Overview
Many organisations compete through their supply chains. Effective supply chain management is a key contributor to the economy and to a company’s ability to leverage its competitive advantage.
In recent years, supply chain management within industry and commerce has undergone rapid technological change and more innovate ways to problem solve are required which will utilise evolving communication technologies, machine learning and artificial intelligence in a digitally connected world. New technologies are emerging that require a more advanced level of technological skill than in previous generations. Supply chain and logistics professionals in the 21st century need to have a wide range of technological and organisational capabilities that will enable them to optimise their supply chains and ensure that their organisations remain cutting edge.
The MSc Advanced Supply Chain Management course aims to appeal to students who seek a course that has a strong orientation towards future digital technologies and their application to supply chain management.
It has been designed to reflect emerging trends in the sector where there is a major focus on digital technologies and their application in underpinning supply chain optimisation for competitive advantage. To this end, the course focuses strongly on supply chain design, modelling, simulation and optimisation and the application of linked digital technologies which enable the design of localised, intelligent, reactive, flexible, customised asset efficient supply chains.
Work placement option
This master's programme provides you with the additional option to apply for a 'work placement' opportunity during your first semester with us. Find out more about the work placement pathway.
Please note that we are unable to guarantee any placement or study abroad opportunities and that any such opportunities referred to on this webpage may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
Why Coventry University?
An award-winning university, we are committed to providing our students with the best possible experience. We continue to invest in both our facilities and our innovative approach to education. Our students benefit from industry-relevant teaching, and resources and support designed to help them succeed. These range from our modern library and computing facilities to dedicated careers advice and our impressive Students’ Union activities.
COVID-19
The University may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via emerging online technologies and methods across all courses. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are prepared for courses due to start in or after the 2020/2021 academic year to be delivered in a variety of forms. The form of delivery will be determined in accordance with Government and Public Health guidance. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.
Due to the ongoing restrictions relating to Covid-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) and some non-academic offerings (particularly in relation to international experiences), may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.
Global ready
An international outlook, with global opportunitiesEmployability
Career-ready graduates, with the skills to succeedStudent experience
All the support you need, in a top student cityAccreditation and Professional Recognition
This course is accredited and recognised from the following bodies:
Chartered Management Institute
As part of this course you will be required to undertake a professional development module (Consulting Global Professional Development module) which is currently accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) for the 2020-21 intake. Upon successful completion of the module, you will gain the CMI Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership Practice at no additional cost. Further details can be found under the ‘course detail’ tab and on the Professional Development module homepage.
Coventry University’s accreditation with CMI is currently ongoing for the relevant modules and is regularly reviewed and monitored by the CMI through their quality systems. Whilst Coventry University anticipates that these reviews will continue to be successful, if they were to be unsuccessful, the relevant module in this course would no longer be accredited and we would notify applicants and students of this change as soon as possible.
Affiliate Membership of CMI on enrolment onto this course.
Course information
This course aims to provide you with a strong business foundation and explores the core disciplines of supply chain management within a strategic, operational and ethical context.
The course aims to develop your knowledge of how to plan and execute alternative supply chain strategies, manage operational supply chain systems and utilise the latest digital cyber-physical technologies for competitive advantage. Case studies are used to demonstrate the significance of supply chain management and logistics to different industries and to explore different management options, for example in retailing, engineering, manufacturing, shipping, transportation, and distribution.
Modules
We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.
In more detail...
A key feature of this programme is the strong industry connection, through a combination of related industry site UK visits (subject to availability and additional costs), industry visiting guest lecturers (subject to availability) and individual project work. Through staff links with industry professionals, you may gain the opportunity to work on real-world problems and further develop your attractiveness to employers (subject to availability, application and additional costs may be incurred). Past examples have included visiting guest lecturers from Jaguar Land Rover, Meggitt Aeorospace and opportunities to visit local operations such as Amazon, BMW Engine plant and Brose’s local just-in-time manufacturing facility.
