100% online MBA with Supply Chain Management

Equip yourself for leadership success in supply chain with a life-changing MBA from a global university

Apply By 11 June 2024

To Start 25 June 2024

180 credits •
Complete within 12 months •
£8,880 total fees •
Research with 'world-leading' impact

Why Sunderland?

100% online MBA within 12 months
QS 5 star rating for teaching, inclusiveness, employability and facilities*
Ranked overall as a top 50 University**
Member of AACSB, CABS, EFMD and PRIME
70% of university research rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’***
£8,880 total fees, option to pay £740 per module

*QS World University Rankings, 2023
**Guardian University Guide, 2023
***Research Excellence Framework, 2021

An online MBA to help you reach the top in supply chain

The development of effective supply chain, logistics and management practices are a key driver of the competitive position and operational efficiency of organisations. The 100% online MBA with Supply Chain Management has been created for ambitious professionals who want to advance into and succeed in senior and strategic positions in supply chain and logistics. It provides you with an in-depth understanding of global logistics management and supply chain management and the design of sustainable integrated supply chains, in addition to developing enhanced leadership skills for the real world of work. The MBA develops your ability to make informed decisions, adopt a critical perspective, communicate ideas and develop cultures that encourage and maximise the wellbeing and productivity of teams and individuals.

OUR PARTNERS, ACCREDITATIONS AND NETWORKS

Freedom, flexibility and choice - a cutting-edge online supply chain MBA

This online MBA course has been designed to be uniquely flexible and accessible to all. It is our firm belief that work and family commitments should not get in the way of pursuing your ambitions. The flexible design of this MBA means that you can fit your studies around work and family commitments, continue to earn as you learn and avoid difficult trade-offs.

Because this Master of Business Administration is taught and delivered 100% online you can study and complete it from any location in the UK or in the world, on desktop or on mobile, without ever having to visit campus.

You’ll study in a specially tailored online learning environment with extensive peer-to-peer learning opportunities, including group tasks, discussion groups and forums. With numerous other professionals interested in supply chain management and logistics from a range of industries and sectors across the world, the opportunities to grow your global network will be substantial.

We have six start dates a year so you’re not restricted to the traditional academic year and can begin your studies within weeks, and if you choose to study full-time you can complete this MBA within 12 months, fast-tracking your potential career progression.

A business school celebrated for excellence in teaching, research and skills development

Elements of the research in business at the University of Sunderland Business School have been recognised as ‘world-leading’ and ‘internationally important’ in the latest Research Excellence framework, reflecting the fact that our academics are at the forefront of important research in their fields.

We have been ranked internationally as a leading university, receiving five stars for teaching, inclusiveness, employability and facilities in the QS World University Rankings 2023, the highest rating that can be awarded to a university. A special recognition of our practical focus on developing the skills that enable career progression for our students all over the world.

Business and MBA graduates from Sunderland have secured roles in organisations including Facebook, Microsoft, Sage, HSBC, IBM, Enterprise, Nissan, Accenture, Procter & Gamble, Merck & Co, Barclays, Nissan, Marriott Hotels, Viacom 18, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Adidas.

What will you study?

This postgraduate course develops capability at strategic level, providing a critical understanding of effective and ethical supply chain design and management, with a clear appreciation for its contribution to the overall business vision mission and goals.

You will study the role of supply chain and logistics in organisations and critically examine leading approaches.

You will also develop a robust understanding of the efficacy of processes employed to manufacture products and deliver services to customers. In addition, you will build leadership and management skills, and a broad-based knowledge across other key areas of business.

Key knowledge and skills taught on this course:

Global logistics and supply chain management
Integrated supply chain design
Sustainable logistics
Operations management
International trade
Global corporate strategy
Financial management
Big data analytics
Organisational behaviour and cultural change
International marketing

A global University with specialist expertise in online learning

We have been welcoming students from across the world for more than 40 years and our international focus is reflected in our campus locations in Hong Kong, Sunderland and London and our strong international partnerships across the world including in the Caribbean, Greece, Kenya, Malaysia, Lanka, Oman, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tashkent and Vietnam. We’re immensely proud to be a university known for diverse learner cohorts who benefit from interactions with each other and are able to grow their global professional networks.

There is a high percentage of international students at University of Sunderland, and we have students studying by distance learning around the world. Sunderland is also one of the UK’s leading widening participation Universities and was awarded The Times/Sunday Times University of the Year for Social Inclusion 2021. We were also shortlisted as University of the Year by the THE – Times Higher Education.

Our expertise, our cutting-edge technology and our experience in delivering excellent online learning experiences to global students is key to what sets the University of Sunderland and our online MBA with Supply Chain Management apart.

Admission requirements

Applicants must be of age 19 and above and should have or be about to complete:

At least a UK 2.2 undergraduate degree plus a minimum of two years’ relevant work experience

A UK master’s degree (or international equivalent) plus a minimum of two years’ relevant work experience

A third-class honours degree or an ordinary degree (without honours) or UK equivalent professional qualification with a minimum of three years’ appropriate work experience

Applicants who do not hold a recognised degree will be asked to provide evidence which demonstrates a minimum of three years’ relevant organisational experience

The work experience must be at a graduate level, in either a managerial or professional capacity which may include voluntary work, placements, internships, or project management

Fees

Total course fees: £8,880
Per 15-credit module fee: £740

If you are based in the UK, you may be eligible for a government-backed postgraduate loan to cover the full costs of the course.

