The concentration in supply chain management and analytics gives students the skills to manage the manufacture and movement of products in the global environment and to understand the fundamentals of decision analytics. The curriculum is comprehensive in that supply chain management and analytics involve a range of issues from inventory management to risk management, as well as the indispensable role of information and technology in coordinating modern supply chains and analyzing data for the benefit of the organization.

Learning goals

Graduates will employ knowledge of supply chain management and effectively utilize analytics tools to provide insight and solutions to complex business issues. 

Student learning outcomes

Upon completing this program, students will know and know how to do the following:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the complexities of global supply chains
  2. Demonstrate appropriate strategies to assess and manage uncertainty and risk
  3. Identify environmental and social concerns in making supply chain management solutions
  4. Employ analytics tools to support decision-making

Special requirements

The admission requirements for the School of Business detail the deadlines and other requirements for students to be admitted to one of these major programs of study. The following courses must be completed before the student may declare a specific business major: ACCT 203, ACCT 204, BUSN 201 or BUSN 205, BUSN 212 or MATH 200, BUSN 225, ECON 210, ECON 211, UNIV 111, UNIV 112 and UNIV 200.

The School of Business has special academic policiesincluding policies on transfer credits, that apply to all undergraduate degrees. 

All baccalaureate degree programs in the School of Business require successful completion of the business knowledge exam as administered in BUSN 499

Students may need to take additional mathematics courses as prerequisites to BUSN 212 or MATH 200. These credits will count as open electives in the degree program. 

No more than six credits from the BUSN 16X Digital Literacy courses may be applied to the degree.

INTL 493 may not be counted toward a business degree.

Credit for SPCH 121 or SPCH 321 will substitute for BUSN 225, and no more than three credits of these courses may be applied toward a business degree. Students who earned a minimum grade of B in either ECON 203 or ECON 205 at VCU may substitute that credit for ECON 210.

The pass/fail grading policy may not be used for many course requirements. Students should check with their academic adviser before taking the pass/fail grading option.

Degree requirements for Business, Bachelor of Science (B.S.) with a concentration in supply chain management and analytics

Course Title Hours
General education
Select 30 credits of general education courses in consultation with an adviser.30
Major requirements
• Major core requirements
MGMT 319Leadership3
SCMA 302Business Statistics II3
• Concentration requirements
SCMA 303Business Analytics3
SCMA 386Global Supply Chain Management3
• Major electives
SCMA electives (select from list below)12
Non-SCMA electives (select from list below)6
Ancillary requirements
• Ancillary core requirements
ACCT 203
ACCT 204
Introduction to Accounting I
and Introduction to Accounting II
6
BUSN 225Winning Presentations3
BUSN 301Career and Professional Development 1
or BUSN 501 Advanced Career and Professional Development
BUSN 499Business Knowledge Exam0
ECON 210Principles of Microeconomics (satisfies general education BOK for social/behavioral sciences and/or AOI for global perspectives)3
ECON 211Principles of Macroeconomics3
FIRE 311Financial Management3
INFO 360Business Information Systems3
MKTG 301Marketing Principles3
MGMT 303Creativity and Ideation3
MGMT 310Managing People in Organizations3
MGMT 434Strategic Management3
SCMA 301Business Statistics I3
SCMA 320Production/Operations Management3
• Additional ancillary requirements
BUSN 201Foundations of Business 13
or BUSN 205 Introduction to the World of Business
BUSN 212Business Problem Solving and Analysis (either satisfies general education quantitative foundations)4
or MATH 200 Calculus with Analytic Geometry I
BUSN 323Legal Environment of Business3
or FIRE 325 Real Estate Law
Open electives
Select any course. 216
Total Hours120
1

BUSN 205 satisfies general education AOI for global perspectives.

2

Students may choose electives to reach the minimum total of 120 credits.

The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 120.

