This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2024-2025 VCU Bulletin. Courses that expose students to cutting-edge content and transformative learning may be added and notification of additional program approvals may be received prior to finalization. General education program content is also subject to change. The final edition and full PDF version will include these updates and will be available in August prior to the beginning of the fall semester.
The supply chain management program offers a robust foundation for diverse career opportunities covering sourcing, logistics, sustainability, operations, process, quality and inventory management. The curriculum equips students with essential qualitative and quantitative methodologies to enhance supply chain efficiency and responsiveness. Students develop analytical skills to address contemporary challenges in global supply chains and enhance organizational operations. By engaging in hand-on applications and utilizing modern analytics software, students apply their knowledge to make well-informed decisions with complex, real-world data. Our program highlights the importance of cultural competence, ensuring students are prepared for success in diverse global supply chain environments.
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:
- Qualitatively assess the core responsibilities and measures of performance for supply
chain functions - Identify and apply appropriate managerial strategies to supply chain problems
- Quantitatively analyze the risk exposure of organizations within a supply chain and
propose solutions to mitigate it - Evaluate the requisites and available data pertaining to analytics-based problems
- Determine suitable analytical techniques for problem analysis and deploy those methods
to facilitate decision-making - Employ computational tools and quantitative techniques to improve supply chain
performance.
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 policies, including 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 Supply Chain Management and Analytics, Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General education | ||
| Select 30 credits of general education courses in consultation with an adviser. | 30 | |
| Major requirements | ||
| • Major core requirements | ||
| SCMA 302 | Business Statistics II | 3 |
| SCMA 303 | Business Analytics | 3 |
| SCMA 339 | Quantitative Solutions for Supply Chain Management | 3 |
| SCMA 350 | Introduction to Project Management | 3 |
| SCMA 386 | Global Supply Chain Management | 3 |
| SCMA 410 | Logistics and Distribution Strategy | 3 |
| SCMA 420 | Strategic Sourcing | 3 |
| SCMA 439 | Process Management and Quality Control | 3 |
| • Restricted electives | ||
| Select six credits from: | 6 | |
| Cost Accounting | ||
| Principles of Consulting and International Consulting Practicum | ||
| Financial Modeling | ||
| Business Intelligence and Data Mining | ||
| Introduction to Enterprise Resource Planning Systems | ||
| Leadership | ||
| Negotiation, Influence and Conflict Management | ||
| Business-to-business Marketing | ||
| Professional Selling I: The Art of Persuasion | ||
| Retail Management | ||
| Customer and Marketing Analytics | ||
| Professional Selling II: Advanced Sales Techniques | ||
| Product Development and Management | ||
| Data Management and Visualization | ||
| Data Mining and Forecasting | ||
| Topics in Supply Chain Management and Analytics | ||
| Independent Study in Supply Chain Management and Analytics | ||
| Internship in Supply Chain Management and Analytics | ||
| Ancillary requirements | ||
| • Ancillary core requirements | ||
| ACCT 203 & ACCT 204 | Introduction to Accounting I and Introduction to Accounting II | 6 |
| BUSN 225 | Winning Presentations | 3 |
| BUSN 301 | Career and Professional Development | 1 |
| BUSN 499 | Business Knowledge Exam | 0 |
| ECON 210 | Principles of Microeconomics (satisfies general education BOK for social/behavioral sciences and/or AOI for global perspectives) | 3 |
| ECON 211 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| FIRE 311 | Financial Management | 3 |
| INFO 360 | Business Information Systems | 3 |
| MGMT 303 | Creativity and Ideation | 3 |
| MGMT 310 | Managing People in Organizations | 3 |
| MGMT 434 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| MKTG 301 | Marketing Principles | 3 |
| SCMA 301 | Business Statistics I | 3 |
| SCMA 320 | Production/Operations Management | 3 |
| • Additional ancillary requirements | ||
| BUSN 201 | Foundations of Business 1 | 3 |
| or BUSN 205 | Introduction to the World of Business | |
| BUSN 212 | Business Problem Solving and Analysis (either satisfies general education quantitative foundations) | 4 |
| or MATH 200 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry I | |
| BUSN 323 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| or FIRE 325 | Real Estate Law | |
| or FIRE 459 | Insurance Law | |
| Open electives | ||
| Select any course. 2 | 17 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
BUSN 205 satisfies general education AOI for global perspectives.
Students may choose electives to reach the minimum total of 120 credits.
The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 120.
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 semester | Hours | |
UNIV 111  Play 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 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 or BUSN 205 | 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 | 1 |
| BUSN 323 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| ECON 211 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| MKTG 301 | Marketing Principles | 3 |
| SCMA 301 | Business Statistics I | 3 |
| Term Hours: | 16 | |
| Junior year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| MGMT 303 | Creativity and Ideation | 3 |
| MGMT 310 | Managing People in Organizations | 3 |
| SCMA 302 | Business Statistics II | 3 |
| SCMA 320 | Production/Operations Management | 3 |
| SCMA 350 | Introduction to Project Management | 3 |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| FIRE 311 | Financial Management | 3 |
| INFO 360 | Business Information Systems | 3 |
| SCMA 303 | Business Analytics | 3 |
| SCMA 386 | Global Supply Chain Management | 3 |
| Restricted elective | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Senior year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| SCMA 339 | Quantitative Solutions for Supply Chain Management | 3 |
| SCMA 420 | Strategic Sourcing | 3 |
| Open electives | 4 | |
| Resricted elective | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 13 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| BUSN 499 | Business Knowledge Exam | 0 |
| MGMT 434 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| SCMA 410 | Logistics and Distribution Strategy | 3 |
| SCMA 439 | Process Management and Quality Control | 3 |
| Open electives | 6 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Total Hours: | 120 | |
The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 120.