Undergraduate Studies in Business Administration

Operations & Supply Chain Concentration

Area coordinator: Robert Handfield , professor
Supply Chain Club faculty advisor: Donavon Favre - 919.513.0508
Operations/Supply Chain Faculty Directory
Related Center/Initiative: Supply Chain Resource Cooperative
Return to Undergraduate Business Administration Concentrations

What is Operations & Supply Chain Management?

Every organization must make a product or provide a service that someone values. Otherwise, why would the organization exist? Providing these products and services is the role of the operations area. Students in this concentration learn how to develop and evaluate operations processes, perform strategic and tactical planning, and manage the activities and resources that transform inputs into finished goods and services. Operations and Supply Chain Management functions in business include purchasing, materials management and logistics, to name a few.

About the Concentration

What kinds of jobs are available in this field?

Operations and supply chain management skills and abilities are applicable to nearly every business, including service organizations, manufacturers, and for-profit and non-profit organizations. In these settings, professionals can either work on, or manage groups that perform product, process and services design, resource planning, logistics, purchasing, and technical support.

What kind of personal skills or interests would be a good match for this field?

  • Creative problem solving
  • Good quantitative skills
  • Analytical thinking
  • A desire to achieve concrete and demonstrable results

What kind of skills will I develop in this curriculum?

  • The ability to solve complex business problems
  • The ability to analyze and change any business process so that customer satisfaction and business performance are improved
  • An integrative view of how operations interacts with other business functions
  • The knowledge of how goods, services and information flow between companies and customers

The largest number of people and the greatest amount of resources in a company are usually found in the operations and supply chain areas. In a recent study, 36 percent of CEOs said their primary background was in operations and supply chain management. Every business and business function has operations processes!

What classes are offered in Operations and SCM?

The Department of Business Management offers five courses in Operations and Supply Chain Management. BUS 370 is required for all students seeking the BS degree, and is a pre-requisite for the 400-level courses. At least one section of each course is taught every semester:

BUS 370: Operations Management
BUS 478: Business Process Management
BUS 472: Operations Planning and Control
BUS 474: Logistics Management
BUS 475: Purchasing and Supply Management (formerly BUS 495 K)
BUS 479: Suppy Chain Management Undergraduate Practicum (formerly BUS 495 G)
ACC 420: Strategic Finance and Planning

What are the requirements to earn a B.S. in Business Administration with the Operations/SCM concentration?

Required Course:

BUS 478

Plus, choose any two of the following:

BUS 472
BUS 474
BUS 475

Plus, choose one of the following:

BUS 472, 474 or 475 if not taken above, or
BUS 479
ACC 420

Student Organizations

NC State University College of Management has a Supply Chain Club. Donavon Favre is faculty advisor.

Important:

Remember to check with your academic advisor in the Undergraduate Programs Office each semester to review possible changes in degree requirements and in course availability.