Approved electives

Course Title Hours
Select four of the following SCMA courses:
SCMA 339Quantitative Solutions for Supply Chain Management3
SCMA 410Logistics and Distribution Strategy3
SCMA 420Strategic Sourcing3
SCMA 430Data Management and Visualization3
SCMA 439Process Management and Quality Control3
SCMA 440Data Mining and Forecasting3
SCMA 491Topics in Supply Chain Management and Analytics1-3
SCMA 492Independent Study in Supply Chain Management and Analytics1-3
SCMA 493Internship in Supply Chain Management and Analytics3
Select two of the following non-SCMA courses:
BUSN 400 & BUSN 401 Principles of Consulting and International Consulting Practicum (If this option is chosen, both must be taken.)6
ECON 303Managerial Economics3
INFO 361Systems Analysis and Design3
MGMT 389Managerial Skills Development3
MKTG 325Business-to-business Marketing3
MKTG 450Product Development and Management3

 

What follows is a sample plan that meets the prescribed requirements within a four-year course of study at VCU. Please contact your adviser before beginning course work toward a degree.

Freshman year
Fall semesterHours
UNIV 111 Play VideoPlay course video for Focused Inquiry I Focused Inquiry I (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) 3
General education course 3
General education course 3
General education course 3
Open elective (prerequisite to BUSN 212 suggested) 3
 Term Hours: 15
Spring semester
BUSN 212 Business Problem Solving and Analysis (satisfies general education quantitative foundations) 4
BUSN 225 Winning Presentations 3
UNIV 112 Play VideoPlay course video for Focused Inquiry II Focused Inquiry II (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) 3
General education course 3
Open elective 3
 Term Hours: 16
Sophomore year
Fall semester
ACCT 203 Introduction to Accounting I 3
BUSN 201
Foundations of Business
or Introduction to the World of Business
3
ECON 210 Principles of Microeconomics (satisfies general education BOK for social/behavioral sciences and/or AOI for global perspectives) 3
UNIV 200 Advanced Focused Inquiry: Literacies, Research and Communication (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) 3
General education course 3
 Term Hours: 15
Spring semester
ACCT 204 Introduction to Accounting II 3
BUSN 301
Career and Professional Development
or Advanced Career and Professional Development
1
ECON 211 Principles of Macroeconomics 3
MKTG 301 Marketing Principles 3
SCMA 301 Business Statistics I 3
Open elective 3
 Term Hours: 16
Junior year
Fall semester
BUSN 323
Legal Environment of Business
or Real Estate Law
3
BUSN 325 Organizational Communication 3
MGMT 310 Managing People in Organizations 3
SCMA 302 Business Statistics II 3
SCMA 320 Production/Operations Management 3
 Term Hours: 15
Spring semester
INFO 360 Business Information Systems 3
MGMT 303 Creativity and Ideation 3
MGMT 319 Leadership 3
SCMA 303 Business Analytics 3
SCMA 386 Global Supply Chain Management 3
 Term Hours: 15
Senior year
Fall semester
FIRE 311 Financial Management 3
SCMA electives 6
Non-SCMA elective 3
Open elective 3
 Term Hours: 15
Spring semester
BUSN 499 Business Knowledge Exam 0
MGMT 434 Strategic Management 3
SCMA electives 6
Non-SCMA elective 3
Open elective 1
 Term Hours: 13
 Total Hours: 120

The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 120.

 

Accelerated B.S. and M.D.A.

The accelerated B.S. and M.D.A. program allows qualified students to earn both the B.S. in Business with a concentration in supply chain management and analytics and Master of Decision Analytics in a minimum of five years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. Students in the program may count up to 12 credit hours of graduate courses toward both the B.S. and M.D.A. degrees. Thus, the two degrees may be earned with a minimum of 138 credits rather than the 150 credits necessary if the two degrees are pursued separately.

This accelerated program is for highly-motivated students who want to pursue advanced study in decision analytics. Students holding these degrees will be prepared to contribute to analytical decision making that supports the mission of a variety of organizations. 

