Operations Management

Overview

Operations management programs prepare people to run production or technical operations in businesses, hospitals, and agencies.

Operations management programs prepare people to run production or technical operations in firms. Students learn how to make production systems more efficient. For example, they learn to control for costs and quality. They also learn to manage people who work in the skilled trades.

Operations management programs include topics such as:

Production efficiency
Cost and quality control
Industrial labor relations
Systems analysis
Scheduling

Schools

Many colleges and universities offer bachelor’s degrees in operations management. A bachelor's degree usually takes about four years of full-time study.

Some universities offer graduate degrees in operations management. One option is to focus on operations management while earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. A master’s degree typically requires two years of study beyond a bachelor’s degree. Doctoral (PhD) degree programs usually require two or more years of study beyond the master’s degree.

Operations management programs are sometimes offered through engineering departments.

See schools that offer this program.

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Program Admission

You can prepare for this program by taking courses in high school that prepare you for college. This typically includes four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies, and two years of science. Some colleges also require two years of a second language.

Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:

Computer Science and Programming
Economics
English Composition
Physics
Pre-Calculus
Probability and Statistics

Graduate Admissions

Admission to graduate programs is competitive. You need a bachelor's degree, good grades, and good test scores. Your bachelor's degree may be in operations management or in some other business field. It also may be in another field that uses mathematical models, such as engineering, economics, or statistics.

Additional requirements at some schools include:

Graduate Record Exam (GRE) (G) (for MS or master of operations management)
Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) (for MBA)
Knowledge of a computer programming language
Letters of recommendation
Interview (for MBA)

Typical Course Work

The undergraduate program typically includes courses in the following subjects:

Business Finance
Business Law
Business Writing
Calculus for Business
English Composition
Human Resource Management
Introduction to Accounting
Introduction to Management Information Systems
Introduction to Marketing
Principles of Macroeconomics
Principles of Management and Organization
Principles of Microeconomics
Statistics for Business

In addition, to prepare for a career in operations management you probably will want to take some of the following courses. More of them will be available (and required) in a MS or master of operations management program than in a bachelor's or MBA program:

Operations Research Methods
Experimental Design
Mathematical Statistics
Inventory Management
Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Service Operations
Quality Control for Management
Organizational Behavior

A list of common graduate requirements is below:

Required courses
Internship (MBA)
Thesis (MS; may not be required for MBA)

Things to Know

Business courses in high school are generally not useful preparation for a career in operations management. Your transcript should show that you are preparing for a demanding college-level program.