New Master’s Degree in Supply Chain Management
The Department of Administrative Sciences at MET has announced a new Master of Science in Supply Chain Management, to be offered online, on campus, and in a blended format. The master’s degree program includes three industry-specific concentrations in Global Business, Logistics Management, and Quantitative Approaches. Last fall, the department introduced a graduate certificate program in Supply Chain Management. Courses completed in the certificate program can be applied to the new degree program, upon acceptance and with an advisor’s approval.
Press Release
Boston University’s Metropolitan College Announces
New Master’s Degree in Supply Chain Management
June 2017, Boston—The Department of Administrative Sciences at Boston University’s Metropolitan College (MET) announces a new Master of Science program in Supply Chain Management. Offered evenings on campus as well as online or in a blended format, the new master’s program will appeal to industry professionals who seek expertise in the three areas of concentration available: Global Business, Logistics Management, and Quantitative Approaches. The College also offers a four-course graduate certificate in Supply Chain Management. Courses completed in the graduate certificate can be applied to the master’s program, upon acceptance and with an advisor’s approval.
The evolving challenges of product and service delivery in the modern global context require that businesses prioritize responsive and agile supply chain practices, or face turmoil. On a scale previously unheard of, consumers buy products and services produced around the world. These transactions are supported by a complex infrastructure of shipping providers offering services such as tracking and live delivery updates. The 2017 annual industry report by logistics group MHI notes that there were more than a billion transactions generated in a single day (Cyber Monday 2016) for just one major online retailer. Adapting to such advances in logistics, technology, computing power, and data analytics demands innovative practices, along with an influx of professionals who are capable of managing increasingly complex global networks. According to MHI, the U.S. alone will need to fill around 1.4 million supply chain jobs by 2018.
To meet this growing need, the Master of Science in Supply Chain Management curriculum examines the design, optimization, and operation of a global supply chain, while covering the essentials of lean production, coordination, risk mitigation, strategic logistics management, and import-export operations. Graduates of the program, which can be completed in 18 to 24 months, will be able to analyze business process flows and control the flow of materials, information, and services across the supply chain of a corporation. There are three areas of specialization from which to choose:
- The Global Business concentration provides an understanding of the issues that arise when managing global business structures, including decision-making competency in the areas of international trade, logistics, and multinational finance.
- The Logistics Management concentration provides a solid foundation in the qualitative and quantitative methods used by logistics and transportation managers of complex global supply chains.
- The Quantitative Approaches concentration provides the advanced quantitative skills needed to analyze and manage complex supply chains.
“The development of a new graduate program in supply chain management is driven by current industry demands and workforce requirements,” says Dr. John Sullivan, associate professor and chair of Administrative Sciences. “We are committed to providing our students with knowledge and skills in the areas of highest demand by the industry, and which will offer our graduates distinct competitive advantages in the current and future job markets.”
The Supply Chain Management master’s degree program is taught by full-time faculty members who have extensive leadership experience in manufacturing and management, and who are highly respected for their innovative research on inventory control, project management, and the application of operations management techniques to nonprofit-sector logistics challenges. The program underpins its dynamic academic curriculum with innovative educational technologies, flexible delivery modes, and direct professional contacts with industry leaders in supply chain management. Whether on campus or online, courses utilize advanced pedagogy and the latest digital learning concepts such as video conferencing, live lectures and seminars, proctored assessments, access to proprietary software applications within virtual labs and the cloud, creative learning, teamwork, and competitive games offered with the help of advanced business simulations.
“As today’s global supply chain networks become more complex, the need for companies to effectively design and manage their supply chains is ever increasing,” says Assistant Professor Canan Gunes Corlu, who serves as faculty director for the program. “MET’s new Supply Chain Management program will help students acquire the techniques and state-of-the-art tools used in the process of the design and management of global supply chains.”
For more information about MET’s new Master of Science in Supply Chain Management, please visit bu.edu/met/programs/graduate/supply-chain-management.
About Boston University
Founded in 1839, Boston University today is internationally recognized as a top institution of higher learning and research. With more than 33,000 students from all 50 states and 140 countries, it is the fourth-largest independent university in the United States. BU consists of 17 schools and colleges, offering more than 250 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and special degree programs. Collectively, the BU network has more than 340,000 alumni, worldwide.
About Metropolitan College
As one of Boston University’s 17 degree-granting bodies, Metropolitan College (MET) has helped broaden the reach of BU for more than half a century, with part-time study during the evening and through innovative online and blended programs. Today, the College hosts more than 70 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, along with hundreds of individual courses, that support the academic, professional and intellectual needs of working adults. For more information visit bu.edu/met.
About the Department of Administrative Sciences
MET’s Department of Administrative Sciences responds to the educational demands of students by providing industry-specific academic programs that are innovative, scholarly, challenging, interdisciplinary, and practically focused. Degree and certificate programs incorporate the technologies necessary so they can be delivered at times, places, and in formats that meet a wide array of learning needs. The department’s programs are accredited by AACSB International—the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Master’s degree programs in Administrative Studies (Boston) and management (online) are accredited by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) Program Accreditation System (EPAS). In addition, the Master of Science program in Project Management is accredited by the Project Management Institute (PMI) Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs (GAC). In 2017, U.S. News & World Report ranked the department’s master’s degree programs in management #10 among the nation’s best Online Graduate Business Programs.