Curriculum
Set yourself up to become a supply chain expert with a big-picture mindset
Master supply chain foundations, including logistics, strategy, and consumer impact. Then deep-dive into the most disruptive forces affecting supply chains today.
Format
In-person
Duration
1 year (September start)
Number of credits
18
Stem-designated?
Yes
Build a strong foundation in supply chain management
Develop the essential business and supply chain skills to launch a successful career, no matter your background.
Courses include:
- Logistics Management
- Strategic Global Sourcing
- Route to Market Strategies
- Supply Chain Strategy
- Information Technology in Supply Chains
- Supply Chain Analytics
- Supply Chain Capital Management
- Contemporary Topics in Supply Chain Management
- Disruptive Supply Chain Forces: Fundamentals
- Disruptive Supply Chain Forces: Applications
- Consulting Capstone
Go deeper than traditional supply chain programs
Prepare to take on the major forces disrupting global business—with experts from across UW–Madison supporting course development and instruction.
Global trade uncertainty
Why it matters: World events—like the pandemic, armed conflicts, and tariffs—make supply chain management more complex, requiring a broad understanding of global dynamics.
What you’ll learn: Learn frameworks for evaluating business risk, and create strategies in response to risks.
Cross-disciplinary partnership: WSB’s Department of Risk and Insurance
Climate change and sustainability
Why it matters: Volatile environmental regulations and growing risks associated with climate change place greater demands on supply chain management.
What you’ll learn: Evaluate the risks to supply chains posed by climate change, as well as sustainability motivations, promises, and outcomes.
Cross-disciplinary partnership: UW–Madison’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
Artificial intelligence
Why it matters: AI holds potential to improve supply chain management, but also presents challenges as firms navigate data security risks, ethical deployment, and workforce adaption.
What you’ll learn: Develop AI skills and learn to critically evaluate the deployment of AI throughout the supply chain.
Cross-disciplinary partnership: WSB’s AI Hub
Ready for the real world
“This program offers many extracurriculars … that help each one of us become better leaders. It has been an incredible experience and has prepared me for my first full-time supply chain planning role in Boston.”
Business Manager – Automotive Business Unit, Analog Devices
Real-world learning for real job-readiness
Consulting project for an actual company
Spend a semester working as part of a student team to scope, analyze, and report findings related to a client sponsor’s business question.
Recent projects
- Forecast creation and evaluation: Students developed and tested demand allocation models to help a CPG company distribute its national forecast across manufacturing sites.
- Dashboard creation: Using data from multiple systems, students created a dashboard to track the progress of new factory construction.
- Value stream mapping: Students mapped processes from start to finish to identify repetition and waste.
Case competitions
Apply your classroom learnings to real-world scenarios. Build valuable connections with key companies and industry partners, while deepening your supply chain expertise.
Recent competitions
- TCU Graduate Supply Chain Case Competition—sponsored by Operation Smile, hosted by Texas Christian University
- “Sourcing Execution Under Time Pressure”—sponsored by Meta, hosted by UW–Madison
- “Demand Planning and Creating Forecasts”—sponsored by Cisco, hosted virtually
Site visits
The scale, size, and speed of modern production facilities and distribution centers are hard to imagine—so you don’t have to. Go behind the scenes.
Recent visits
- General Mills
- Pepsi
- Walgreens
- Kohler
- Sub-Zero
Going global
Explore international supply chains through an optional trip during the winter semester break.
Recent destinations
- Norway: Explore the energy industry
- Germany and Czech Republic: Experience the European automotive industry
- Brazil: Learn how geography and trade policy influence supply chain design
On exploring the energy industry in Norway
“Not only did [this trip] enable a deeper understanding of the intersection between the energy sector and supply chain management, but it also enriched my outlook regarding culture, economy, and sustainable development.”
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