The MSc Operations and Supply Chain Management programme covers all aspects of effective operations and supply chain management in a highly competitive global marketplace. It looks at how successful operations and supply chain management can shape the sales and profit ambition of a business. Combining XJTLU’s growing reputation and International Business School Suzhou’s dynamic and innovative international expertise alongside intensive collaboration with the business community and proximity to the Yangtze River Delta region, the programme is one of the few English-language masters programmes of its type in China.

Throughout the programme, opportunities are provided for you to analyse and examine the most up-to-date developments in operations and supply chain practice through a series of industrial lectures and best practice industry visits. You will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to reach senior managerial positions or become an operations, logistics and supply chain management strategist.

Accreditation by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) is currently being sought, while students will be exempted from a number of required modules by the American Society of Transportation and Logistics to qualify for chartered status.

Graduates of this programme, as with all XJTLU masters degrees, earn a University of Liverpool degree that is recognised by the Chinese Ministry of Education.

Founded in 2013 as the exclusive business school of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, International Business School Suzhou offers a unique blend of Western and Chinese academic practices. It is the youngest business school ever to earn Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation and has accreditation from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, CPA Australia and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Located in Suzhou, Jiangsu, near Shanghai, one of China’s the fastest-growing commercial centres, IBSS seeks to become an international leader in business education and research. It is perfectly placed to support your talent development and research needs.

Creative interaction and collaboration with international and domestic businesses, coupled with solid academic grounding, underpins the IBSS learning and teaching environment. This prepares Chinese students for international business and international students for doing business in or with China.

MSc Operations and Supply Chain Management graduates are now working for companies like Jaguar, Bosch, Mondeleze, Accenture, Caterpillar, Daimler Chrysler, Deloitte Consultants, Ford Motor Company, GE, Maersk, Unilever, Unipart, Westinghouse and Cargill.

Through studying MSc Operations and Supply Chain Management you will:

• develop an understanding of how operations can be managed as a strategic resource
• understand the requirements of successful operations and supply chain practice in modern business
• learn how to identify and apply a range of operations management initiatives and techniques that can be considered in the development of an operations strategy
• understand and be able to apply the models, processes and tools used to analyse, design and implement operations and supply chain management and logistics solutions
• gain understanding of the decisions involved in the selection of suppliers as well as the role and objectives of the purchasing function
• develop a thorough understanding of the components of supply chains, the material and information flow interactions between them and the analytical and management processes that facilitate successful supply chain performance
• be able to apply benchmarking and comparative performance techniques
• be able to demonstrate critical awareness of current research in business and management through independent analysis of a relevant business case.

Minimum Entry Requirements

UK

Upper second class (2:1) honours

China

• 1st tier universities: 75 percent or above
• 2nd tier universities: 80 percent or above

Note: Chinese applicants are not required to take the MoE postgraduate entrance exam.

North America

3.0 Cumulative GPA (out of 4) or 3.2 Cumulative GPA in the final two years of your undergraduate programme

Other Regions

Equivalent academic qualifications

Academic Background

An undergraduate degree (UK 2:1 or equivalent) in any discipline.

English Language Requirements

If English is not your native language or if you have not studied in English at degree level, you will need to provide evidence of your English proficiency. You should normally possess one of the following qualifications:

• IELTS: 6.5 (minimum of 5.5 in all sections)
• TOEFL iBT: 90 (minimum of 21 in any skill)

In exceptional circumstances, individual cases will be considered on their own merits. You may be required to attend interviews or tests to further demonstrate your English proficiency.

If you miss the English language requirements by 0.5-1.0 of an IELTS band, or a similar number for other English language exams, you can be admitted to the programme after successful completion of our four- or six-week intensive English presessional course.

You can also apply to take the XJTLU English language test in lieu of an IELTS/TOEFL or equivalent. Based on the score, students may be admitted or may be required to take and successfully complete the four- or six-week intensive English presessional course.

Additionally, students may be required to complete English language courses on a pass/fail basis as part of the additional learning activity requirement during their studies at XJTLU.

Core Modules

• Supply chain operations management
• Strategic operations management
• Logistics and physical distribution
• Strategic purchasing management
• Theory and practice of lean operations
• Strategic business analysis
• Dissertation.

Elective modules

• Accounting and financial management
• Fundamentals of project management
• Modelling and simulation of operations
• Marketing management.

Additional learning activities

In addition to the above credit bearing modules, students are required to carry out 600 hours of additional learning activities over the 18 months. Available additional learning activities include:

• Research methods
• Postgraduate English
• Chinese language
• Project management
• Operations modelling and simulation
• In-company project
• Thompson One Certificate achievement
• EIKON Certificate acheivement
• Datastream Certificate achievement
• Teaching assistant
• Research assistant.