Courses

The online Master of Supply Chain Management is a 30-credit graduate degree program that working professionals can complete on a part-time basis in as little as 20 months.

This program spans the typical academic calendar across fall, spring, and summer semesters. All courses are asynchronous, meaning you are not required to log in at a particular time each week. Optional synchronous discussions, however, will be available for those students who prefer a higher level of engagement.

Practical Skills with a Customized Degree

This interdisciplinary master's degree curriculum offers both an in-depth understanding of today's complex supply chain and how to manage it to improve efficiency and create a competitive advantage in your organization, as well as the flexibility to select course work from another business discipline to broaden your skill set. You can gain the knowledge, problem-solving skills, and leadership techniques that are critical to advancing a business's goals through integrated supply chain planning and execution.

Collaborative Learning

Each course in the degree program includes small-group projects to encourage peer interaction and to build a learning community among the online students. These projects simulate real-world business environments, where individuals frequently work in small teams to solve problems. Online discussions are also utilized, allowing learning from the broad variety of experience had amongst the students.

Multi-Credentialing for Faster ROI

You don't have to wait until graduation to update your résumé. The degree curriculum is uniquely structured to give students the opportunity to earn one or more graduate certificates while in pursuit of the master's degree — you can earn the Graduate Certificate in Supply Chain Management after taking the initial required courses from the degree program. You also have the freedom to pair elective courses together by topic to potentially meet most of the requirements for a second graduate certificate in one of many in-demand disciplines, including:

accounting foundations
business analytics
business architecture
business sustainability strategy
corporate innovation and entrepreneurship
strategic leadership

A separate application and program acceptance are required for each credential. Please consult with a program representative to discuss your options. Email us at [email protected].

Required Courses (12 credits)

3

credits

Introduction to the core concepts of the strategic supply chain management framework, including process orientation, a systems viewpoint, intra-frim coordination, and extended enterprise collaboration.
3

credits

Performance metrics used in supply chain management, both within the enterprise and across the extended enterprise.

Prerequisite or concurrent
SCM 800
3

credits

Selecting, evaluating, and determining the nature of relationships with suppliers from the buyer's perspective within the context of industry and market knowledge. Additionally, understanding ethical conduct in business organizations.

Prerequisite
SCM 800
3

credits

Best principles and practices for production management as well as tools and models for demand forecasting and inventory management, particularly as it relates to the fulfillment of demand for finished goods.

Prerequisite
SCM 800

The four required courses also meet the requirements for the 12-credit Graduate Certificate in Supply Chain Management. If you would like to add this credential to your transcript and have questions about the application process, please contact the program office at [email protected] for assistance.

Advanced Courses (12 credits)

Once a student completes the core courses, s/he is eligible to take the advanced courses and electives below, in any order and based on course availability.

3

credits

Methods and tools to support supply chain decision making with emphasis on forecasting, inventory analysis, and demand planning.
3

credits

Explores emerging supply chain management issues for which established literature is still being reviewed.
3

credits

Design and management of supply chain networks, emphasizing the alignment of supply chain networks with corporate competitive strategy.

Prerequisite
SCM 801, SCM 822, and SCM 842
3

credits

Strategic supply chain transformation and innovation with emphasis on (re)configuration of key capabilities to achieve competitive advantages.

Prerequisite
SCM 801, SCM 822, and SCM 842

Electives (select 6 credits)

Select any two courses from the full Smeal Professional Graduate Programs portfolio to personalize your degree. Courses may be taken at any time throughout the program, based on availability. Courses may be added or removed to meet market demand, so the following list may change over time. As a reminder, credit from select courses may double count toward requirements for a graduate certificate in that discipline. Please email the program office at [email protected] with questions.

Supply Chain Management Electives

3

credits

Introduction to new business models and sustainable design principles for reinventing products and services to drive business value while reducing environmental and social impact, sourcing raw materials and working effectively with suppliers to safeguard labor and human rights and protect and restore natural resources, and managing total cost and risk. Special focus on circular economy strategies and closed loop supply chains.
3

credits

Alignment of supplies with the strategic needs and direction of the organization.
3

credits

A detailed review of concepts, tools, and strategies for managing global manufacturing and service operations.
3

credits

Explores how to identify, assess, and implement strategies and tactics for managing supply chain risk by building and maintaining resiliency in the supply chain.

