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Course Catalog

Operations and Supply Chain Management

The growth of e-commerce, increased global competition, and advances in information technology are some of the forces behind the ongoing need to eliminate waste and add value throughout a product’s or services' supply chain. The Operations and Supply Chain Management (OSCM) concentration examines how a firm can establish and enhance the operational core competencies required by demanding consumers in a dynamic marketplace.

This concentration prepares students for the challenges of tomorrow’s business environment by providing them with the technical, informational, and managerial skills needed to manage and improve an integrated system of productive processes. Career opportunities exist with organizations that provide or are dependent on fast, low-cost, accurate, and uniform flows of products, services, and information. Examples of career opportunities include consulting, logistics, manufacturing, health services, government, retail and insurance, and banking.


Operations and Supply Chain Management Concentration: 12 credits

Two courses selected from the following: 6 credits
OPER 345 Service Operations

OPER 346 Project and Process Management

OPER 347 Lean Thinking

OPER 348 Quality Management and International Standards

One course selected from the following: 3 credits
MKTG 415 New Product Development

BFIN 327 International Finance

BMIS 441 Database Management

OPER 345 Service Operations

OPER 346 Project and Process Management

OPER 347 Lean Thinking

OPER 348 Quality Management and International Standards
Capstone course:
OPER 440 Global Operations and Supply Chain Management
3 credits
Lower Division
Upper Division
OPER 340 Operations Management
3.00 credits
This foundation course provides an understanding of the strategic and tactical role of operations management in building and maintaining a firm's core competencies. A significant emphasis is placed on discussing the impact of technology and globalization on creating and enhancing value from both the producer and consumer's perspective. This hybrid course uses a combination of lectures, Blackboard.com exercises, computer lab projects and group projects to ensure an understanding of basic concepts. Upon completion of the course students will possess the requisite skills to create and sustain the operational core competencies required to compete in a global marketplace. Fall and Spring.
OPER 345 Service Operations
3.00 credits
This course introduces business students to service operations and attempts to familiarize them with the distinctive characteristics of service organizations and how to successfully manage them. Discussion includes, but is not limited to, such topics as the role and nature of services, competitive environment of services and competitive service strategies, service design, managing service operations, and globalization of services. Spring.
Prerequisite:
OPER 340 Minimum Grade: D
OPER 346 Project Management
3.00 credits
This operations skills course provides students with the requisite skills necessary to manage a wide range of projects including: project planning, task scheduling, resource management, and project reporting. The course provides students the knowledge of how to use MS Project to plan and control multiple projects utilizing finite resources. Spring.
Prerequisite:
OPER 340 Minimum Grade: D
OPER 347 Lean Thinking
3.00 credits
This operations strategy course focuses on lean systems whose functions include elimination of waste, reducing costs, shortening cycle times, quality improvement, optimization of socio-technical systems, and the process of continuous improvement. The course provides a focused perspective on lean applications in operations and management. The course also extends the benefits of lean thinking outward from the factory floor to encompass the organization and supply chain. The principles of lean thinking are applied to make-vs-buy decision, product and process design, relationship and organizational management, service operations, and environment conscious operations. Fall.
Prerequisite:
OPER 340 Minimum Grade: D
OPER 348 Qlty Mgmt & Intrnl Standards
3.00 credits
This course provides an introduction to management practices aimed at quality improvement and international quality standards as applied to productive systems throughout a product's global supply chain. Topics include product and process design for quality and reliability, vendor selection and quality defect prevention throughout the supply chain, control and improvement of process capability for all supply chain processes, ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards, and customer relationship management. Fall.
Prerequisite:
OPER 340 Minimum Grade: D
OPER 440 Global Oper & Supply Chain Mgt
3.00 credits
This capstone course examines the role of technology and the impact of globalization on creating value from both the producer and consumer's perspectives. Learning objectives include understanding how cultural and contextual differences affect the efficiency and effectiveness of global operations, and how developing a global supply chain creates a sustainable competitive advantage. The course uses a combination of lectures, internet exercises, case analysis, field research and group projects. This course counts toward three credits of international requirements (BU-International) for business majors. Fall and Spring.
Prerequisite:
OPER 340 Minimum Grade: D
OPER 489 Special Topic Seminar
1.00- 4.00 credits
Prerequisite:
OPER 340 Minimum Grade: D
OPER 491 Directed Study
1.00- 3.00 credits
Directed study requires completion of a form and departmental permission. Zagweb registration not available. Summer only.
Prerequisite:
OPER 340 Minimum Grade: D
 

In addition to their major and minor areas of study, all undergraduate students follow a common program designed to complete their education in those areas that the University considers essential for a Catholic, Jesuit, liberal, and humanistic education. The University Core Curriculum consists of forty-five credits of course work, with additional designation requirements that can be met through core, major, or elective courses.

The University Core Curriculum is a four-year program, organized around one overarching question, which is progressively addressed through yearly themes and questions. Hence, core courses are best taken within the year for which they are designated. First year core courses encourage intellectual engagement and provide a broad foundation of fundamental skills. Second and third year courses examine central issues and questions in philosophy and religious studies. The fourth year course, the Core Integration Seminar, offers a culminating core experience. Taken at any time throughout the four years, broadening courses intersect with the core themes and extend students’ appreciation for the humanities, arts, and social and behavioral sciences. Finally, the designation requirements (writing enriched, global studies, and social justice) reflect important values and reinforce students’ knowledge and competencies.

Overarching Core Question: As students of a Catholic, Jesuit, and 91³Ô¹ÏÍø, how do we educate ourselves to become women and men for a more just and humane global community?
Year 1 Theme and Question: Understanding and Creating: How do we pursue knowledge and cultivate understanding?

