The Charles and Patsy Collat Industrial Distribution (ID) program is one of a small number of such programs in the world. It is a joint engineering and business program that prepares graduates for sales, marketing and purchasing positions in industrial firms. Supported handsomely by generous donors, the program features the Ben S. Weil Chair Professor Thomas DeCarlo who is an internationally recognized scholar and an abundance of scholarship and other student support funds. The placement of graduates has been 100% annually and the typical graduate received 3 to 4 job offers.
The Industrial Distribution program features a one-of-a kind area of concentration in Medical Equipment & Supplies Distribution that is supported by the UAB School of Medicine, School of Public Health, and School of Health Professions. It blends life sciences, pre-medicine and health administration coursework with marketing classes to produce business graduates trained to pursue sales, marketing, and purchasing careers in the rapidly growing medical equipment and supplies industry. Our proximity to the UAB Schools of Medicine, Public Health and Health Professions provides a unique opportunity for our students to secure necessary training and our faculty to participate in interdisciplinary research. Finally, our presence in Birmingham that features some of the nation's largest medicine and health care providers provides both internship and placement opportunities for students and research and consulting opportunities for faculty.