Supply Chain Programs

Undergraduate Majors

Supply chain management professionals ensure that the desired product is available to the customer in the right condition and quantity and at the right time, place, and cost. To perform this function efficiently, firms need to coordinate logistics, transportation, warehouse location and operation, inventory management, packaging and other functions in a cost-effective manner. In this age of globalization, supply chain management professionals actively operate at the hub of an organization, interacting regularly with all other departments in the firm, including sales and marketing, finance, and operations, and with suppliers and customers located around the world. The focus of Supply Chain Management is on the application of models to increase the efficiency of organizations. Students in this major use state-of-the-art software applications to develop ways of increasing the efficiency of the flow of goods and services across organizations, from suppliers, to manufactures, to retailers, to end consumers. Supply Chain Management majors often double major with complimentary majors like Operations Management, Marketing, Information Systems, International Business and Finance.

Learn more about undergraduate majors

Sampling of Undergraduate Courses

BMGT 332 Operations Research For Management Decisions (3 credits) 
Prerequisite: BMGT 230. Surveys the philosophy, techniques, and applications of operations research to managerial decision making. The course is designed primarily for students not majoring in management science or statistics. Techniques covered include linear programming, transportation and assignment models, Markov processes, inventory and queuing models. Emphasis is placed on formulating and solving decision problems in the functional areas of management.

BMGT 370 Introduction to Transportation in the Supply Chain (3 credits) 
An overview of transportation, with an emphasis on freight, from the perspective of both carriers and users. Explores the financial, economic, and government drivers of transportation. Develops the characteristics of the freight modes and examines their roles as major components of logistics and supply chain management.

BMGT 372 Introduction to Logistics and Supply Chain Management (3 credits) 
The study of logistics and supply chain management involving the movement and storage of supplies, work-in-progress and finished goods. Logistics cost trade-offs within the firm and between members of the supply chain are examined.

BMGT 373 Logistics, Transportation, and Supply Chain Management Internship (3 credits) 
Prerequisite: Permission of the department. Involves supervised work experience in supply chain management, logistics and/or transportation. Students will be expected to relate course material to work experience in an analysis of a firm's operations.

BMGT 385 Production Management (3 credits) 
Studies the operation of a manufacturing enterprise, concentrating on the economies of production. Introduces analytical method so that the broad problem areas of system design, operation and control can be based upon the analytical method.

BMGT 470 Advanced Transportation Management (3 credits) 
Prerequisite: BMGT 370. An in-depth study of a wide range of transportation issues facing managers, from the perspectives of both carriers and users, in the various modes and in multi-modal/intermodal settings. Current U.S. and international transportation issues, including strategies, financing, service, competitive aspects, and government policies/promotion, are reviewed and analyzed in the context of supply chain management.

BMGT 472 Advanced Logistics Operations (3 credits) 
Prerequisite: BMGT 372. Analysis of the operational aspects of logistics management, including purchasing policies, transportation planning, and inventory control. Attention is directed toward total logistics cost minimization and the establishment of a sustainable competitive advantage based on logistical activities.

BMGT 476 Applied Computer Models in Supply Chain Management (3 credits) 
Prerequisite: BMGT 370, BMGT 372. Introduction to the expanding base of computer software in the field of supply chain management. Applications include: demand planning and forecasting, transportation planning, warehouse management systems, and other relevant modules.

BMGT 477 International Supply Chain Management (3 credits) 
Prerequisite: BMGT 372. The study of the importance of the supply chain management concept within an international arena. Coverage of the structure, service, pricing, and competitive relationships among international carriers and transport intermediaries, documentation, location decisions, international sourcing and distribution, and management of inventory throughout the international supply chain.

MBA Electives

Smith's MBA electives enable you to build a personalized portfolio of management knowledge and skills. In addition to acquiring expertise in one or more functional areas of business, you'll further develop your ability to analyze, synthesize, and communicate. Elective course content is both timeless-exploring theories that are the foundation for modern business practice and timely incorporating the "best practices" emerging from today's technology-powered global markets.

Global Business and Knowledge Management

These electives when combined with electives from other areas enhance a student's preparation for a management career in the global, knowledge-based business environment.

Global Business and Knowledge Management Electives:

• Environment of International Business (BUSI 761)
• Global Business and Knowledge Management (BUSI 762)
• International Marketing (BUMK 753)
• International Financial Management (BUFN 724)

International Business

International business electives provide a broad look at issues global organizations face across the enterprise. Taught by faculty with extensive global research and consulting experiences, students explore international marketing, finance, management, and organizational behavior strategies. Optional study abroad activities, including week-long study trips and semester exchange programs, provide a global business perspective.

International Business Electives:

• Competing in Global High Technology Industries (BULM 758)
• Environment of International Business (BUSI 761)
• Global Business and Knowledge Management (BUSI 762)
• International Accounting (BUAC 715)
• International Financial Management (BUFN 724)
• Global Trade Logistics (BULM 733)
• International Marketing (BUMK 753)
• Global Strategy (BUMO 754)
• Organizational Behavior: A Multi-cultural Perspective (BUMO 722)

Supply Chain Management

BUSI 672 - Global Supply Chain Management – 2 credits
Offers a practical blueprint for understanding, building, implementing, and sustaining supply chains in today's rapidly changing global supply chain environment. Provides a survey of the evolution of supply chain strategies, business models and technologies; current best practices in demand and supply management; and methodologies for conducting supply chain-wide diagnostic assessments and formulating process improvement plans.