Entrance to the accelerated program

Interested undergraduate students should consult with their adviser as early as possible to receive specific information about the accelerated program, determine academic eligibility and submit (no later than two semesters prior to graduating with a baccalaureate degree, that is, before the end of the spring semester of their junior year) an Accelerated Program Declaration Form to be approved by the graduate program director. Limited spaces may be available in the accelerated program. Academically qualified students may not receive approval if capacity has been reached.

Minimum qualifications for entrance to this accelerated program include completion of 85 undergraduate credit hours including SCMA 212 or MATH 200, SCMA 301, and SCMA 302  with a minimum grade of B and an overall GPA of 3.25. Students who received transfer credit for these courses shall submit transcripts from previous institutions with their application so that performance in these classes can be evaluated.

Once enrolled in the accelerated program, students must meet the standards of performance applicable to graduate students as described in the “Satisfactory academic progress” section of the Graduate Bulletin, including maintaining a 3.0 GPA. Guidance to students admitted to the accelerated program is provided by both the undergraduate adviser and the faculty adviser to the graduate program.

Admission to the graduate program

Entrance to the accelerated program enables the student to take the approved shared courses that will apply to the undergraduate and graduate degrees. However, entry into an accelerated program via an approved Accelerated Program Declaration Form does not constitute application or admission into the graduate program. Admission to the graduate program requires a separate step that occurs through a formal application to the master’s program, which is submitted through Graduate Admissions no later than a semester prior to graduation with the baccalaureate degree, that is, before the end of the fall semester of the senior year. In order to continue pursuing the master’s degree after the baccalaureate degree is conferred, accelerated students must follow the admission to graduate study requirements outlined in the VCU Bulletin.

Degree requirements

The Bachelor of Science in Business degree with a concentration in supply chain management and analytics will be awarded upon completion of a minimum of 120 credits and the satisfactory completion of all undergraduate degree requirements as stated in the undergraduate Bulletin.

A maximum of 12 graduate credits may be taken prior to completion of the baccalaureate degree. These graduate credits will substitute for the required major or open elective credits for the undergraduate degree. These courses are shared credits with the graduate program, meaning that they will be applied to both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements.

The graduate decision analytics courses that may be taken as an undergraduate, once a student is admitted to the program, are:

Course Title Hours
INFO 645Prescriptive Analytics3
INFO 648Business Data Analytics3
SCMA 632Statistical Analysis and Modeling3
SCMA 642Decision and Risk Analytics3

Recommended course sequence/plan of study

What follows is the recommended plan of study for students interested in the accelerated program beginning in the fall of the junior year prior to admission to the accelerated program in the senior year.

Course Title Hours
Junior year
Fall semester
BUSN 323Legal Environment of Business3
or FIRE 325 Real Estate Law
or FIRE 459 Insurance Law
BUSN 325Organizational Communication3
MGMT 310Managing People in Organizations3
SCMA 302Business Statistics II3
SCMA 320Production/Operations Management3
Term Hours:15
Spring semester
INFO 360Business Information Systems3
MGMT 303Creativity and Ideation3
MGMT 319Leadership3
SCMA 303Business Analytics3
SCMA 386Global Supply Chain Management3
Term Hours:15
Senior year
Fall semester
FIRE 311Financial Management3
INFO 648Business Data Analytics3
SCMA 632Statistical Analysis and Modeling3
SCMA elective3
Open elective3
Term Hours:15
Spring semester
BUSN 499Business Knowledge Exam0
INFO 645Prescriptive Analytics3
MGMT 434Strategic Management3
SCMA 642Decision and Risk Analytics3
SCMA elective3
Open elective3
Term Hours:15
Fifth year
Fall semester
INFO 601Database Management3
Graduate program electives6
Term Hours:9
Spring semester
Graduate program electives9
Term Hours:9

Accelerated B.S. and M.S.C.M.

The accelerated B.S. and M.S.C.M. program allows qualified students to earn both the B.S. in Business with a concentration in supply chain management and analytics and Master of Supply Chain Management in a minimum of five years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. Students in the program may count up to 12 hours of graduate courses toward both the B.S. and M.S.C.M. degrees. Thus, the two degrees may be earned with a minimum of 138 credits rather than the 150 credits necessary if the two degrees are pursued separately.