Specifically, the course aims to provide you with the opportunity to:
- Engage with complex, real-world supply chain management issues both systematically and creatively.
- Learn to make sound judgements in the absence of complete data and communicate your conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
- Demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving supply chain problems, and act autonomously in strategy planning and tactical implementation of tasks at a professional level.
- Leverage the operational use of supply chain management and logistics technologies, including machine learning within an Industrie 4.0 paradigm.
- Continue to advance your knowledge and understanding in global sustainable supply chain management, and to develop new skills to a level commensurate with industry future needs.
- Utilise logistics and supply chain economics and costings to aid decision making in complex and unpredictable scenarios.
- Deal with complex issues, demonstrate self-direction and develop your transferable skills in areas such as problem solving and data analytics.
- Use innovative learning methods, software and technologies which may include games, simulations, data analytics and negotiation scenarios to develop a high level of digital fluency that can work at the cutting edge of supply chain management.
- High quality learning environment, including a modern £50m Engineering and Computing Building, large university library and advanced e-learning digital infrastructure.
- A large current team of expert and industry experienced teaching staff (please note, staff may be subject to change).
- A course which is developed with industry with the aim of equipping you with the skills that employers may demand, for example communication, team working, cultural awareness and digital literacy.
- Current strong connection with Supply Chain Management and Logistics professionals and industrial partners.
- Involvement in high value-adding industrial visits to different organisations through the Global Leader’s Programme (GLP). Subject to membership fees, availability, competitive application processes, additional costs and meeting applicable VISA requirements.
- Guest speakers via the university’s Global Leaders Programme, which in recent years has included the Group Strategy Director of Jaguar Land Rover, a NASA Astronaut and the Vice President of Telefonica Europe (please note, membership fees apply and guest speakers are subject to availability and may change).
- International study field trips available through GLP to, for example, the UK, Europe, India, China, Dubai and USA (subject to availability, competitive application processes, additional costs and meeting applicable VISA requirements).
- Interactive and hands-on seminars with learning based on activity led problem solving and flipped classroom teaching.
- Opportunity to advance your leadership skills, developed through practical/first-hand opportunities to develop team based supply chain solutions.
- Located within the heart of Coventry City, a historical and contemporarily relevant city with good transport infrastructure to Birmingham and London.
This course is delivered using a modular approach taught over 3 semesters with start points in September, January and May of each year (start points are not guaranteed as they are subject to successful applicant numbers).
Modules will be delivered as a combination of lectures, group work, workshops and seminars; there will also be online learning, discussions, problem-solving exercises and tutorials. Modules are designed to maximise attainment and learning in the specific topics. You will complete assignment tasks; some will be formative and designed to enable you to assess your competences prior to a formal assessment and others will be summative and contribute to your final degree.
This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module. Assessment methods include (but are not limited to) in-class tests, written reports and presentations.
The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.
Upon successful completion of this course you will be able to:
- Critically evaluate the current body of knowledge in Supply Chain Management and apply it to the analysis of Supply Chain problems across a wide variety of scenarios in a global industry.
- Evaluate and apply the most appropriate supply chain management tools, techniques and theories to formulate practical solutions.
- Assess appropriateness of theories, concepts and issues and compare with existing management, analysis, and planning of supply chain management within organisations.
- Critically appraise the role of digital technologies in supply chain management and model supply chain components using operational research techniques to simulate and optimise deterministic and probabilistic supply chain problems.
- Critically appraise the operational, financial, and technological management of supply chain management within and across a variety of industry sectors.
- Appraise the application of sustainable and ethical practice within supply chains.
- Apply transferrable skills and knowledge for personal global professional development, teamwork and intercultural engagement.
- Evidence enhanced research, transferable and professional skills which are relevant to employment and leadership in the supply chain management and logistics industries.
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the principles of consultancy and the theories and practices found in leadership.
