Master’s in Operations and Supply Chain Analytics Online

While striving for excellence in internal operations, organizations in virtually every industry rely on intricate supply chains to manage goods and meet demand for product and services on a global level. The ability to effectively deliver products and services is core to success within the organization. Synchronizing the flow of products, information, and funds can be complex, increasingly enabled by data, analytics, and new technologies. Learn how to create excellence in your organization with this strategically designed degree, where operations and supply chain efforts are aligned to drive high-impact results in your organization. Earn your degree online full time or part time, designed to fit into your busy schedule.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the evolution of global supply chains to the forefront of industry. As vulnerabilities have been uncovered, opportunities to accelerate change have increased exponentially. The challenges of a global crisis have prioritized supply chain management in such a way that this industry was able to maintain growth during unprecedented times. WPI’s master’s in supply chain analytics online and operations is the perfect opportunity for students to make their mark in a career field that has never been more relevant to global well-being. Graduates will be prepared to help their companies shift operational priorities and implement cutting edge technologies, while bringing a foundational understanding of why change may be necessary in their industry.

The WPI Business School, grounded in a technology-focused university, has world-class expertise and educational resources in these areas, and thus is suitably poised to offer a graduate-level education to prepare students for their career choices and leadership in the field of Operations Management and Supply Chain Analytics.

Also available:

Graduate Catalog

This degree is available on campus.

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Learning Outcomes

The Operations and Supply Chain Online Masters is designed to provide students with a foundation in three areas:

Operations Management: Focusing on optimizing internal processes within the organization.
Supply chain: Designing and managing a network to support end-to-end delivery of goods and services.
Operations analytics: Methods to harness insights from data and support decision-making.

Students then build depth by choosing specialties in two of these three areas. The program culminates in a real-world, team-based project, which ensures that students are prepared to be successful in a data-driven, technological business environment.

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ON-DEMAND WEBINAR

View our on-demand webinar to be introduced to WPI's MS and graduate certificates in Operations and Supply Chain Analytics. Get an overview of program logistics, what online learning looks like, the application process, and more!

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Admissions Qualifications

Applicants should have the analytic aptitude and academic preparation necessary to complete a technology-oriented business program. This includes a minimum of three semesters of college level math or two semesters of college level calculus. BS or BA degree in any discipline with a GPA of > 3.0

If you do not have a bachelor's degree, please view our list of undergraduate programs.

For specific application requirements, visit our admissions for online programs page.

Curriculum

Program Requirements
The Master’s in Operations and Supply Chain online is designed as a stackable, professional master’s degree. As such, it includes courses focused on decision-making in the operations and supply chain domain, as well as on analytic methods, with a realistic capstone project. The degree requires at least 33 credits hours of study, i.e., eleven 3-credit courses. Courses listed in multiple specialties cannot be double-counted:

Required Courses (9 credits)

Select two, three-course specialties (24 credits):

Specialty in Supply Chain Management

Specialty in Advanced Operations Analytics

Specialty in Operational Excellence

Custom Specialty – requires approval.
Courses

Required Courses

OIE 501. Operations Management

OIE 544. Supply Chain Analysis and Design

OIE 552. Modeling and Optimizing Processes

Students must complete two, three-course specialties, selected from the following:

Specialty in Supply Chain Management

Choose one course from:

OIE 553. Global Purchasing and Logistics

OIE 549. Sustainable Supply Chain and Operations Management

Choose two courses from:

MKT 561. Consumer Behavior and Analytics

OBC 533. Negotiations

OIE 553. Global Purchasing and Logistics

OIE 548. Performance Analytics

OIE 549. Sustainable Supply Chain and Operations Management

Specialty in Advanced Operations Analytics

Choose 3 courses from:

MIS 587. Business Applications in Machine Learning or MKT 562 Marketing Research or MKT 568 Data Mining

OIE 542. Risk Management and Decision Analysis

OIE 548. Performance Analytics

OIE 559. Advanced Prescriptive Analytics: From Data to Impact

Specialty in Operational Excellence

Choose one course from:

OIE 554. Global Operations Strategy

OIE 558. Designing and Managing Lean Six Sigma Processes

Choose 2 courses from:

FIN 500. Financial Information and Management

MIS 576. Project Management

OBC 537. Leading Change

OIE 554. Global Operations Strategy

OIE 558. Designing and Managing Lean Six Sigma Processes

Custom specialty (requires approval)

Research specialty (requires approval)

Students must complete a two-course capstone project experience as follows:

OBC 505. Teaming and Organizing for Innovation

OIE 597. Operations and Supply Chain Consulting Project

Additional Recommendation

On-campus, international students are encouraged to complete up to three additional credits of internship to ensure their readiness for employment in the U.S.

