MSc Sustainable Supply Chain Management
Cardiff, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
GBP 27,200 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for overseas | for home: £12,200
Key Summary
Supply chain managers are at the cutting edge of innovation, employing the latest technologies including artificial intelligence, blockchain, big data analytics and automation to deliver their products and services effectively and efficiently.
The underside of such innovation is not nearly as progressive. Fierce competition within supply chains means that prices are driven down through outsourcing and subcontracting. In this race to the bottom, sustainability and ethics are often afterthoughts.
The business of changing the world is ours.
Our MSc in Sustainable Supply Chain Management has a unique focus on sustainability and ethical trading. We’ll help you become a professional capable of making decisions that consider the full range of economic, social and environmental impacts of supply chains.
Our experts will draw on academic and consultancy expertise to prepare you for global career opportunities, introducing you to all aspects of supply chain management, including procurement, supply and distribution of products. They’ll use internationally recognised research to give you a critical insight into cross-cutting issues such as the impact of technology, emergency and humanitarian operations, and environmental performance and responsibility.
Why Study this Course
Become a supply chain manager of the future and learn from academics at the forefront of their field.
Gain Research Skills
Collaborate with an industrial partner on a research project while collecting primary data for your dissertation.
Practice Responsible Management
Consider the full range of economic, social and environmental impacts of supply chains with a unique emphasis on sustainability.
Customise your Degree
Pursue your interests in e-business, responsible purchasing, trade or project management.
Professional Accreditation
Access exclusive industry intelligence, seek personal career advice and attend workshops and training with our CILT membership.
We are committed to investing up to a total of £500,000 in this high-value competitive scholarship scheme to support UK students who are planning to start an eligible Master’s programme in 2024/25.
Each Scholarship is worth £3,000 and will be awarded a tuition fee discount.
Eligibility
UK students are eligible to apply for the Scholarship. You normally need to have achieved at least a 2.1 or equivalent in your first degree to be eligible. You need to submit an application to study at Cardiff University and be made an offer to study before your fee status can be confirmed.
This course runs from September to September. Between September and June, you will study 120 credits of taught modules from a range of both compulsory core modules and a range of options.
Following on from this taught stage, you will undertake a dissertation project, submitted in September, with support from an academic supervisor.
In the first semester, you will study four modules worth 15 credits each. Two compulsory modules aim to give you a detailed understanding of sustainability and supply chain management approaches. The remaining two modules are drawn from a range of options that complement the compulsory components.
You will also study four 15-credit modules in the second semester. Here, one compulsory module provides research methods training to particularly support the dissertation. The remaining modules are drawn from a pool of options. There is a requirement to undertake at least one optional module specifically on sustainable supply chain management. The remaining two choices can be drawn from a wider range, of which a number further develop insights into sustainable supply chain management.
The taught phase concludes in June and, subject to successful completion, you will progress to the dissertation phase. Through the writing of the dissertation, you will acquire and develop research skills relevant to your choice of subject. The dissertation will be submitted in early September.
Core Modules for Year One
- Strategic Supply Chain Management
- Sustainability for Business
- Research Skills and Methods
- Sustainable Supply Chain Management Dissertation
Optional Modules for Year One
- Logistics and its Provision
- Business Data Analytics
- Information Systems and Organisations
- Project Management
- Building Sustainable Supply Chains
- Responsible Purchasing and Supply Management
- Humanitarian Supply Chains
- Risk Management in Supply Chains
- Supply Chain Dynamics
- Supply Chain Social Sustainability
- Digital Supply Chain and Logistics
- Circular Economy Operations
- Modelling and Analysis for Sustainable Supply Chain and Logistics
How Will I Be Assessed?
Assessment methods vary from module to module but, across your degree scheme as a whole, you can expect a mixture of exams, coursework, essays, practical work, presentations, and individual and group projects.
What Skills Will I Practise and Develop?
