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Master of Supply Chain Management (MSCM)

The John Molson advantage

Why the Master of Supply Chain Management program?

APPLIED RESEARCH

CAREER SUPPORT

DIVERSE ENVIRONMENT

VIBRANT STUDENT COMMUNITY

AGRE

PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE

EXPERT FACULTY

SMALL CLASS SIZES

Globalization and advances in information technologies have led to an extensive array of new business perspectives and applications. On one hand, globalization has resulted in conducting business across boundaries and geographies. On the other hand, advances in information and web based technologies have facilitated the coordination and close integration of various stakeholders along supply chains. As a result, a fundamental shift in management has occurred over the last two decades from managing a ‘unit environment’ to managing a ‘chain environment’.

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is an interdisciplinary, integrated approach to the management of material, information and cash flows along supply chains. It involves the disciplines of supply chain operations management, marketing, finance, management, information technology management, business intelligence, and industrial engineering.

The John Molson Master of Supply Chain Management is designed for those who wish to develop an advanced understanding of key theoretical concepts and strategies in SCM. This graduate business program is research-based, requiring students to complete a thesis during the second half of the program. The program helps to sharpen the skills and expertise needed to manage large research projects. Those who wish to move on to studies at the doctoral level will find that the program provides a solid theoretical base for advanced research and consulting work. The tools, techniques and approaches employed educate and challenge students to be critical thinkers, problem identifiers and solvers using scientific approaches, where the solutions proposed bear both academic and business merit.

Canadian students are able to pursue the program on a full-time or part-time basis, while all students are offered the room to refine their area of expertise within the field of SCM.

The John Molson Master of Supply Chain Management exposes students to the interdisciplinary nature of SCM while placing a greater emphasis on supply chain operations management. Rather than taking a logistics-based perspective of SCM that mostly focuses on managing material flow, the program addresses the acute need to effectively manage the flow of material, information and money along supply chains. Thus, the program aims to provide a broader understanding of the role of supply chain management in organizations and its interactions with various business functions.

The course offering is loyal to the integrated spirit of SCM. As such, our students learn how to:

  • understand the interdisciplinary nature of SCM;
  • analyze and design supply chains using appropriate quantitative and qualitative tools, techniques and approaches;
  • develop quantitative modeling skills in managing supply chains and using various software in this respect;
  • develop research skills;
  • effectively convey findings and visually present data;
  • generate solutions to supply chain problems that have academic and business merit.

Students with non-SCM and non-industrial engineering undergraduate degrees / backgrounds may be required to complete a maximum of three courses prior to joining the program.

Flexibility to develop your research interests and ideas

The program has been deliberately designed to broadly encompass the field of SCM while allowing students to refine their particular area of interest within the field. Although you need to have a good idea of what you might like to research in the program, you do not need to have a thesis proposal or a thesis supervisor in order to apply. Our flexible program gives you the freedom to develop your research interests and ideas.

Producing a thesis

The thesis component of John Molson’s research-based Masters builds upon what is learned during the courses component in the first half of the program. The thesis is an in-depth, academic paper that provides candidates with the opportunity to explore and investigate their particular area of interest, all while contributing to knowledge in that field. Research methods are various and can be cross-sectional, longitudinal, based on case studies or experimental in design. It measures data gathered on survey questionnaires, interviews, archives and field observation.

Managing a thesis project is an excellent way for candidates to demonstrate their passion and to hone their specialization in preparation for either PhD studies or careers as industry experts in their respective fields. Producing a thesis helps to develop time management, research and writing, critical thinking, communication and presentation skills. These skills, combined with the passion, dedication and effort required to undertake a thesis project, are highly sought after by top employers, who may also be interested in the research and findings generated.

Developing practical research skills

Through the thesis, each candidate takes a deep-dive into their particular thesis topic. By building on a solid theoretical foundation,