In addition, if you have successfully completed an undergraduate degree at the University of Sunderland, you are eligible for a 10% tuition fees reduction on our postgraduate programmes.

You pay tuition fees for each module taken, either module-by-module or in full at the start of your course.

If you pay module-by-module, you will pay in instalments of £740.

Modules

Developing Skills for Business Leadership

Becoming self-aware, reflecting and appreciating personal strengths and weaknesses supports self-development and leads to skills improvement. Pivotal to successful and effective management and leadership is an appreciation that professionals have different approaches to their work, originating from a range of diverse personality traits, attributes and beliefs. This module helps you to understand these and how they are determinants of an individual’s effectiveness and enables you to develop and enhance your ability to manage and lead others.

Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Over the past few decades there have been many new ideas, tools and frameworks advanced to enable organisations to become both more efficient and more effective. However, few of these have had as much impact on actual business practice and performance as logistics and supply chain management. In this module, you will explore a number of the leading approaches to supply chain management and alternative logistics strategies that are linked to the types of products being sold and the processes used to create and deliver them.

Sustainable Logistics and Integrated Supply Chain Designs

Today, leading companies see their supply chains as an essential source of competitive advantage. The transformation in the way in which organisations design and manage the processes of value delivery has been truly revolutionary. Rather than thinking of the business as a set of loosely connected ‘vertical’ functions, it is increasingly recognised that the goal has to be to break down the walls between those functions and instead to manage ‘horizontal’, customer-facing processes in an integrated approach. This module explores contemporary supply chain designs that reflect this new way of thinking. The module also looks beyond how logistics can influence organisational success and considers economic sustainability with environmental management as it applies to supply chain management.

International Trade

Walking into a supermarket and finding bananas and coffee from South America, wine from California and New Zealand and cocoa from Nigeria is a result of international trade. This module will provide you with an understanding of how countries expand their markets for both goods and services that otherwise may not have been available domestically. It will explore how international trade leads to greater competition and competitive pricing and how this affects the consumer. You will understand the flow of goods and services across international boundaries from supply and demand factors, economic integration, and policy variables.

Financial Management and Control

This module explains how to measure and compare financial performance and use knowledge of an entity’s cost in operational and strategic management. It explores cost management and analysis, costing methods and control, strategic planning, decision making and budgeting. You will consider budgetary preparation and financial control, develop an understanding of how to appraise investment opportunities and make business financing decisions and of the role of working capital.

Global Corporate Strategy

Business is increasingly becoming global. The global view relates not only to an assessment of competitors but also the geographic and demographic arenas in which they function. This module examines key contemporary issues surrounding international and global strategic management. A framework will be established to enable you to understand the strategic management and strategic leadership processes involved in organisations. In this context, strategy can only be analysed and understood when the various stakeholders and their complex relationships are considered as part of the management of multinational enterprises (MNEs). This is achieved by examining the design of strategic management and leadership processes and how strategic decisions affect the functioning of organisations operating in both domestic and international markets.

Operations Management

Operations management is the administration of business practices designed to establish the highest level of efficiency within an organisation. You will learn how to focus on the conversion of materials and labour into goods and services as effectively and efficiently as possible in order to maximise profit. You will also gain an understanding of the theory and practice behind the balancing of costs with revenue in order to achieve the highest possible operating profit.

Marketing in a Digitally Connected World

Against a backdrop of new technologies and a proliferation of fast developing marketing channels, effective marketing requires an understanding and ability to design complex solutions that engage effectively with the customer journey. This module explores current marketing theory and how offline and online technologies interact with customers through a myriad of touchpoints. Customers from a range of market perspectives are considered and the application of holistic marketing approaches as a means of supporting ‘needs satisfaction’ and attaining customer loyalty is explored.

Organisational Behaviour and Cultural Change

Organisational behaviour is the study of human behaviour in organisational settings, exploring the interface between human behaviour and the organisation, and the organisation itself. A variety of factors influence organisational behaviour, including structure, policies, processes and management. You will gain knowledge of how companies can manage and lead change effectively, and by understanding organisational behaviour you will support your personal development and ability to set the standard for accepting, negotiating, and implementing change.

Global Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethics

This module develops critical insights into corporate social and environmental responsibility. Corporations have a clear ability to influence and shape the environment, our choices as consumers, the rules of government and the quality of our working lives. In recognition of this power there have been increasing calls for corporate social responsibility at national and international levels. The module examines contemporary themes using case studies to illustrate the complex relationship between business and society and the alternative frameworks through which the subject can be considered. It explores the issues of accountability and regulation and considers alternative forms of organising such as co-operatives and partnerships in order to question whether these structures enable organisations to engage with the broader aims of corporate social and environmental responsibility.

Big Data in Organisations

In this module you will investigate techniques that organisations use for performing simple analysis of data for a variety of business applications. You will develop an understanding of the types of data used in business, the differences between structured and unstructured data and how tools can be used to represent and analyse different types of data, including big data, in various contexts.
You will gain an appreciation of how data analytics can enhance business processes, for improved decision making in marketing, customer relationships, sales and forecasting. You will also learn how to apply simple analytical techniques to present information using data visualisation tools.

Enterprise and Entrepreneurship

Enterprise and entrepreneurial skills are highly valued by employers and by enterprising individuals who are interested in starting a new business or in exploiting a unique business idea. This module enables you to seize opportunities, mitigate risks, be creative and develop problem solving skills. It provides you with the knowledge and understanding to drive your business ideas forward and overcome hurdles with the aim of successfully launching new business ventures.