Supply Chain Management Bachelor's Degree

Minors & Certificates

The OSCM program at UT San Antonio focuses on how businesses design, produce and deliver products and services efficiently and effectively. At its core, every business, whether it sells a physical product or provides a service, must decide what to offer, how to create it, how to deliver it and how to do all of this efficiently.

The OSCM program is built around teaching students exactly that. From the initial creation of a product or service, to production, staffing and finally distribution to customers, students learn how to manage and optimize each step of the process. More specifically, Operations and Supply Chain Management is the discipline that focuses on optimizing the flow of goods and services within an organization and across its broader network. This includes everything from designing the products to sourcing raw materials to delivering finished products to customers. The goal is to maximize efficiency, maintain high quality and control costs across the entire production and distribution system.

In the OSCM program, you will study a range of topics that focus on how businesses operate efficiently and deliver value to customers. The program is designed to build practical, in-demand skills that are widely applicable across industries. Areas include:

• Supply Chain Planning and Management: You will learn how to manage the flow of goods and services across the entire supply chain, including new product development, demand forecasting, production planning, inventory control, supplier selection and transportation logistics. This includes understanding how new products are designed, sourced and launched in coordination with suppliers and distribution networks.
• Process Improvement: You will study how to analyze and redesign operational processes to eliminate inefficiencies, reduce waste and improve resource capacity utilization.
• Quality Control: You will explore how organizations implement standards and continuous improvement practices to ensure consistent quality while minimizing defects and service failures.

Overall, the program equips you with the knowledge and tools to improve operational performance and enhance customer satisfaction, preparing you to become a problem-solver who can design, manage and improve the systems that keep businesses running every day.

A degree in operations and supply chain management opens the door to diverse, high-demand career paths across industries such as retail, manufacturing, technology, healthcare, consulting, hospitality and e-commerce. Because every organization depends on efficient operations, graduates enjoy strong job security, flexibility and long-term growth opportunities.

Many students begin in well-paying entry-level roles such as Supply Chain Analyst, Demand Planner or Procurement Analyst, with typical starting salaries of $60,000–$80,000. These roles serve as direct pathways into leadership, analytics and strategy positions. With experience and skills in data analysis, decision-making and leadership, graduates can advance to roles such as Department Manager, Supply Chain Manager, Operations Manager or Logistics Manager, often earning over $100,000, with senior roles exceeding $150,000.

Overall, this degree offers a clear, rewarding path to high-impact, high-income careers in a field that powers every modern business.

Yes, the OSCM program is designed to be highly hands-on and career-focused. The curriculum has been recently overhauled with input from industry partners to ensure students gain relevant, practical, real-world experience. As a result, hands-on learning is integrated into nearly every course. Students engage in activities such as real-life Six Sigma process improvement projects, managerial simulations and solving actual business cases from companies.

Beyond the classroom, students can earn internship credit, providing valuable opportunities to apply their skills in professional settings and build industry experience before graduation. The program also offers additional experiential learning opportunities, including factory and site visits, guest speakers and practitioner engagement, resume review and career preparation sessions, global immersion experiences and active student organizations. Together, these experiences ensure that students graduate not only with knowledge, but with the practical skills and professional exposure needed to succeed in their careers.

The OSCM program is designed to build a strong foundation for widely-recognized professional certifications in the field. Through its curriculum, students develop knowledge and practical skills aligned with certifications such as Six Sigma certifications (Yellow Belt), Project Management certifications (CAPM), CLTD (Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution), CPIM (Certified in Planning and Inventory Management) and CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional).

Coursework in areas such as inventory management, lean operations, quality management, analytics and supply chain systems closely aligns with the topics covered in these certification exams. This alignment helps students not only understand the material, but also feel confident pursuing certification. In fact, many students are well prepared to sit for certifications such as the Six Sigma Yellow Belt and the CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) even before graduation.

Overall, the program provides a strong academic and practical foundation, enabling students to pursue certifications during or after their degree and further enhance their career prospects.