MSc Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Study for an MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain Management at the University of Bolton and you’ll have the opportunity to develop skills that prepare you for the global marketplace. Build your business acumen and work to develop the necessary skills for a career in this sought-after profession.

Key information

Award:

MSc

Mode of Study:

Full-time

Duration:

12 months

Location:

University of Bolton

Start date:

To be confirmed

Course Details

Supply chain and logistics is an under-resourced business sector and graduates with expertise in this area are increasingly in demand. This course is designed to help you achieve the transferable skills and knowledge necessary for a career within logistics and supply chain. You’ll cover subjects like global trade and requirements of the industry, risk mitigation, sustainable business operations and the role of information within supply networks, with the aim of gaining a comprehensive overview of the industry and related elements.

You’ll have the opportunity to explore and apply methods and techniques for business improvement in response to environmental, operational and ethical issues, both current and emerging, to build awareness of the industry and its different facets, including logistics, operations, strategy and information technology.

Created with more than a decade’s industry experience delivering supply chain programmes with partners in Malaysia, Botswana, Zambia and Malawi, the MSc Logistics and Supply Chain Management course has a strong international focus to help prepare students for the needs of the global marketplace.

Highlights
  • Established in response to the shortage of qualified supply chain professionals, this programme is tailor-made to provide you with the opportunity to build skills relevant to the current and emerging needs of the industry.
  • The programme has been developed in compliance with Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport professional body requirements.
  • There is a strong international flavour to the programme, enabling you to enhance your knowledge and understanding of today’s global market.
  • Our scholarly activity, research and well-established links with industry professional bodies, help to make sure our course content is industry-relevant and introduces you to the latest thinking and innovations.
  • On successful completion of this course, you will be awarded an MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain Management and will have the opportunity for further study up to PhD level.
Key Features
  • The MSc Logistics and Supply Chain Management course is designed for the modern, global industry and covers all relevant elements, from sustainability and aggressive marketing of goods and services to the importance of risk mitigation.
  • You’ll have the option to take a study skills module at the beginning of the programme in preparation for Master’s level study.
  • At the end of the course, you’ll be able to apply your knowledge and skills in practice by preparing a dissertation that covers a specific area of the logistics and supply chain management discipline.
  • We’re committed to helping you develop your employability and career network. You’ll be encouraged to attend guest lectures that enhance your learning, help you make contacts in industry and contribute to your professional development.
  • Our dedicated staff team have a wide range of professional experience, industry knowledge, technical expertise and academic credentials, offering you a variety of perspectives and broadening your horizons.
  • By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the North West of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.
Professional recognition

We are seeking recognition of the course from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT).


  • You should have a UK Honours degree/postgraduate degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject.
  • Examples of relevant qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree in logistics and supply chain management, business administration, information systems or technology, accountancy, operations management, and human resource management, or equivalent Level 6 qualifications such as the CIPS Graduate Diploma.
  • Work experience in a business or management capacity will give you an advantage.
  • We'll also consider applications where appropriate work experience can be demonstrated in lieu of, or in addition to, the published academic qualifications in line with the University’s Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) procedures.
  • You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
  • If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.


Logistics and supply chain management is emerging as a highly desirable sector for employment, offering scope for career advancement and exciting challenges as the industry keeps pace with technological advances. All types of businesses, big and small, need professionals to help them deliver products and services at the right time, place, cost, quantity and quality. Small companies may have one person in charge of these duties, while large corporations have entire logistics and supply chain departments.

Some typical job roles include analyst, inventory control manager, logistics engineer, production manager, purchasing manager, supply chain manager, systems support manager, customer service manager, global logistics manager and operations director. A logistics manager, for example, will need to be familiar with various software programs, as that is the most common way to keep track of product movement.

Typically, our graduates go on to work in logistics and supply management for a company, although the managerial and leadership skills acquired when studying for this master's degree can be applied to senior management job positions in many fields.

What can I do with this qualification?

Many of our supply chain graduates work in manufacturing or the public sector, with other opportunities in scientific and technological fields, transportation, or aerospace. If you're interested in working abroad or with an international customer base, advanced jobs in logistics often provide such opportunities. In a globalised economy, many logistics companies work with foreign distributors to conduct business.

After graduation, you might also choose to work in consultancy. As a consultant, you can work with a variety of different companies, both nationally and abroad, offering tips and strategies on how to streamline processes.

If you want to continue your studies after graduation, you could opt for a research degree (MPhil, DBA or PhD).

Alternative career options

Graduates can also use this qualification as a stepping-stone into various other careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate. Some possibilities include:

  • Business sustainability
  • Environmental operations
  • Operations management
  • Project management
  • Research and development
  • Teaching and education
  • Retail management
  • Export/import operations
  • Warehouse operations
  • Consultancy

Course fees

Home students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Home fee of £7,920 for the academic year 2023/24.

Overseas students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Overseas fee of £13,550 for the academic year 2023/24.

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2022-2023 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

Bursaries

Click here for more information on our Master's Bursaries.


For details of how to apply for this course, please choose your status from the options below:

You may apply directly to the University using the University's online application form. Please select your chosen start date from the list below:

You should have to hand:

  • Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates

  • Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies

  • Details of any employment history including name, address, dates and role

  • Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately

  • Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference

Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.

Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already input.

If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions@bolton.ac.uk

The University welcomes applications from international students from all over the world. We try to make the application process as simple and as fast as possible for our international applicants.

This course is not currently accepting international online applications.

Please contact Admissions by telephone on 01204 903903 or email enquiries@bolton.ac.uk

Admissions
University of Bolton
Deane Road
Bolton, BL3 5AB
United Kingdom

Tel: 01204 903903
Email: enquiries@bolton.ac.uk


The course is delivered via a varied programme of teaching and learning methods. You’ll be expected to attend timetabled classes with your module tutor, as well as lectures and workshops, and spend time completing exercises via the Virtual Learning Environment.

Some tutorials will be delivered on a one-to-one basis while others will be group-focused. During lessons you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about your subject area while also working on employability skills and information literacy skills development.

Individual modules may incorporate specific teaching methods. You’ll also be expected to complete independent study, such as background reading, completing assignments and revising for examinations. Assessments take the form of coursework – usually reports – and exams.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

  • Study Skills for Masters Programme
  • Strategic Leadership
  • Procurement and Operations Management
  • Logistics Management
  • Supply Chain Strategy
  • Research Methods
  • Dissertation
  • IT for Supply Chain and Project Management
  • Finance and Decision Making
  • Sustainability in Business Operations
Assessment methods
LevelAssesment method
Level oneCoursework 65%, Practical exams 2%, Written exams 33%
Learning activities
LevelLearning activity
Level oneGuided independent study 77%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 23%

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.

The academic staff detailed above teach across a range of courses in this subject area and may not teach on this course specifically.

Programme Contacts

Irfan Chhadat
Programme Leader

I.Chhadat@bolton.ac.uk

01204 903076

Enquiry Team
University of Bolton

enquiries@bolton.ac.uk

+44 (0)1204 903903

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