Get an overall perspective on supply chains and train to understand, analyse and manage the processes which will enable you to work across company borders.
Supply chain management master's programme at Chalmers
The Master's programme focuses on the design, management and improvement of supply chain management strategies. It is multidisciplinary and builds on several scientific disciplines. One important way a company can improve its competitiveness is to apply supply chain management (SCM). This programme helps students develop their skills in purchasing, logistics, marketing, transport and general management.
The courses and master’s thesis include different pedagogical ideas and teaching methods in order to fulfil the aim and learning objectives.
Problem-based learning including case studies and problem solving with quantitative and qualitative models is one important aspect of the master's programme.
Theoretical knowledge and practical experience
Due to greater specialisation, the need to organise and manage the global exchange of goods, services and information between companies is growing. As the content of this exchange is becoming increasingly technical, this is a golden opportunity for engineers to take on managerial positions in marketing, logistics, purchasing, transportation and production.
During the master's programme, students gain enhanced theoretical knowledge and comprehensive practical experience of related concepts, which allows them to improve the way in which a company finds what it needs to produce a product or service and deliver it to its customers.
Students learn not only to understand current best practice and trends but also to continuously identify and analyse the complex changes that supply networks are undergoing.
Topics covered
The subjects of supply chain management, purchasing and logistics are fundamental areas in the Supply Chain Management master’s programme. The courses included in the programme plan handle topics such as production, transportation, lean management, marketing and manufacturing.
Master's programme structure
The master's programme runs for a duration of two years, leading to a Master of Science (MSc) degree. During each year, students can earn 60 credits (ECTS) and complete the programme by accumulating a total of 120 credits. Credits are earned by completing courses where each course is usually 7.5 credits. The programme contains compulsory courses, elective courses and a master’s thesis. There are five compulsory courses that together provide students with a comprehensive and solid knowledge base in SCM. In the third semester, students can specialise and develop expertise in one of three profile areas:
- Industrial Marketing & Purchasing
- Logistics
- Transport Systems
Another alternative is to select courses that provide a broader profile. To specialise, students must take courses related to the specific profile that are the equivalent of 30 credits.
Compulsory courses year 1
During the first year the programme starts with six compulsory courses that form a common foundation in Supply Chain Management. Each course is usually 7.5 credits.
- Purchasing and supply management
- Freight transport system
- Distribution networks
- Product flow management
- Operation planning and control
- Supply chain strategy
Compulsory courses year 2
In the second year you must complete a master's thesis in order to graduate. The thesis may be worth 30 credits or 60 credits depending on your choice.
Compulsory elective courses
Through compulsory elective courses, you can then specialize in industrial marketing and purchasing, logistics or transport systems.
- Management of physical distribution
- Quality management
- Sustainable supply chains
- International business relationships
- Supply chain analytics
- Lean management
- Sustainable transportation
- Quality management
You can also choose elective courses from various divisions and departments at Chalmers, for example industrial marketing and purchasing strategies, production networks, technical development in networks, physical distribution, the environmental aspects of logistics, materials handling and manufacturing flow management, seminars in SCM and projects in SCM.
A fourth profile is also possible which focuses on research, preparing students for future PhD studies. Students who are interested in the research profile apply for it after having completed the first year of the programme. Admission is according to special criteria.
The SCM programme ends with a Master’s thesis. The thesis can be written as part of an on-going research project or as a project in an industrial company or public organisation.
Career
The master's programme provides students with overall perspectives on supply chains enabling them to work within and across intra-company functions as well as inter-company borders.
Large multinational firms such as Volvo, Scania, SKF, Skanska, Nestlé, Porsche, Procter & Gamble, Quiksilver, DHL, Schenker and IBM, as well as top-flight consultancy firms such as McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group and ADL have employed many students who have majored in supply chain management at Chalmers. Other students have taken on management positions in small and medium-sized enterprises, or continued to receive a PhD.
Research within Supply chain management
All courses are run in close collaboration with industry. Theory is alternated with study visits, guest lectures and real life projects. As many as 15 professors and lecturers, all with SCM expertise, are involved in this state-of-the-art SCM programme.
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Admissions academic year 2022/23
Application
General entry requirements
An applicant must either have a Bachelor's degree in Science/Engineering/Technology/Architecture or be enrolled in his/her last year of studies leading to such a degree.
Specific entry requirements
Bachelor’s degree with a major in: Industrial Engineering and Management or another major in Science, Engineering or Technology.
Note: A Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (BBA or B.B.A.) or Economics does not fulfill the requirement.
Prerequisites: Mathematics (at least 30 credits including Mathematical Statistics at least 7,5 credits) and studies in one or several of the following subjects: Industrial Management, Logistics, Operations Management and/or Supply Chain Management (at least 15 credits)
Preferable course experience: Linear Algebra, Single Variable Analysis and Multivariable Analysis
English language requirements
Chalmers Bachelor’s degree
Are you enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree programme at Chalmers now or do you already have a Bachelor’s degree from Chalmers? If so, different application dates and application instructions apply.
Important links
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Basic facts
Degree: Master of Science (MSc)
Credits: 120
Duration: 2 years
Level: Second Cycle, Master's
Rate of study: Full-time, 100%
Instructional time: Daytime
Language of instruction: English
Teaching form: On-campus (Location: campus Johanneberg)
Tuition fee: 140 000 SEK/academic year
*EU/EEA Citizens are
not required to pay fees
Contact
Questions about the application:
Chalmers Admissions, admissions@chalmers.se
Specific questions about the programme:
Robin Hanson, Director of master's programme
Other master's programmes that might interest you
Sustainable development
The programme is highly interlinked with the achievement of the
UN Sustainable Development goals (SDGs). The table below provides an overview of the sustainable development goals and the associated targets within the programme.
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
The students in this programme will acquire knowledge and understanding of the resource consumption and sustainability of supply chains, which is important both in relation to a company’s own operations and in the management of its supply chain.
Goal 13: Climate Action
The students in this programme will acquire knowledge and understanding of different modes of transport and their relative environmental impact.
Student interview
“We build the paths for a better market”
Elton Raju, India, Supply Chain Management
Why did you choose this programme?– In this programme you are not just innovating a product, but an entire process. We are building different paths for a better market and that’s what interested me. As I was a business owner in India, I wanted to learn more about efficient and effective business processes and their optimization. I also wanted to get a better understanding of the full supply chain.
What have you been working on?
– We analyse the entire organisation and its supply chain or a part of it that is associated with our courses. In the course International Business relations, we had the opportunity to work with Tetra Pak and study their sustainable supply chain. We conducted interviews with top level management at Lund in Sweden and Modena in Italy. In this project we learnt their sustainable way of packaging food products, their alternative to plastic packaging and how they satisfy the EU regulations towards developing a sustainable environment. We also had a holistic view of how they operate their business worldwide with various customers.
What do you like the most about your programme?
– We have numerous guest lectures from companies such as Volvo, Scania, DB Schenker, Capgemini. This helps us to understand the concepts better and relate them to theoretical knowledge. Since Chalmers is a research-oriented university, our ideas and innovations are always welcomed by the professors who help us to analyse and implement them. If an idea doesn't work, they even help us to find an alternative.
What do you want to do in the future?
– I would like to work as a consultant for a few years and assist high-end executives to find good solutions far ahead into their company’s future. I am also interested in becoming an entrepreneur and establish a reputed brand.