Operations Management, MSc

Programme description

Our world needs highly skilled industrial engineers and leaders to create sustainable industries that are more resilient and resource-efficient.

Here you will learn to be a part of that process, by developing a foundation in supply chain strategies and quality and change management. You will also develop analytical skills and learn to understand how modern industrial business models are designed and managed. These fundamentals will give you the conceptual language and practical tools needed to engage with the field at an advanced level.

A core concept of the programme is that industrial management is not about simply running existing processes efficiently. Instead, it is about understanding how new and technological ideas and solutions can be used to improve existing networks in innovative ways. You will take an end-to-end perspective, from sourcing and production through to delivery, use, and circulation. This means considering how every stage of supply chains can be improved and made more sustainable.

After the fundamentals, the programme offers you the chance to move into one of several predetermined specialisations. These combine advanced theoretical methods with real, practical experience, including project courses carried out in close contact with external industrial partners

Throughout the programme, teaching is closely tied to active research and real industry collaboration. Lots of courses involve guest lecturers, company visits, and project work with major industry partners, such as Ericsson and SKF. Many students carry out their master's thesis in direct collaboration with companies or public organisations in the Gothenburg region.

Job opportunities

You will be well-placed for technically demanding management roles where operations and supply chains are central. In the early stages, this typically includes roles in planning, logistics, procurement, operations improvement, or industrial marketing and purchasing. Over time, you will have the chance to move into senior management, strategy, and consultancy roles.

Key employers include manufacturing companies, logistics and transport firms, management consultancies, and technology-intensive service organisations across both private and public sectors.

The programme's combination of engineering rigour and management depth makes graduates globally competitive. Chalmers’ extensive history of partnerships and collaborations with industrial partners in Gothenburg and Sweden, like the Volvo group, also means you will have excellent opportunities to make early career connections during your studies. If you are interested in research, the programme also offers a natural stepping stone into doctoral studies.

Research

There are many prestigious research environments at Chalmers that feed directly into the content of the courses. Teaching staff across the Department of Technology Management and Economics lead active research groups in areas like supply chain planning, logistics, freight transport, digitalisation of operations, healthcare system management and much more.

The department has deep and long-standing collaborations with major companies in Gothenburg, as well as public authorities in the wider Västra Götaland region. These connections directly influence the teaching, and the projects you work on often feature examples drawn from current research and industry challenges. One of the specialisations, Healthcare Systems Management and Improvement, also has close connections with Sahlgrenska University Hospital and MedTech companies in Sweden, making it easy for you to gain real-world insights if you choose to focus on this field.

The programme also connects to several ‘Areas of Advance’ at Chalmers, which are the largest research frameworks at the university. These research environments provide an excellent route into further studies at doctoral level, either at Chalmers or elsewhere.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in: Industrial Engineering and Management, Science, Engineering or Technology.
Note: A Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or Economics does not fulfill the requirement.

Prerequisites: Mathematics (at least 24 cr. including Mathematical Statistics at least 6 cr.) and at least 15 cr. in one or several of the following subjects Industrial Management, Logistics Operations Management, and/or Supply Chain Management

Preferable course experience: Linear Algebra, Single Variable Analysis, Multivariable Analysis

English language requirements: Prove your English proficiency

How to apply