion my request? If not, who can support my request?
• What/when is your performance review cycle? How can the data in my performance review support my request?
• Are there others involved in this decision? What are their priorities?
• Where do you anticipate resistance?
If you think a discussion about the landscape in which you’re navigating sponsorship would be helpful, the program is happy to support you. You can schedule a meeting with Len Morrison to discuss a strategy.
Address Benefits, Not Features
Consider how your organization will benefit from this investment that you are both making in your supply chain education. These benefits include:
• MITs SCM Program is #1 globally – known for its relevance and rigor
• Acquiring cutting edge skills, tools and quantitative acumen
• A 5-month residency (for SCMb students) that allows you to quickly apply your learnings
• A customized capstone project deepens your understanding of your firm’s E2E supply chain at no cost to the company (a $25,000 savings)
• Elective courses can be tailored to align with your professional development plan (SC Data & Analytics, Sustainability, Leadership, Innovation, Digital Transformation)
• Program breadth and intensity prepares you for greater leadership responsibilities
• Deepens organizational access to MIT network (Researchers, Students, Alumni)
• Opportunities for professional collaboration with MIT researchers
Frame Your Financial Request
Consider framing your request as an annual request each year. Structuring your request on an annual basis will map to budget cycles and spread out the financial commitment. Depending on the fiscal year of your organization, this can also help defray costs.
Asking for less than the full tuition shows your commitment to the degree and to your employer. You could also consider asking for different types of support, including sponsored time away from your job or the opportunity to apply learnings back at the company.
Formally agreeing to continue your tenure with the company for 2-3 years after completion can support your request.
A direct channel between the school and the employer is created, and the company pays MIT directly.
The SCM Program is prepared to support your request and is open to discussing with your employer how other companies have benefited from sponsoring candidates. Please reach out to Len Morrison at lmorriso@mit.edu to schedule a time to have this conversation.