Posted on September 1, 2021 by Wendy Frost
Beginning this fall the UTSA Carlos Alvarez College of Business will offer a B.B.A. in Operations and Supply Chain Management. The degree program is a rebranding of the college’s previous B.B.A. in Management Science.
Recognizing a shift in the marketplace, the degree program name was changed to be more meaningful to employers and align better with employment opportunities.
“This name change is in line with contemporary corporate organizational structure and business functions,” said Mark Leung, chair of the Department of Management Science and Statistics. “In this program, students take a multidisciplinary approach to design systems, make decisions and solve complex problems for organizations and their supply chains.
“Students will also have the opportunity to practice analytical, communication and leadership skills and to acquire essential computer skills necessary in today’s technological workplace—with the ultimate goal of contributing to improved business decision-making.”
Operations and supply chain management deals with ensuring the uninterrupted flow of goods and services from a business to its customers. The recent pandemic, however, brought to the surface the vulnerabilities and risks of current supply chains, with many industries facing severe disruptions in their day-to-day operations including hospitals, retailers, airlines, restaurants and car manufacturers. This degree program will teach students best practices for restructuring supply chains to withstand the adverse consequences of such disruptions.
“A resilient and robust operation supply chain is critical to the success of a business,” said Arkajyoti Roy, assistant professor of management science and statistics. “Our students will learn how to build resilient operations and supply chain systems using computers, mathematics and statistics to analyze, understand, visualize and interpret data to meet organizational challenges.”
Within the program, students can pursue two tracks: an operations and supply chain management track or a management science track. The first track provides hands-on experiences as well as essential knowledge leading to professional certifications. The management science track focuses on theoretical development and quantitative analysis.
Students take coursework in a variety of areas including business analytics, data visualization, logistics systems, production/operations management, project management, risk management, lean and six sigma, procurement and supply management and supply chain management. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 4% career growth in this industry with careers varying to include chief operations officer, procurement manager, distribution manager, e-commerce specialists, logistics manager, operation specialist, quantitative strategist or digital supply chain analyst, to name a few.
The college’s Department of Management Science and Statistics also offers undergraduate and graduate certificates in operations and supply chain management, to allow students to elevate their skills and knowledge in this field in coordination with another degree program or as a stand-alone program. The program is taught by knowledgeable and experienced faculty who are known nationwide not only for their research contributions, but also for their close connections to the business community. The college’s operations and supply chain faculty are ranked among the top 100 in North America in terms of research productivity in elite professional journals for 2016-2021.
— Wendy Frost
