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Online Master's Programs
Online MS Global Supply Chain Management
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Online MS Global Supply Chain Management Curriculum

Global supply chain experts are lynch pin professionals who optimize operations, reduce risk and cost, and ensure goods make it to shelves reliably to meet consumer demand.

The Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business prepares students for the current and future landscape of global supply chains, providing skills to manage supply chains from raw materials, through manufacturing, to distribution. Our Online MSGSCM program focuses equally on both technologies and techniques and puts students to work on real industry projects derived either from outside organizations or Purdue University that are centered on solving problems in global supply chains. Foundational courses elevate your technical and communication skills, and you can select from a variety of electives that allow you to achieve your aspirations.

Your Coursework

 

 

Online MSGSCM students must complete 30 hours of coursework including management of operations, projects, global supply chain, strategic planning, procurement, sustainability, and advanced manufacturing, as well as industry-specific electives for specialization and general business electives to round out your expertise.

Foundational Courses - 5 Credits

As goods and services are produced and distributed, they move through a set of inter-related operations or processes in order to match supply with demand. The design of these operations for strategic advantage, investment in improving their efficiency and effectiveness, and controlling these operations to meet performance objectives is the domain of Operations Management. The primary objective of this course is to provide an overview of this important functional area of business.
This course seeks to introduce different phases of managing projects from conception to termination with particular emphasis on quantitative tools for planning, scheduling, resource allocation, monitoring, and control. In addition, topics such as risk management, communication, and conflict management will be covered. Students will also gain a working knowledge of both @Risk and MSProject softwares. By the end of this course, students will have: understood the importance and challenges of managing projects of various types and sizes; learned and applied tools for project selection, team formation, and requirements gathering; created detailed budgets and schedules; acquired analytical capabilities for monitoring projects and investigating variances in scope, budget, and schedules; and improved their ability to concisely communicate project information to senior management.

Core Courses - 12 credits

A supply chain includes supply, production, storage, distribution, and selling facilities that are connected by material, informational, and financial links. The goal of Supply Chain Management (SCM) is to maximize the economic value that can be generated by managing the strategic design of such supply network and choice of its capacity; the tactical planning of this capacity and related management of production, inventory, and logistics activities; and the operational control of the flows of materials, information, and money and the stocks of physical goods in this network. This course explores how firms can make better SCM choices using various analytical tools and high-level insights needed by supply chain managers and consultants.
Topics covered: supply chain performance; network design and flexibility, transportation, sourcing decisions; demand forecasting, supply and operations planning; coordination and contracting in supply chain; and risk management in supply chain.
Supply Chain Analytics focuses on data-driven and rigorous decision making in supply chain management. It is a complete problem solving and decision making process, and integrates a broad set of analytical methodologies that enables the creation of business value.

With the relentless trend of globalization, procurement has moved from fighting for organizational significance to playing pivotal roles in the success of global firms. In global firms’ profit and loss accounts, the share of material cost and the share of purchased services are growing continuously, underscoring the increasing strategic importance of sourcing and procurement management. This course will address the process of procurement including terminology, metrics, and decision making. We will also explore the sourcing decision and the strategic ramifications of producing/providing goods and services internally or purchasing them from external organizations.

Topics covered: classification of procurement methods, centralized vs. decentralized of procurement functions, building exclusive long-term supplier relationship vs. multiple sourcing, auction design and e-procurement, bargaining/negotiation, and outsourcing (core/noncore business activity).

Global supply chain involves the flows of materials and information among all of the firms in different locations that contribute value to a product, from the source of raw materials to customers. We will integrate issues from marketing (channels of distribution), logistics, and operations management to develop a broad understanding of a global supply chain. By taking a strategic perspective, we will focus on relatively long-term decisions involving the investment in productive resources, the configuration of processes, product designs, and development of partnerships with suppliers and channels of distribution. The course seeks to both improve your understanding of global supply chain strategies and enhance your analytical skills. The course will present several analytical techniques which would aid you in making decisions in the real world. In the meanwhile, the course will introduce you to various aspects, issues, and initiatives in nowadays business operations.

Topics covered: supply chain contracting under exchange risk; operational hedging via selecting capacity portfolio; global product design to mitigate regional demand risks; global product proliferation and its impact on inventory management; mass-customization and global sourcing strategy; and Impact of custom duty and exchange rate on global network design.

The last decade has witnessed the rapid development of manufacturing technology. The internet-triggered revolution, termed Industry 4.0, is expected to change the landscape of manufacturing. The course starts with introducing the basic concepts and models for manufacturing planning and control. Building on the basic knowledge, we discuss the recent trends in manufacturing management triggered by Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), which underscores the importance of data-driven decision-making. Topics covered: aggregate plan, production schedule, and rolling horizon; the role of buffer versus just-in-time; cash-to-cash cycle planning; process control and yield prediction; individualized manufacturing; integrated production and preventive maintenance; manufacturing servitization; and integration of distributed manufacturing network.
In today’s business environment, companies rely on globally dispersed and complex supply chains to manufacture their goods and services. While this strategy provides a competitive advantage in cost, quality, or variety, it also brings significant challenges, especially in the context of environmental, social, and ethical practices. What are the environmental, social, and ethical practices that would move a supply chain towards the goal of sustainability? How can a firm ensure such practices are adopted throughout its entire globally dispersed supply chain? We answer these questions in this course through a mix of lectures, case discussions, simulations, and activities/exercises. Topics covered: life cycle analysis; introduction to circular economy: eco-effectiveness; design for sustainability; product stewardship and closed-loop operations: remanufacturing, recycling, and reuse; responsible and ethical sourcing; compliance with environmental and social regulations; servitization: a circular economy business model; and evaluating risks and opportunities for ethical and sustainable business strategies.

Electives - 13 Credits

Students may choose elective courses to suit their individual interests. They may use as electives any MGMT, ECON or OBHR courses or credits that they have NOT used for filling other requirements.

Plan of Study

The Online MSGSCM at the Daniels School of Business helps students accelerate their careers with high-level expertise in end-to-end sources, a circular economy, regulations, the latest software and data-driven decision making. You’ll apply management techniques, problem solving, programming skills, and the latest technologies to solve case studies, complete projects and learn to make informed decisions that translate across industries and organizations. With a wide variety of electives, you’ll acquire the skills you need to further your career and reach your aspirations.

If you’re considering similar residential or non-degree program offerings, compare the curriculum of our Online MS in Global Supply Chain Management (OMSGSCM) degree with that of our MSGSCM residential program or explore our Online Global Supply Chain Management Graduate Certificate.

Explore the Residential MSGSCM Program
Explore the Graduate Certificate

Want to Learn More?

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