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The rapid pace of technological change
in business – computers, software, information systems,
problem-solving techniques and others – has increased
the career opportunities for those who can develop and use
emerging technologies. The Master of Science in Management
in Operations Research (MSM-OR) and the Master of Science
in Management in Supply Chain (MSM-SC) are designed to assist
our students to seize these opportunities.
The two programs share a common goal: to prepare
quantitatively competent graduates to work in organizations
creating highly technical products and services, providing
technical support for managerial planning and control efforts,
and acting as consultants.
Graduates of both MSM tracks are skilled in
the use of computers, mathematical models and statistics to
solve practical business problems and in the principles and
concepts associated with a business specialty. They also possess
a basic understanding of managerial functions, facilitating
practical problem solving and effective communication with
non-technical management personnel.
The two programs share a common foundation
of analytical methodologies and a focus on finding and implementing
practical solutions to managerial problems. The MSM-SC is
directed more deeply at a manufacturing or service organization’s
“operations function,” while the MSM-OR is broader.
Real-world focus: Both the MSM-OR and MSM-SC
programs integrate knowledge of business and its functional
areas within a quantitatively-based professional degree curriculum.
In addition, the programs stress real-world applications.
This mix is rarely available in other schools’ business
or engineering programs
Skill Development: The programs develop skills
that have immediate value to employers. These skills include
the quantitative abilities associated with computer and mathematical
problem solving along with an understanding of the functional
areas of business to which quantitative competencies are applied.
Program uniqueness and competitive advantage:
The balance of the business core and functional specialization
courses with a quantitative focus differentiates the MSM-OR
and MSM-SC programs from the MBA and other master’s
degree programs offered by engineering schools. The MSM programs
also provide significant time and cost advantages, as they
are typically completed in 18 months, with the option of completing
the MSM-SC in one calendar year. The demand for graduates
with these degrees, both in this country and abroad, usually
far exceeds the supply.
APPLICANT PROFILE
MSM-OR and MSM-SC students represent a wide
variety of demographic and geographic backgrounds, work experience
and career objectives. MSM students share a desire to be problem
solvers in industry and recognize the need to understand the
basics of business and gain exposure to functional areas of
management.
Applicants for MSM programs typically have one of two profiles:
- One group of MSM students has strong quantitative
backgrounds with limited work experience. They have recent
undergraduate degrees in areas such as mathematics, engineering,
economics and computer science, and the desire for a career
in a technical environment as well as for specific skills
in a business specialty
- Students in the second group have significant
work experience and enjoy solving quantitative problems.
These students join the MSM programs to learn skills and
techniques that will help them solve problems more efficiently
and effectively and advance their careers.
JOINT DEGREE PROGRAM OPTION (MBA/MSM-OR, MBA/MSM-SC)
The Weatherhead School of Management also
offers a joint degree option that allows students to obtain
both the MBA degree and the MSM-OR or MSM-SC. This combination
is particularly attractive to students preparing for executive
positions in quantitatively-focused divisions of large organizations.
Students who elect this option can earn both degrees in approximately
three years. More information on the MBA program is contained
in the Weatherhead School of Management MBA
site .
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