The Kansas Board of Regents approved a $15 per credit hour increase in student fees for Barton School of Business graduate students to fund a new graduate program Wednesday.

The school of business teamed up with the College of Engineering to develop the Master of Science in Global Supply Chain Management program. An additional fee of $50 per credit hour will also apply for students enrolled in the program.

Wichita State President John Bardo said the program is being developed to keep up with industry demand.

“This is being done at the request of the industry,” Bardo said.

A report from the university said that students who enroll in the new 33-credit hour graduate program will “acquire mastery in managerial and analytical aspects of supply chain operations, and they will develop contemporary competencies via innovative, hands-on activities and industry practices.”

The program will offer two tracks of emphasis — analytics and management.

The program, which was approved unanimously Wednesday by the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) Council of Presidents, is expected to be implemented by the Spring 2018 semester.

Wichita State currently offers an undergraduate supply chain management certificate program through the industrial, systems, and manufacturing engineering department.

The report said Wichita State’s proximity to major global companies offers students unique opportunities in the field, and that the university plans to work with supply chain leaders from various industries to expand opportunities available to students.

“It’s actually addressing the needs of the area,” Anthony Vizzini, provost and senior vice president, said.

Vizzini said students in the program will be able to develop partnerships with companies in the area.

The KBOR report said the $15 per credit hour student fee increase would be refunded at the end of the Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 semesters to all continuing students who were admitted to Wichita State prior to the Fall 2017 semester. The full fee increase will apply to students admitted in the Fall 2017 semester or later.

Implementation of the program is expected to cost $266,400 over the first two years. The increase in student fees is expected to generate $34,000 in fiscal year 2018 and $80,000 in fiscal year 2019. Expenses not covered by the student fees will be covered by an internal reallocation of funds.