Courses

Master of Supply Chain Management

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 nationally top-ranked program spans the typical academic calendar across fall, spring, and summer semesters. Courses are entirely online with the exception of the required one-time, four-day residency on Penn State's University Park campus in July following the first year of courses.

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 coursework from another business discipline to broaden your skillset. 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.

Course List - Master of Supply Chain Management

Required Courses (12 credits)

Title	Abbreviation	Description	Credits
Supply Chain Management	SCM 800	Introduction to the core concepts of the strategic supply chain management framework, including process orientation, a systems viewpoint, intra-firm coordination, and extended enterprise collaboration.	3 credits
Supply Chain Performance Metrics and Financial Analysis	SCM 801	Performance metrics used in supply chain management, both within the enterprise and across the extended enterprise. Prerequisite or Concurrent: SCM 800	3 credits
Supply Management	SCM 822	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
Operations Management and Demand Fulfillment	SCM 842	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	3 credits

*Because the 12-credit Graduate Certificate in Supply Chain Management consists of the first year courses of the master's program, you may also apply for the certificate if you would like to add this quality credential to your resume even before you complete the full master’s degree.

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.

Title	Abbreviation	Description	Credits
Supply Chain Analysis	SCM 530	Methods and tools to support supply chain decision making with emphasis on forecasting, inventory analysis, and demand planning. Prerequisites: SCM 801, SCM 822, and SCM 842	3 credits, includes 4-day residency
Research Topic	SCM 594	Explores emerging supply chain management issues for which established literature is still being reviewed. Prerequisites: SCM 801, SCM 822, and SCM 842	3 credits
Supply Chain Design and Strategy	SCM 850	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
Supply Chain Transformation and Innovation	SCM 860	Strategic supply chain transformation and innovation with emphasis on (re)configuration of key capabilities to achieve competitive advantages.	3 credits

Supply Chain Elective (choose 3 to 6 credits)

Select one supply chain elective course from the list below. Course may be taken throughout the program, based on availability. Courses may be added or removed to meet market demand. Please email the program office with questions.

Title	Abbreviation	Description	Credits
Sustainable Supply Chain Management	SCM 813**	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
Strategic Procurement	SCM 824	Alignment of supplies with the strategic needs and direction of the organization. Prerequisites: SCM 801, SCM 822, and SCM 842	3 credits
Global Manufacturing and Service Operations	SCM 844	A detailed review of concepts, tools, and strategies for managing global manufacturing and service operations. Prerequisites: SCM 801, SCM 822, and SCM 842	3 credits

**This course will be offered on an 8-week schedule in the first half of the semester in which it is offered.

Additional Elective (choose 0 to 3 credits)

If only one supply chain elective is selected above, students have the flexibility to expand their skill set by selecting one business-related elective from the list below.

Title	Abbreviation	Description	Credits
Managerial Accounting	ACCTG 814	Examination of the internal organizational accounting procedures that establish accountability within organizations.	3 credits
Ethical Leadership	BA 804	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
Negotiation Theory and Skills	BA 805	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
Strategic Business Architecture	BA 809	Provides a concentrated and comprehensive approach to the practice of business architecture; focuses on business motivations, business operations and business analysis frameworks, and related networks that link these aspects of the enterprise together.	3 credits
Strategic Leadership	BA 865	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
Strategic Leading and Identity	BA 888	Emphasizes identity issues that are critical to understanding individual and collective processes in organizational life.	3 credits
Descriptive Analytics for Business	BAN 830	Explores the use of descriptive analytics concepts, tools, and techniques throughout a wide range of business scenarios and problems.	3 credits
Business Modeling and New Venture Creation	ENTR 502	An overview of considerations related to launching a startup or new venture within an existing organization, including competitors, best practices, project management, business models, team formation, financing, leadership, and exit plans.	3 credits
Emerging Trends, Technology, and Corporate Innovation	ENTR 810	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
Corporate Innovation Strategies and Entrepreneurial Methods	ENTR 820	Exploration of the formal methodologies, techniques, and domains associated with innovation and entrepreneurship, and how to apply them.	3 credits
Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship	MBADM 531	Understanding, exploring, and applying innovation-related concepts, principles, and practices to corporate environments involved with new venture creation and other contexts.	3 credits
Global Strategic Management	MBADM 571	Integrating multiple functional business areas to resolve global business problems and improve organizational performance.	3 credits
Financial Accounting	MBADM 811	Accounting rules, practices, and applications that characterize the accounting presentations that for-profit organizations provide to the public.	3 credits
Managing and Leading People in Organizations	MBADM 816	Overview of human behavior in organizations, and implications for managing and leading individuals, teams, and organizations.	3 credits
Financial Management	MBADM 820	Application of techniques available to aid managers in sound financial decision making.	3 credits
Marketing in a Global Environment	MBADM 821	Examining strategic issues in global marketing, including opportunity analysis, planning, and implementation.	3 credits
Power and Influence	MGMT 565	Aims to provide students with a toolkit that will allow them to diagnose individual and organizational source of power and influence, as well as array of tactics by which power and influence are wielded.	3 credits
Sustainability Strategy Development	MGMT 811***	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
Strategy Implementation and Organizational Change	MGMT 831	This course 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. Accordingly, the course relies on two overarching frameworks. The first is a model of organizational alignment; the second is a model for managing the change process.	3 credits
Business Transformation Consulting	MGMT 880	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 work flows, explore business models, investigate strategic alignment, develop recommendations, present business cases, and deliver prototype solutions.	3 credits
Management Consulting Methods and Practice	MGMT 885	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
Driving Business Success with Marketing Analytics	MKTG 811	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.	3 credits
Sustainable Supply Chain Management	SCM 813**	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

**This course will be offered on an 8-week schedule in the first half of the semester in which it is offered.

***These courses will be offered on an 8-week schedule in the back half of the semester in which they are offered.

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 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.

*Global Immersion is canceled for 2021 due to the pandemic. We plan to resume the offering in spring 2022.

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.

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