  • The First-Year Seminar (DEPT 193, 3 credits): The First-Year Seminar (FYS), taken in the fall or spring of the first year, is designed to promote an intellectual shift in students as they transition to college academic life. Each small seminar is organized around an engaging topic, which students explore from multiple perspectives. The FYS is offered by many departments across the University (click for list of FYS courses).  
  • Writing (ENGL 101, 3 credits) and Reasoning (PHIL 101, 3 credits): The Writing and Reasoning courses are designed to help students develop the foundational skills of critical reading, thinking, analysis, and writing. They may be taken as linked sections. Writing (ENGL 101) carries one of the three required writing-enriched designations (see below).
  • Communication & Speech (COMM 100, 3 credits): This course introduces students to interpersonal and small group communication and requires the application of critical thinking, reasoning, and research skills necessary to organize, write, and present several speeches.
  • Scientific Inquiry (BIOL 104/104L, CHEM 104/104L, or PHYS 104/104L, 3 credits): This course explores the scientific process in the natural world through evidence-based logic and includes significant laboratory experience. Students pursuing majors that require science courses will satisfy this requirement through their major.
  • Mathematics (above Math 100, 3 credits): Mathematics courses promote thinking according to the modes of the discipline—abstractly, symbolically, logically, and computationally. One course in mathematics, above Math 100, including any math course required for a major or minor, will fulfill this requirement. MATH 100 (College Algebra) and courses without the MATH prefix do not fulfill this requirement.

Year 2 Theme and Question: Being and Becoming: Who are we and what does it mean to be human?

  • Philosophy of Human Nature (PHIL 201, 3 credits): This course provides students with a philosophical study of key figures, theories, and intellectual traditions that contribute to understanding the human condition; the meaning and dignity of human life; and the human relationship to ultimate reality.
  • Christianity and Catholic Traditions (RELI, 3 credits). Religious Studies core courses approved for this requirement explore diverse topics including Christian scriptures, history, theology, and practices as well as major contributions from the Catholic intellectual and theological traditions (click for a list of approved courses) .

Year 3 Theme and Question: Caring and Doing: What principles characterize a well lived life?

  • Ethics (PHIL 301 or RELI, 3 credits): The Ethics courses are designed to help students develop their moral imagination by exploring and explaining the reasons humans should care about the needs and interests of others. This requirement is satisfied by an approved ethics course in either Philosophy (PHIL 301) or Religious Studies (click for a list of approved courses).
  • World/Comparative Religion (RELI, 3 credits): Religious Studies courses approved for this core requirement draw attention to the diversity that exists within and among traditions and encourage students to bring critical, analytical thinking to bear on the traditions and questions considered. These courses carries one of the required two global-studies designations (see below) (click for a list of approved courses).

Year 4 Theme and Question: Imagining the Possible: What is our role in the world?” 

  • Core Integration Seminar (DEPT 432, 3 credits). The Core Integration Seminar (CIS) offers students a culminating core experience in which they integrate the principles of Jesuit education, prior components of the core, and their disciplinary expertise. Some CIS courses may also count toward a student’s major or minor. The CIS is offered by several departments across the University (click for list of CIS courses).

The Broadening Courses

  • Fine Arts & Design (VART, MUSC, THEA, 3 credits): Arts courses explore multiple ways the human experience can be expressed through creativity, including across different cultures and societies. One approved course in fine arts, music, theatre, or dance will fulfill this requirement (click for a list of approved courses).
  • History (HIST, 3 credits): History courses are intended to develop students’ awareness of the historical context of both the individual and the collective human experience. One course in History (HIST 101, HIST 102, HIST 112, HIST 201, HIST 202) will fulfill this requirement.
  • Literature (3 credits): Literature courses foster reflection on how literature engages with a range of human experience. One approved course in Literature (offered by English, Classics, or Modern Languages) will fulfill this requirement (click for a list of approved courses).
  • Social & Behavioral Sciences (3 credits): Courses in the social and behavioral sciences engage students in studying human behavior, social systems, and social issues. One approved course offered by Criminal Justice, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, or Women and Gender Studies will fulfill this requirement (click for a list of approved courses).

The Designations
Designations are embedded within already existing core, major, minor, and elective courses. Students are encouraged to meet designation requirements within elective courses as their schedule allows; however, with careful planning students should be able to complete most of the designation requirements within other core, major, or minor courses.

  • Writing Enriched (WE; 3 courses meeting this designation): Courses carrying the WE designation are designed to promote the humanistic and Jesuit pedagogical ideal of clear, effective communication. In addition to the required core course, Writing (ENGL 101), which carries one of the WE designations, students must take two other WE-designated courses (click for a list of approved courses).
  • Global-Studies (GS; 2 courses meeting this designation): Courses carrying the GS designation are designed to challenge students to perceive and understand human diversity by exploring diversity within a context of constantly changing global systems. In addition to the required core course, World/Comparative Religion (RELI 300-level), which carries one of the GS designations, students must take one other GS-designated course (click for a list of approved courses).
  • Social-Justice (SJ; 1 course meeting this designation): Courses carrying the SJ designation are designed to introduce students to one or more social justice concerns. Students must take one course that meets the SJ designation (click for a list of approved courses).

Major-specific adaptations to the University Core Curriculum

All 91³Ô¹ÏÍø students, regardless of their major, will complete the University Core Curriculum requirements. However some 91³Ô¹ÏÍø students will satisfy certain core requirements through major-specific programs or courses. Any major-specific adaptations to the core are described with the requirements for the majors to which they apply.