BULM 733 - Global Trade Logistics – 2 credits
Acquaints students with managerial issues in international logistics and transportation, and provides students with an understanding of issues related to import/export management and the global marketplace.

BULM 742 – Global Supply Chain Resources Planning – 2 credits
ProvideS students with an overall understanding of how firms use an advanced supply chain planning (ASCP) application as an integral part of their materials management process which includes such activities as production planning, materials requirements planning, and distribution requirements planning. Students are given a lab-based, hands-on experience with the Oracle ASCP package. This functionality offers firms a holistic approach to planning that allows a company to optimize its operations with respect to specific, stated objectives. Students are also introduced to the analytical models underlying the ASCP system. To further broaden their experience, students are also exposed to the SAP system.

BULM 744 – Global Supply Chain Risk Management – 2 credits
Explores enterprise resilience from multiple perspectives: from the supply chain manager’s concerns about how to help the enterprise adapt to day to day uncertainties in operations, in demand & supply; to the network planner’s concern about how to ensure business continuity after low probability high impact events such as a terrorist attack or earthquake.  

Master of Science in Supply Chain Management

Today’s supply chains are truly global. Effective supply chain management is crucial and solves many of the problems encountered by businesses today. Supply chain professionals are sought after in a wide variety of industries, with new and growing opportunities in biotech, cyber-security – even aid logistics.

Whether you’re a recent graduate with an interest in how goods move around the globe, or a manager who would like to broaden your understanding of the global supply chain, the Smith Master of Science in Supply Chain Management will help you develop strong managerial skills and make connections with supply chain executives from a cross-section of industries. You’ll be prepared to lead innovation that drives business growth, promotes efficiency and helps sustain the planet - and gain the relevant, real-world experience most sought after by recruiters.

Our outstanding teaching and research faculty is unparalleled and consistently ranks among the top five American universities in research productivity in top-tier logistics, supply chain management and transportation journals.

The Supply Chain Management Center (SCMC), established in 1998, was one of the first SCM centers in academia, garnering clients such as the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). The center builds on the university’s half-century commitment to advancing supply chain practices and research, and is distinguished by state-of-the-art technology. It has built working prototypes of leading-edge supply chain portals, developed RFID demos to help hospitals lower costs and improve patient care by managing their inventories in real time, and, through its collaboration with Delft University in the Netherlands and with Interactive Learning Solutions (ILS), Inc., created the world’s first real-time global supply chain game, helping students prepare for careers and compete for jobs by learning in a decision-rich environment that closely mimics today’s complex global supply chain. A new version of this game has been designed to mirror volatility in a global environment. The center is currently working on a multidisciplinary collaboration with the University of Maryland to design a national test bed for Cyber Supply Chain Risk management.

We have one of the most technologically advanced facilities in the world for research in supply chain management – our Supply Chain Laboratory. The lab provides students with the opportunity to receive training in industry leading supply chain software, such as SAP enterprise resource planning (ERP) and i2 network design.

Classes are held at the University of Maryland’s College Park campus, located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region, an area which spans from Baltimore to northern Virginia and boasts employment opportunities in private industry, government, not-for-profit, and the military.

Learn more about the Master of Science in Supply Chain Management

PhD in Supply Chain Management

The doctoral program in Supply Chain Management is designed to produce outstanding scholars in the fields of logistics, transportation, and supply chain management. Graduates of the program are well-qualified to take academic positions in colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. Recent graduates have accepted full-time positions at the following academic institutions: the University of Texas at San Antonio, Arizona State University, Ohio State University, Lehigh University, University of Houston, Michigan State University, National Taiwan University and the University of Arkansas. Students in the PhD program achieve excellence through (1) extensive preparation in the major, a related minor, and associated research tools (primarily statistics or operations research); (2) joint research with faculty; (3) independent research culminating in a doctoral dissertation; and (4) the teaching of courses for undergraduate majors in logistics, transportation, and supply chain management.

Admissions

The Supply Chain Management faculty at the Robert H. Smith School of Business seeks to attract PhD students with strong academic credentials interested in pursuing academic careers. Applicants should have a strong interest in both research and teaching. Only students willing to work on their PhD on a full-time basis will be considered for admission. No part-time students will be admitted into the program. Competition for spots in the Supply Chain Management PhD program is keen. In recent years, 30-40 applications have been received for admission into the Supply Chain Management PhD program but only two or three students per year have been admitted. Admission totals depend on the quality of the applicant pool and the availability of resources to support students. Although the completion of a master’s level degree is not a requirement for admission to the PhD program in Supply Chain Management, it is one criterion used to assess the potential ability of applicants to complete the PhD program. Other criteria used to assess applicants include interest in pursuing an academic career in Supply Chain Management; relevant academic and work experience; math, verbal, and oral communication skills; and English language abilities.

