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Supply Chain and Operations Management Minor

College of Business and Management / Marketing, Supply Chain Operations Management, and International Business
Undergraduate minor

About The Program

Supply chain management and operations management are concerned with the flow of materials, information, and money between suppliers, producers and servicing organizations, and customers. The procurement of goods and services, management of inventories, transportation to and from production and service facilities, distribution of goods and services, and information systems support are all key issues in supply chain and operations management. Also, organizations are increasingly seeking improvements in operations through many different initiatives, such as quality management, lean systems, and information systems implementation. Possible career paths include positions in purchasing, transportation management, inventory management, forecasting, production planning and management, service management, distribution, and retail management.

This minor will provide students with the supply chain and operations management core concepts and skills that will add depth and breadth to students majoring in other disciplines. Supply chain and operations management adds an additional skill set and knowledge base for those students with majors in the College of Management. For those with prior experience in the areas of supply chain and operations management, there exists a pathway to the minor based on certifications from professional organizations such as APICS , ISM, and CSCMP. This is especially relevant for those choosing Individualized Majors.

How to enroll

Current students: Declare this program

Once you’re admitted as an undergraduate student and have met any further admission requirements your chosen program may have, you may declare a major or declare an optional minor.

Future students: Apply now

Apply to Metropolitan State: Start the journey toward your Supply Chain and Operations Management Minor now. Learn about the steps to enroll or, if you have questions about what Metropolitan State can offer you, request information, visit campus or chat with an admissions counselor.

Get started on your Supply Chain and Operations Management Minor

Program eligibility requirements

Students must earn a grade of S or C- or above in courses to be used to meet prerequisites.

Courses and Requirements

SKIP TO COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Supply Chain and Operations Management Minor Residency Requirement: At least 12 credits from among the Minor Required Courses and Minor Electives must be completed at Metropolitan State. See also the CBM policies page for requirements that are common to all programs.

Requirements (16-24 credits)

+ Business majors requirement

Students pursuing one of the business majors in the College of Business and Management are required to take the following courses listed below in their business programs. Students with CPIM, CSCP, SCPro or similar professional certifications and/or extensive professional experience in the field may contact the curriculum coordinator to discuss a waiver for DSci 434 Introduction to Operations Management and required prerequisites for the Supply Chain and Operations Management MINOR only.

This course is the first information technology foundation course in the College of Management. It focuses on the technology literacy, managerial and business problem solving dimensions of computer based information systems. It provides students with an introduction to the fundamental terminology of the hardware, software and the people involved with computer based information systems. The course includes hands on computer lab time to introduce students to word processing, database, spread sheet, and Internet microcomputer applications. This course is designed specifically to prepare students for information technology competence as needed in College of Management courses.

Full course description for Fundamentals of Information Technology in Organizations

This course develops the fundamental concepts of algebra with an emphasis on the classification and analysis of linear, quadratic, polynomial, exponential and logarithmic functions. Applications to the natural and social sciences are given throughout. It aims to provide insights into the nature and utility of mathematics, and helps students develop mathematical reasoning skills.

Full course description for College Algebra

This course covers the basic principles and methods of statistics. It emphasizes techniques and applications in real-world problem solving and decision making. Topics include frequency distributions, measures of location and variation, probability, sampling, design of experiments, sampling distributions, interval estimation, hypothesis testing, correlation and regression.

Full course description for Statistics I

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the fundamental concepts and techniques of production and operations management for both service and manufacturing organizations. It will address the role of operations in relation to other functions and the methods to increase organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Topics covered include: product and service design, capacity planning, design of work systems, location planning and analysis, material requirements planning, supply-chain management, enterprise resource planning, inventory management, total quality management, Six Sigma, lean enterprise and kaizen approaches, aggregate planning, just-in-time systems, scheduling, and project planning. Also included are tools and processes used in operations decisions such as forecasting, breakeven analysis, and critical path method using available software.

Full course description for Introduction to Operations Management

+ Required (12 credits)

This course examines those activities involved in planning, implementing and controlling the flows of raw materials, in-process inventories, and finished goods from the points of origin to the points of consumption at the lowest total cost. Topics covered include enterprise resource planning; forecasting; inventory management; transportation modes, services and rates; warehousing; information systems; performance measurement; quality; materials handling; customer services; and the overall management of logistical functions. The computerized information programs intending to support the management functions are also treated. Special emphasis is placed on building business analysis skills to assess the feasibility and cost benefit of its functions to support logistics operations.