Renata Konrad

Associate Professor-Business

, The Business School

The application of Industrial Engineering and mathematical knowledge has always been a rewarding challenge for me. I draw on a variety of Industrial Engineering techniques including optimization and simulation. My research has included evaluating anti-human trafficking efforts, computationally characterizing episodes of care from health insurance claim records, and examining the impact of physician incentives on patient outcomes, as well as research related to mental health, patient flow and practice guidelines.

Sara Saberi

Assistant Professor

, The Business School

Since my first day of teaching, I believed that I loved being in the classroom. I enjoy my role as an instructor because it enables me to see directly the outcome of my effort. I like the fact that as someone in higher education, I have the opportunity to make a positive influence on a young person's life. I make every effort to not only deliver the material of the course, but to develop a mentoring relationship with each student to help them grow as individuals and strive for success.

Walter T. Towner

Associate Teaching Professor

, The Business School

I am interested in manufacturing and industrial engineering. My main interests lie at the intersection of manufacturing processes and the financial aspect of the business that relates to these processes. I see my mission as enabling students to become leaders in a business environment and helping them extract value from the processes that drive the organization. We do this by using tools like axiomatic design and Lean Six Sigma methods.

Sharon Johnson

Professor

, The Business School

I enjoy teaching at WPI because students bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to their learning, and I am often inspired by their optimism. My teaching also reflects topics that motivate me: detailed process design in our Industrial Engineering program, improving healthcare delivery as part of the Health Systems Innovation certificate, and exploring the implications of operational excellence in our MBA program.

Joseph Sarkis

Professor

, The Business School

Joseph Sarkis is a Professor of Management within Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Business School. He previously served as a faculty member at Clark University and the University of Texas at Arlington. His teaching and research interests are in the fields of environmental sustainability, operations and supply chain management. He is the author or co-author of over 500 publications. His research is widely cited and earned the designation of highly cited researcher for six years from 2016-2021 from Thomson-Reuters/Clarivate Analytics (Web-of-Science).

Andy Trapp

Associate Professor

, The Business School

I am Associate Professor of Operations and Industrial Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), with courtesy professorships in Mathematical Sciences and Data Science. I hold a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. My objective is to use science and technology to assist real human need by improving systems that serve vulnerable peoples, such as refugees and asylum seekers, survivors of human trafficking, and children in the foster care system.

Joe Zhu

Professor

, The Business School

Joe Zhu is Professor of Operations Analytics in the Business School, Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He is an internationally recognized expert in methods of performance evaluation and benchmarking using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), and his research interests are in the areas of operations and business analytics, productivity modeling, and performance evaluation and benchmarking. He has published and co-edited several books focusing on performance evaluation and benchmarking using DEA and developed the DEAFrontier software.

BS/MS Option

Prepare to take on leadership positions early in your career. The BS/MS in Operations and Supply Chain Analytics program gives the skills and practical experiences necessary to begin developing a career in the rapidly growing supply chain management field. Industries in need of Operations and Supply Chain managers include manufacturing, transportation, retail, government, education, and technology. Learn more about BS/MS options.

Open Forum: COVID-19 Can Help Wealthier Nations Prepare for a Sustainability Transition

COVID-19 Can Help Wealthier Nations Prepare for a Sustainability Transition

Learn more as WPI Business School Professor Joseph Sarkis presents on sustainable production and supply chain as it relates to COVID-19. This forum was sponsored by Future Earth SSCP Knowledge-Action Network.

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Rated as one of the "Best Online Supply Chain Management Degree Programs" in 2020 by Intelligent.com