The Learning Outcomes for this Programme describe what you will be able to do as a result of your study at Cardiff University. They will help you to understand what is expected of you.
The Learning Outcomes for this Programme can be found below:
Knowledge & Understanding
On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to demonstrate:
- An ability to interpret and evaluate the principles, theory, philosophy and practice of supply chain management
- A systematic and in-depth knowledge of the concept of sustainability in a business context, and how this is influencing supply chain management
- A critical awareness of contemporary debates in sustainable supply chain management as identified by leading research
- An appreciation of emerging empirical trends and issues in supply chains and the ability to analyse their impact on sustainability
Intellectual Skills
On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to demonstrate:
- An ability to relate and apply the principles of sustainable supply chain management to practical environments
- A capability in techniques applicable to problem-solving and research in sustainable supply chain management
- A competence in capturing the interdisciplinary nature of supply chains and their sustainability
- An ability to apply knowledge in an original way when researching sustainability issues in supply chains
Professional Practical Skills
On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to demonstrate:
- An ability to evaluate the trade-offs and impacts of sustainable supply chain management decision-making taking into account economic, environmental and societal impacts
- Originality and autonomy in tackling and solving a range of different problems in the context of sustainable supply chain management
- A capability to deal with complex issues in a systematic and creative way
- A competence in analysing complex problems on the basis of rigorous data and communicating clearly their solutions to specialist or non-specialist audiences
Transferable/Key Skills
On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to demonstrate:
- Competence in communicating ideas, principles and theories effectively through oral, written and practical means
- An ability to work effectively in a team and as an individual
- A capability in the usage of IT (e.g. the Internet, spreadsheets, word processing) in an applied learning environment
- A capacity to work to a range of timescales to fit the requirements of programme tasks and outputs
At Cardiff Business School, you’ll receive a career-changing education from world-leading academics who have different points of view. They’ll challenge your thinking as you consider the world of business from a range of alternative perspectives.
On our MSc in Sustainable Supply Chain Management, you’ll benefit from the knowledge and expertise of our Career Enhancer Team. They’re ready and waiting to identify events and opportunities to help you achieve your future aspirations.
We’ve developed relationships that range from the largest multinationals to the smallest micro-businesses, and include a wide variety of social enterprises and cooperatives. We use these networks to deliver value for our students through:
- Real-world case studies and insights
- Collaboration with our Public Value Entrepreneurs in Residence
- Guest lectures from Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport members
- Field trips and workshops.
This wide-ranging and varied learning experience will help enhance your career and demonstrate how you can make a difference along the way.
Our MSc in Sustainable Supply Chain Management will give you the opportunity to follow a wide variety of careers with global multi-national companies or smaller SME enterprises.
You'll be equipped to take up both leadership and operational positions, as well as pursuing policy-making and academic career paths – a number of former students on related programmes have subsequently completed their PhD in a related subject.
How Will I Be Taught?
Our teaching is heavily informed by research and combines academic rigour with practical relevance. Our internationally leading faculty consists of academics who are at the forefront of knowledge within their field. They bring the lessons learnt from their most recent research into the classroom, giving you access to up-to-date real-life examples and scenarios and critical business thinking. Reflecting the Business School’s wider strategy, Public Value is embedded within our teaching.
Many teaching and learning resources will be provided electronically through Learning Central. In order to successfully complete the course, you will need to work during and outside formal teaching sessions and make good use of the facilities provided.
Most modules involve a mixture of lectures and small group teaching (called classes, seminars, workshops or tutorials). In a lecture, the lecturer will mainly give an overview of a particular aspect of the module content. You will have opportunities to ask questions and be reflective in lectures. Classes and workshops provide you with the opportunity to practice techniques, discuss ideas, apply concepts and consolidate your understanding of the topic.
In addition to timetabled classes, guest presentations by practitioners will also be available, enabling you to relate the knowledge provided by the lecturers to real-world examples.