Prerequisite
SCM 800

Other Electives

3

credits

Examination of the internal organizational accounting procedures that establish accountability within organizations.
3

credits

Enhances the student's ability to deal with the complexities of ethical decision making in today's dynamic business environment by clarifying and applying personal values.
3

credits

Delivers an overview of the difference between traditional (distributive) bargaining and interest-based (or integrative) negotiations; learn to identify their own and others' interests, to create and claim value, and to craft constructive agreements for all parties.
3

credits

Focuses on the development and application of business architecture as a holistic discipline that produces a common understanding of the organization that is used to align strategic objectives and tactical initiatives.
3

credits

Presents a senior executive perspective on the key opportunities and challenges faced by business leaders; includes discussions on the changing context for setting strategy and leading organizations in an evolving business environment.
3

credits

Emphasizes identity issues that are critical to understanding individual and collective processes in organizational life.
3

credits

Explores the use of descriptive analytics concepts, tools, and techniques throughout a wide range of business scenarios and problems.
3

credits

Explores the use of predictive analytics tools and techniques throughout a wide range of business scenarios and problems; includes a subset of methods such as neural networks, machine learning, social media analytics, and more.
3

credits

Focuses on the process of launching a new venture, in a corporate setting or as a new start-up, including identifying a problem or market opportunity, developing business models, forming a team, financing, analyzing markets, assessing the competitive environment, and planning to acquire leadership talent.
3

credits

Surveys emerging trends and disruptors in technology and industry that create new markets and influence decision-making, product development, business models, and business practices associated with innovation.
3

credits

Explores the methods used to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in a corporate setting, with a special emphasis on how organizations foster creativity, innovation, and new venture creation.
3

credits

Understanding, exploring, and applying innovation-related concepts, principles, and practices to corporate environments involved with new venture creation and other contexts.
3

credits

Integrating multiple functional business areas to resolve global business problems and improve organizational performance.
3

credits

Accounting rules, practices, and applications that characterize the accounting presentations that for-profit organizations provide to the public.
3

credits

Overview of human behavior in organizations, and implications for managing and leading individuals, teams, and organizations.
3

credits

Application of techniques available to aid managers in sound financial decision making.
3

credits

Examining strategic issues in marketing, including analysis, planning, and implementation.
3

credits

Aims to provide students with a toolkit that will allow them to diagnose individual and organizational source of power and influence as well as an array of tactics by which power and influence are wielded.
3

credits

An overview of the economic, social, and environmental drivers of the transformation to sustainable business models and practices; identification of best practices and frameworks for assessing organizational engagement with sustainability; development of a strategic sustainability plan.
3

credits

Introduces the theory and practice of negotiation in a variety of settings, with specific emphasis on multiparty context; the course will allow students to develop these skills experientially and to understand negotiation in useful analytical frameworks.

Prerequisite
BA 805
3

credits

Addresses the managerial challenge of strategy implementation, particularly by examining the organizational elements that must be drawn into line to support a strategy, as well as the immense difficulties of changing an organization.
3

credits

This course explores emerging trends in technology, organizations, and society that create new workplace practices, job tasks, and required skills.
3

credits

Provides an understanding of key issues, concepts, and methodologies associated with business transformation and management consulting; helps students identify and define organization problems, highlight pain points, map workflows, explore business models, investigate strategic alignment, develop recommendations, present business cases, and deliver prototype solutions.
3

credits

Explores the methods and tools commonly used in the practice of management consulting and is intended for students interested in working in this field or working in organizations that hire management consultants.
3

credits

Prepares students with the knowledge and skills to gather data that is credible, targeted, and actionable; covers techniques and tools for gathering quantitative and qualitative data, including sampling, questionnaire design and administration, experiments for ad and product testing, and interview guides for focus groups.
3

credits

Principles of applied marketing analytics, including marketing data sources, data quality, software, and fundamentals of statistics. Special focus on translating data into meaningful business insights and strategy.

Optional Global Immersion Experience

This learning experience is designed to enhance your ability to communicate cross-culturally, adapt to evolving business environments, and manage some of the key risks and benefits of operating on a global scale. The Global Immersion trip may include visits to corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities, as well as meetings with executives and government officials to learn about international business from those experiencing it firsthand in the country you are visiting.

The Global Immersion trip and corresponding course(s) will be offered each spring.* Please note that course work is required both before and after the trip. Online students may pursue the Global Immersion experience/courses in one of two ways:

Option 1: Take BA 836 for 1 credit in a spring semester. The 1-credit course will include the trip and associated pre/post-work. BA 836 would be an additional credit on top of the 30 required to graduate.
Option 2: Take BA 836 for 1 credit AND BA 835 for 2 credits during the spring semester. Together, the 3 credits will involve more extensive course work in this subject area than just the 1 credit alone and will include the trip. The 3 combined credits for BA 835 and 836 may replace one 3-credit program elective course with approval. Please contact the program office with any questions.

We aim to have enough students across programs to allow students to choose from 3–4 locations each spring. Past trips for the full-time and executive students have included Johannesburg, South Africa; Shanghai, China; Prague, Czech Republic; and Santiago, Chile. The trip choices will be made by the program faculty directors based on global business climate, and corporate and alumni relationships, that will allow for the most fruitful experience. Please contact the program office for more details, including fee structure, upcoming dates, and locations. Please note that students pay course tuition as well as an additional trip fee to participate in the Global Immersion experience.

Course Availability

If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.

Ready to Learn More?

Get the resources you need to make informed decisions about your education. Request information on this program and other programs of interest by completing this form.