Program details
The Master of/Magisteriate in Supply Chain Management is a 16-month applied research program consisting of both course work (seminars) and an applied research project. Most course work is completed in the first year of the program, while the research project is completed in the second year.
The MSCM program provides excellent preparation for students interested in an inter-disciplinary perspective, exposing them to a number of business and engineering areas, including marketing, industrial engineering, statistics, finance, change and stakeholder management and information systems. Students will learn to bring an integrated approach to operations management, logistics, procurement, and information technology to manage materials, inventory and goods from their points of origin to their points of consumption.
Summary
- The JMSB MSCM is a 45-credit program consisting of 10 three-credit seminars and a fifteen-credit applied research project.
- Full-time students normally complete the program within 16 months.
- Part-time students take three to four years.
- The first part of the MSCM program is made up of:
- 2 core seminars
- 5 Supply Chain Management seminars
- 3 elective seminars
- One 15-credit Applied Research Project
Schedule
The schedule for the MSCM classes will be available soon. As the program is small, classes will only be offered once per year and during the day. Part-time students are welcome in the program but may have to make arrangements with their employer to attend classes.
| Seminar/credit type | Course |
|---|---|
| Core |
|
| Supply Chain Management |
|
| Elective |
|
| Applied research projects |
|
Course descriptions
Core seminars (6 credits)
Program: MSc
Various Linear Model topics in statistical analysis applied to business and economic problems will be reviewed. This will include design of experiments, analysis of variance, multiple regression, model building, multi-collinearity influential observations, variable selection techniques, ANOVA models with random effects, analysis of covariance etc. Case studies illustrating the different areas of application will be used.
Prerequisites & notes
Program: MSc
The objective of this seminar is to provide a basic understanding of the research process and a knowledge of the methods used in the design and execution of scientific research relevant to social sciences, and specifically the business context. The seminar helps students to develop skills needed to assess the feasibility and potential contribution of proposed studies, and to critically evaluate research reported by others. The application of relevant research methods are reviewed through discussions of exemplary articles published in leading journals. Cornerstone topics in this seminar include: theory construction, measurement, overview of data collection methods, reliability, as well as internal and external validity issues.
Prerequisites & notes
Students who have taken MSCA 612, MSCA 613 or MSCA 614 may not take this seminar for credit.
Supply Chain Management seminars (15 credits)
Program: MSCM
This seminar emphasizes the theoretical and practical aspects of advanced optimization modelling techniques in supply chain planning. Among the topics covered are network optimization, non-linear programming, stochastic programming, Markov processes and application of duality in developing decomposition-based solution approaches for large linear and integer models. Use of commercial modelling platform and optimization software are an integral part of this seminar.
Prerequisites & notes
Program: MSCM
This seminar covers the practices, techniques and regulations associated with sourcing and movement of materials in the global supply chains. Among the topics covered on sourcing are impact of globalization on sourcing, supplier evaluation and selection, supplier performance management, purchasing, electronic procurement, negotiations, contract law, supplier relationship management. Issues in global logistics are discussed in the second half of the seminar. Among the topics covered are distribution channels, warehousing, transportation management, reverse logistics, green logistics and sustainability, and cross-border issues in logistics. The coverage is supplemented by case studies and research articles.
Prerequisites & notes
Program: MSCM
Prerequisite: MSCM 681 or equivalent. This seminar focuses on managerial and modelling issues in supply chain design and coordination along the supply chain. Models in facility location, distribution networks and global supply chain networks are studied. The strategic aspects of supply chain design are discussed in terms of competitive drivers. The second part of the seminar deals with coordination issues. Among the concepts and models covered in this respect are supply chain contracts, collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment, bullwhip effect, postponement, and vendor managed inventory. Articles, case studies, optimization software and simulation game are used as part of seminar delivery.
Prerequisites & notes
Program: MSCM
The seminar presents advanced forecasting tools that assist market analysis, revenue management tools that optimize operational performance and approaches in building flexibilities to enhance manufacturing and organizational capabilities. Among the topics covered are advanced forecasting models, judgemental forecasting and adjustment, customer relationship management, consumer choice models, dynamic pricing, capacity control, network revenue management, manufacturing and organizational flexibilities. The seminar content is delivered via a combination of lectures, case analyses and research articles.