Actual teaching contact hours will vary depending on the requirements of a particular semester, you will study two taught semesters and 1 project semester over the course of the year. For taught semesters, in a typical week your contact hours will be divided amongst personal tutorials, medium group teaching in tutorial sessions, labs and workshops activities as well as large group teaching in lectures. Additionally, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study of approximately 35 hours each week, depending on the demands of individual modules. The number of contact hours may vary from semester to semester, however, on average, it is likely to be around 12 contact hours per week in the taught semesters. Your project-based semester will be supervisor supported, self-directed study in the region of 38 hours per week, as well as supervisor meetings around 1 hour per week and optional workshops supporting your project, which can add to 10 additional hours across your project semester.
The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online classes and tutorials. As an innovative and enterprising institution, the University may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the University may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods
The University may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via emerging online technologies and methods across all courses. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are prepared for courses due to start in or after the 2020/2021 academic year to be delivered in a variety of forms. The form of delivery will be determined in accordance with Government and Public Health guidance. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.
Due to the ongoing restrictions relating to COVID-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) and some non-academic offerings (particularly in relation to international experiences), may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.
International opportunities are available through the Global Leader’s Programme. Please note any such opportunities may be subject to membership fees, availability, competitive application processes, additional costs and meeting applicable VISA requirements.
Please note that we are unable to guarantee any placement or study abroad opportunities and that any such opportunities referred to on this webpage may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
Global ready
Did you know we help more students travel internationally than any other UK university according to data from the experts in higher education data and analysis, HESA?
In 2018/19, we were able to provide a total of 5,469 experiences abroad that lasted at least five days.
Much of this travel is made possible through our Global Leaders Programme, which enables students to prepare for the challenges of the global employment market, as well as strengthening and developing their broader personal and professional skills.
Explore our international experiences1st for
International experiences
Sending more students overseas than any other UK uni 2016/17
5,469
Student experiences
The number of student trips abroad for at least 5 days in 2018/19
12,000
and counting
The number of students we’ve helped travel internationally since 2016
12
global programmes
As well as trips, we offer other opportunities like language courses
Entry Requirements
Tuition Fees
We pride ourselves on offering competitive tuition fees which we review on an annual basis and offer a wide range of scholarships to support students with their studies. Course fees are calculated on the basis of what it costs to teach each course and we aim for total financial transparency.
Course essentials - additional costs
- This course may incur additional costs associated with any field trips, placements or work experience, study abroad opportunities or any other opportunity (whether required or optional), which could include (but is not limited to) travel, accommodation, activities and visas.
This course may incur additional costs associated with any equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire.
Career prospects
Graduate Immigration Route visa
Based on current information from the UK Government, international students whose study extends beyond summer 2021 may be eligible for a visa under the UK Government’s Graduate Immigration Route, which will enable students to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for up to two (2) years. Check the most up to date guidance available to check your eligibility and any updates from the UK Government before making an application or enrolment decision.
This course aims to enhance your career opportunities in supply chain management with a specific focus on future digital technologies.
This course aims to enhance your career opportunities in supply chain management with a specific focus on future digital technologies.
Successful completion of this course should equip you with a comprehensive understanding of advanced supply chain management through the development of knowledge, skills and expertise in the subject, providing you with the opportunity to pursue careers and exploit opportunities to play a part in various evolving fields of advanced supply chain management.
Every organisation has a supply chain, so this is an area where there are multiple opportunities for employment; Successful graduates equipped with a comprehensive and integrated knowledge of advanced supply chain and logistics management may be equipped with a strong competitive advantage over other candidates in the same job market place.
Coventry University is committed to preparing you for your future career and giving you a competitive edge in the graduate job market. The university's Talent Team, provide a wide range of support services to help you plan and prepare for your career.
Disclaimer
By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the 2020/21 Contract can be found here. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.
The tuition fee for the course that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For UK and EU students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, EU students should be aware that there may be a change to UK laws following the UK’s exit, this may change their student status, their eligibility to study part time, and/or their eligibility for student finance. We will act in accordance with the UK’s laws in force in relation to student tuition fees and finance from time to time.
For International students the tuition fee that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For international students, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation.