Full course description for Logistics in Supply Chain

This course addresses tools, techniques, and strategies used in service and manufacturing organizations for management and controlling internal and enterprise supply chains. Topics include demand management, forecasting, sales and operations planning, production scheduling, material requirements planning, capacity planning, just-in-time, distribution requirements planning, order-point inventory control methods, and strategic design of planning and control systems.

Full course description for Supply Chain Planning and Control

This course integrates planning, design and analysis to develop a holistic view of supply chain and operations through problems, cases, research papers, readings, projects, and presentations. It requires students to describe, analyze, review and critique important design and planning features of supply chain and operations management. Student will work individually or in groups to develop a project/research paper to analyze an existing complex supply chain and operations function. Students will also explore supply chain and operations through readings, papers, guest lectures, and videos. The focus of the course is on experiential learning and critical analysis. Students will learn critical tools like optimization, models, decision trees, and network analysis.

Full course description for Supply Chain and Operations Management Strategy

+ Electives (4 credits)

The focus of this course is the strategic role of the management accountant in an organization and the use of financial and nonfinancial information for planning and control decisions. Special emphasis is placed on strategy and the application of concepts and practices of management accounting on economic and noneconomic decisions. Topics include: cost behavior and estimation; cost analysis for planning and control decisions including value chain analysis, target costing, quality costs, customer value measurement systems, and benchmarking; cross-functional teams; activity-based management; and cash and operations budgeting.

Full course description for Strategic Management Accounting

This course reviews the purposes, philosophies and organization of the U.S. legal system. It provides an intensive study of the law which governs contracts for services, real estate, employment, insurance, trademark, patents and copyrights. Topics covered include legally binding contract requirements (offer and acceptance, legality of subject matter, capacity of parties and contractual consideration); circumstances which require a contract to be in writing; defenses for avoiding contractual liability; and legal remedies for breach of contract. It also focuses on the articles of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which govern the rights and obligations of parties to transactions involving the sale of goods (Article II), commercial paper such as checks, notes and drafts (Article II), and financing arrangements in which one party gives another a security interest in property (Article IX) and the effects of federal bankruptcy laws on these transactions.

Full course description for Business Law: UCC and Contracts

This course will address special topics, current issues and research trends in supply chain and operations management field. The supply chain and operations management field is undergoing some rapid change due to driving factors such as globalization, technology change, and environmental concerns. The course will revolve around five themes or topics: (1) managing risks; (2) theory of constraint, (3) lean management; (4) green, environment and carbon issues; and (5) globalization. Other specialized topics may be added as the field undergoes changes. Prerequisites: DSCI 434 Intro. to Operations Management

Full course description for Special Topics in Supply Chain and Operations

This course focuses on developing the skills needed to become a successful project manager and project team member. Topics covered include all aspects of project management from project initiation issues and project planning to scheduling, organization, implementation, monitoring progress and controlling to achieve desired project results. Also included are project management techniques such as PERT, CPM and project evaluation methods using Microsoft Project software.

Full course description for Project Management

This course examines several frameworks to the management of organizational excellence, including Deming Juran, the Baldrige Award, ISO, and Six Sigma. Topics include customer focus, leadership, management by fact, strategic planning, human resources, continuous improvement of processes and business results.

Full course description for Managing Quality

This course examines the role of information systems applications involved in supporting supply chain and logistics operations. Topics covered include electronic purchasing/RFQ, Warehouse management systems, Warehouse Technology, Bar coding / RFID, mobile solutions for distribution and field force automation, MRP/ERP, Enterprise Asset Management and the Internet of Things, Transportation systems. Special emphasis is placed on building analytical skills for the detailed assessment of vendor software solutions in the supply chain arena.

Full course description for Supply Chain Information Systems

This course focuses on activities concerned with materials and inventory requirements, from receiving the materials to their introduction into the manufacturing processes. Topics discussed include objectives and organization for materials management, total quality management, materials requirement planning, traffic management, warehousing, automated inventory control systems, and legal and ethical considerations in materials management.

Full course description for Materials Management

This course examines the use of retail information systems applications at an advanced level to improve efficiency and effectiveness of retail stores and chain retailers. Topics covered include: Retail data configuration (the story of a sku), Merchandise planning and IT, Purchasing replenishment and IT, Role of IT in Merchandising and store operations, Post-season analytics. The course will prominently feature hands-on exercises with actual Retail management software. The software used may include Oracle Retail, SAP Retail, Microsoft Dynamics AX, etc.

Full course description for Retail Information Systems

NOTE: You can choose to do an internship in supply chain and operations for elective credits. Please contact your advisor or department chair for more information.