Prerequisites & notes
Program: MSCM
Prerequisite: MSCM 681 or equivalent. Strategies for managing the various risks along the supply chain are studied. Quantitative and qualitative approaches used in analyzing such risks and scenarios are covered. The seminar discusses risk identification and management, trade-offs in risk management, strategies for robustness, scenario planning, financial risks and disruption planning. The approaches used for modelling and analyzing the supply chain risks are presented through lectures, case analyses and research articles.
Prerequisites & notes
Elective seminars (9 credits)
Students must take 9 credits from the following selection of specialized seminars that are offered on a rotating basis, subject to the academic advisor’s approval.
*At most one elective seminar at the graduate level can be taken outside of JMSB.
Program: MSc
Theoretical and empirical issues on the valuation and the financial use of options and futures are studied in this seminar. The seminar begins with an introduction of the options and futures markets and proceeds with the developments of pricing models for evaluating these securities. Several different types of options and futures contracts (such as stock index options, options on debt instruments and currencies, interest rate and stock index futures) are introduced and strategies for using them for arbitrage, hedging, and speculative purposes are discussed.
Prerequisites & notes
Program: MSc
Changes in topic will be indicated by the letter following this seminar number e.g., MSCA 632A, MSCA 632B, etc.
Prerequisites & notes
Program: MSc
This course is a research-oriented seminar, in which we will explore a number of different theoretical perspectives on organizations and organizational environments. The primary aim of the seminar is to introduce students to an understanding of how organizational scholars have conceptualized and studied organizations as social systems and how these social systems interact with and are embedded in the context of an external environment. Particular attention is given to how organizations can be understood, both internally and in relation to the environment, as social structures composed of relationships, interdependencies, and social-cultural institutions. At the end of the seminar, students would have acquired a sophisticated understanding of the social and social cognitive context through which behaviour by people in organizations is both facilitated and constrained.
Prerequisites & notes
Program: MSc
The course objectives are to provide students with an understanding of the field of strategic management and the strategic management research. To accomplish these goals, the course will cover the fundamental concepts of strategic management, and will examine relevant academic literature. Rather than utilizing traditional case studies, students will form groups and will develop their own strategic case study of an organization.
Prerequisites & notes
Program: MSc
This seminar explores the interaction of globalization and the organization. It explores three levels of analysis: (1) the broad institutional environment, (2) the organization itself, and (3) human. The emphasis is on developing analytical assessments of drivers and outcomes of globalization. The course objective is to develop a critical appraisal of the causes and effects of globalization, recognizing the complex interaction between different levels of analysis. Develop skills in forming logical, clear and rigorous analysis and research that will further understanding of globalization.
Prerequisites & notes
Program: MSc
This seminar acquaints students with well-known approaches to managerial decision-making and research in the area of Product Innovation and New Product Marketing. Analytical approaches presented in recent publications, combined with some important "classics", will be stressed. The course focuses primarily on new product development/marketing and covers a variety of topics, strategies, phases and analytical approaches relevant to this subject area. Specific topic areas include: innovation and new product development (NPD) strategies, the stages of the NPD process, new service development, and organization for NPD.
Prerequisites & notes
Program: MSc
Changes in topic will be indicated by the letter following this seminar number e.g., MSCA 672A, MSCA 672B, etc.
Prerequisites & notes
Applied Research Project (15 credits)
Program: MSCM
Prerequisite: at least nine credits of MSCM seminars. Supervised (co-supervised) by a faculty member(s), the applied research project is carried out individually or by a group of two students, depending on the overall requirements and the extent of the project to be conducted. The project involves working on a real-life supply chain management problem provided by a company. Once the problem is defined, the students prepare an overall project management plan to tackle the problem within a given time limit. The various stages of the project involve, among others: literature review, defining data and information requirements for problem analysis, gathering data, designing the appropriate model, conducting experimental design runs and sensitivity analyses, and presenting the solution(s) with an implementation plan. The project outcome is expected to have both academic and business merit. For projects done in groups of two students, there is a significant individual evaluation component in assessing the work done by each student.