Students holding these degrees are prepared for corporate and government supply chain management positions using data analytics, leadership skills and global perspectives.

Entrance to the accelerated program

Interested undergraduate students should consult with their adviser as early as possible to receive specific information about the accelerated program, determine academic eligibility and submit (no later than two semesters prior to graduating with a baccalaureate degree, that is, before the end of the spring semester of their junior year) an Accelerated Program Declaration Form to be approved by the graduate program director. Limited spaces may be available in the accelerated program. Academically qualified students may not receive approval if capacity has been reached.

Minimum qualifications for entrance to this accelerated program include completion of 85 undergraduate credit hours including SCMA 212 or MATH 200, SCMA 301, and SCMA 302  with a minimum grade of B and an overall GPA of 3.25. Students who do not meet the minimum GPA requirements may submit GRE scores to receive further consideration.

Once enrolled in the accelerated program, students must meet the standards of performance applicable to graduate students as described in the “Satisfactory academic progress” section of the Graduate Bulletin, including maintaining a 3.0 GPA. Guidance to students admitted to the accelerated program is provided by both the undergraduate adviser and the faculty adviser to the graduate program.

Admission to the graduate program

Entrance to the accelerated program enables the student to take the approved shared courses that will apply to the undergraduate and graduate degrees. However, entry into an accelerated program via an approved Accelerated Program Declaration Form does not constitute application or admission into the graduate program. Admission to the graduate program requires a separate step that occurs through a formal application to the master’s program, which is submitted through Graduate Admissions no later than a semester prior to graduation with the baccalaureate degree, that is, before the end of the fall semester of the senior year. In order to continue pursuing the master’s degree after the baccalaureate degree is conferred, accelerated students must follow the admission to graduate study requirements outlined in the VCU Bulletin.

Degree requirements

The Bachelor of Science in Business degree with a concentration in supply chain management and analytics will be awarded upon completion of a minimum of 120 credits and the satisfactory completion of all undergraduate degree requirements as stated in the Undergraduate Bulletin.

A maximum of 12 graduate credits may be taken prior to completion of the baccalaureate degree. These graduate credits will substitute for the required major or open electives for the undergraduate degree. These courses are shared credits with the graduate program, meaning that they will be applied to both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements.

The graduate courses for the M.S.C.M. that may be taken as an undergraduate, once a student is admitted to the program, are:

Course Title Hours
SCMA 602Global Supply Chain Management3
SCMA 675Operations Management3
MSCM program electives6

Recommended course sequence/plan of study

What follows is the recommended plan of study for students interested in the accelerated program beginning in the fall of the junior year prior to admission to the accelerated program in the senior year.

Course Title Hours
Junior year
Fall semester
BUSN 323Legal Environment of Business3
or FIRE 325 Real Estate Law
or FIRE 459 Insurance Law
BUSN 325Organizational Communication3
MGMT 310Managing People in Organizations3
SCMA 302Business Statistics II3
SCMA 320Production/Operations Management3
Term Hours:15
Spring semester
INFO 360Business Information Systems3
MGMT 303Creativity and Ideation3
MGMT 319Leadership3
SCMA 303Business Analytics3
SCMA 386Global Supply Chain Management3
Term Hours:15
Senior year
Fall semester
FIRE 311Financial Management3
SCMA 675Operations Management3
SCMA electives6
MSCM program elective3
Term Hours:15
Spring semester
BUSN 499Business Knowledge Exam0
MGMT 434Strategic Management3
SCMA 602Global Supply Chain Management3
SCMA elective3
MSCM program elective3
Open elective2
Term Hours:14
Summer semester
SCMA 603SAP ERP and Supply Chain Management3
SCMA 606Supply Chain Innovation3
Term Hours:6
Fifth year
Fall semester
SCMA 645Advanced Decision Analytics3
SCMA 697Guided Study in Supply Chain Management3
MSCM program electives6
Term Hours:12