Applicants seeking admission into the Supply Chain Management PhD program should follow the procedures outlined on the website of the Robert H. Smith School of Business PhD program. The required "Statement of Purpose" should indicate the applicant's career intentions and program goals as closely as possible. Preparation in differential and integral calculus (2 semesters of calculus) is an admission requirement. All applicants must be interviewed as part of the admissions process. Interviews will take place either face-to-face or over the telephone.

Applications to the Supply Chain Management PhD program will be considered during the spring semester, generally during March and April. Interviews will take place during that time. Admission decisions are made by the Supply Chain Management faculty subject to approval by the Director of the PhD program and the availability of financial aid as determined by the Dean’s Office.

Program Structure and Requirements

Each student develops a detailed Program Plan in consultation with the Supply Chain Management PhD Advisor and the Director of the PhD Program. The process of program planning can begin at the time of application and continue at orientation/registration. A complete Program Plan should be in force for each student by the end of the first semester, and subsequent modifications require explicit approval.

Formal transfer credit is not granted; however, course work successfully completed at other institutions may be accepted as fulfilling some part of the Program Plan, with the approval of the PhD Director and the Supply Chain Management PhD Advisor. As the Graduate School Handbook emphasizes, a doctoral degree is "earned by competence" (as demonstrated in exams and research), not by the completion of course requirements alone.

The Supply Chain Management Doctoral Program consists of the following four elements:

1. Major field – Logistics & Transportation (18 credits)
2. Minor field (12 credits)
3. Research tools (12 credits)
4. Additional course requirements vary depending on the educational background of the student but may include a graduate course in economics, two MBA core courses, and a research methods course. A student wishing to pursue a double major would need to take 18 credits in a second major field (instead of 12 credits for a minor field) increasing total requirements by 6 credits.

Both major and minor field courses are typically satisfied by taking doctoral seminars. Although the title and content of the Supply Chain Management doctoral seminar are subject to change, the six major field seminars may be as follows:

1. Logistics Research
2. Supply Chain Research
3. Supply Chain and Information Technology
4. Logistics Modeling
5. Industrial Organization
6. Transportation and Supply Chain Economics

In each of the seminars, students read relevant research papers and are tested on their knowledge of these papers. As well, students are required to write research papers for each of the seminars.

Students are encouraged to choose a minor field that fits well with their academic interests. Minor fields that work well with Supply Chain Management majors include Marketing, Management Science, Information Systems, and Strategic Management.

Research Paper Requirements

Conducting high-quality research is an integral part of the doctoral program, and writing publication-quality research papers is an important component of the doctoral seminars in Supply Chain Management. As part of the curriculum, each student is required to write one research paper in the first year of his/her program and a second research paper in the second year of his/her program. The grades received on these papers count towards course grades. In addition, students are expected to submit the research papers to reputable refereed journals; i.e., one submission at the end of the first year of the program and one at the end of the second year, after receiving permission from the Supply Chain Management faculty. Students must meet this requirement in a timely manner to remain in good standing in the program.

Steps in the Doctoral Program

1. Course Work – A typical path toward completion of a PhD degree would begin with two to three years of course work. This time will vary depending upon a student's background and requirements.
2. Paper Requirements - Two research papers must be submitted to acceptable refereed journals before comprehensive exams are taken.
3. Comprehensive Exam – After Supply Chain Management major credit requirements are completed, typically after two years of course work, and the paper requirements are met, students write their comprehensive exam. The general policy is that the comprehensive exam is subdivided into six questions, each testing knowledge from one of the Supply Chain Management seminars.
4. Oral Comprehensive Exam – An oral exam is only required if the student earns less than a grade of pass on the written comprehensive exam.
5. PhD Dissertation Proposal – The dissertation proposal is defended by a PhD candidate after the student has made progress on defining a dissertation topic and writing about the proposed topic. All faculty and other PhD students are invited to attend and participate in the proposal defense.
6. PhD Dissertation Defense – The final step is for the candidate is to complete the thesis research and defend the results. The dissertation must exhibit the candidate's competence in analysis, interpretation, and presentation of research findings, and should be a major contribution to the literature. The candidate must defend the dissertation in a public defense.

The typical time for completion of the PhD program is 4-5 years of full-time work. Throughout the PhD program, a student will have the opportunity to discuss plans and progress with a number of faculty members. In addition, there will be an annual review of the student’s progress with the Supply Chain Management PhD advisor.

Financial Aid

Please see the PhD Program website for a discussion of financial aid.

Faculty

National prominence among leading universities requires, among other things, a strong faculty research orientation. Maryland's faculty clearly has this orientation and the research efforts of faculty members have led to numerous publications in leading academic journals. The members of the Supply Chain Management faculty are also active in various editorial and reviewing capacities for the leading journals. High-quality teaching is an essential requirement demanded of our Supply Chain Management faculty and the faculty's teaching efforts have consistently ranked among the best in the College.

Computer Resources

Through the University of Maryland and the Robert H. Smith School of Business, students have access to a wide array of software packages that may be used for research purposes.

Further Information

Further information is available from the PhD program website.