Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Business

School of Business

Concentration(s):
Supply Chain Management and Analytics
Program description

The concentration in supply chain management and analytics gives students the skills to manage the creation and movement of products in the global environment and to understand the fundamentals of business analytics. The curriculum is comprehensive in that supply chain management and analytics involve a range of issues from inventory management to risk management, as well as the indispensable role of information and technology in coordinating modern supply chains and analyzing data for the benefit of the organization. Graduates will employ knowledge of supply chain management and effectively utilize analytics tools to provide insight and solutions to complex business issues. Explore REAL opportunities in your senior year in SCMA 492 and SCMA 493.

Career opportunities

Traditional supply chain programs educate students on how to interact with suppliers and customers to meet their needs and may work in careers in procurement, operations and logistics.  The SCMA department prepares students for these traditional roles but integrates these areas with analytics so as to produce students who use data to make more informed decisions aimed at improving systems, lowering costs, and enhancing firm performance.

Change of major requirements

Students are eligible for admission into the advanced business program with a major in the School of Business upon meeting the minimum cumulative GPA requirement and successful completion of the Business Foundation coursework, as outlined here: http://bulletin.vcu.edu/undergraduate/business/undergraduate-information/shared-curriculum/


Bachelor-level job titles
  • Analyst (Operations, Procurement, Transportation, Traffic, Inventory, Quality Control)
  • Clerk (Logistics, Account Support, Quality Control)
  • Coordinator (Materials, Contract, Project, Logistics, Transportation, Purchasing)
  • Junior Buyer
  • Junior Project Manager
  • Specialist (Contract, Sourcing, Quality, Procurement, Receiving, Damage Prevention)
  • Supply Chain Consultant
  • Warehouse Manager
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Business Analyst
  • Project Manager
  • Senior Project Manager
  • Supply Chain Consultant
Highest level of math required
  • MATH 200 or SCMA 212 or BUSN 212
  • SCMA 302
Science required
  • Natural Sciences requirement only
Foreign language requirements
  • No
Additional tuition/fees
  • Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.5+ cumulative GPA to declare major; 2.0+ cumulative GPA to graduate, and 2.0+ major GPA to graduate
Department name:
Department of Supply Chain Management and Analytics
Building/room location:
Snead Hall, Room B4155
Phone:
(804) 828-7074
Email:
scma@vcu.edu
Campus (where 75% of courses are taken):
Monroe Park

Major map compass icon
Major map

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Schedule an appointment with your advisor to explore minors, certificates, and plan your required REAL experience.
  • Get familiar with the research process with the VCU Libraries Research Basics Guide.
  • Talk to professors about your research interests, electives, and strategies for success in your classes.
  • Explore innovation and business/non-profit creation classes with the da Vinci Center.
  • Be prepared for a challenging year of accounting, economics, and math classes and use SI sessions and tutoring at the Campus Learning Center to get ahead.
  • Complete a Career Exploration appointment with Business Career Services.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Complete a gap analysis with your career advisor to identify key skills required for your professional field.
  • Seek out practical experience through independent skill-building, internships, shadowing, or part-time work.
  • Explore global career options with a career advisor to set goals for getting your dream job.
  • Organize examples of your academic and professional experiences, accomplishments, and reflections in an ePortfolio.
  • Attend career and internship fairs and other professional development events.
  • Pursue a digital badge to highlight the knowledge, skills, and experiences employers and graduate schools value.
  • Learn about and capitalize on your professional strengths by taking a free assessment like CliftonStrengths or True Colors with the Office of Student Engagement.
  • Work with your Business Career Services advisor to identify externship opportunities built for sophomores to engage with employers.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Connect with alumni on VCULink for career advice, industry contacts, and meaningful professional relationships.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of professional interest.
  • Ask a faculty or staff member to be your academic and professional mentor and to provide future letters of recommendation.
  • Meet with a coach at The Money Spot to set financial goals, understand student loans, and create spending plans.
  • Conduct three informational interviews on VCU Bizconnect to expand your network and gain more knowledge into potential career paths.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • See your academic and career advisors to discuss graduation progress and career planning.
  • Enhance your business, software, technology, and creative skills using LinkedIn Learning.
  • Take SCMA 320 as this course is an important prerequisite to future SCMA electives.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Build language proficiency and cultural competence by carrying out your plans for study abroad, internships, and service-learning.
  • Get required REAL experience and effect community change by using iExcel’s Active Citizen’s Toolkit to vote and volunteer.
  • Explore new cultures at one of Richmond’s wide array of festivals.
  • Prepare for future work on multidisciplinary and multicultural teams by showcasing your interpersonal skills on your resume.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Take advantage of mock interview opportunities through InterviewStream or meeting with a career advisor.
  • Update your ePortfolio.
  • Apply for the Graduate School Mentorship Program to learn more about graduate school and the graduate student experience.
  • Attend alumni panel events like Black in Business, First 100 Days, or Women in Business to hear from business professionals who were once in your shoes.
  • Participate in the Analytics Challenge.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Make a plan with your academic, career, and faculty advisors for applying to graduate school or land a micro-internship.
  • Study for and complete any standardized exams required for graduate school the summer before senior year. 
  • Prepare for job offer negotiation by researching salaries, benefits, and other opportunities for flexibility.
  • Research professional certifications needed for your field.
  • Sign up for the Connect Mentoring program on VCU Bizconnect, get matched 1:1 with a business mentor for the academic year (meetings are flexible with your schedule!), and gain invaluable professional insights.

Excel
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor the semester before you graduate to ensure that all graduation requirements will be met.
  • Choose REAL electives to diversify your skillset and round out your degree.
  • Be aware of the prerequisites for MGMT 434 to ensure you can complete this course in your final semester.
  • Complete BUSN 499 Business Knowledge Exam.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Carry out globally-oriented research projects with multilingual faculty and international partners.
  • Read scholarly articles about diversity in your field.
  • Master your answers to interview questions about your experience working with diverse populations.
  • Plan for how you will grow your cultural agility after graduation.
  • By serving as a mentoring liaison to international students through the Connect Mentoring program, develop your leadership skills as you recruit, educate, and train fellow School of Business majors.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Prepare for graduation by making a plan to complete licensing exams, applications, and self-marketing activities.
  • Single out prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy at least 8 months before graduation.
  • Have a personal statement or cover letter reviewed by Career Services. 
  • Connect with the Office of VCU Alumni Relations at Grad Fair, Grad Bash, and the VCULink Industry Network or alumni chapter.
  • Attend the School of Business Career Fair in fall and spring.
  • Gain your second 1:1 mentor through the Connect Mentoring program on VCU Bizconnect (meetings are flexible with your schedule!) and expand your professional insights.
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Business

School of Business

Concentration(s):
Supply Chain Management and Analytics
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
Experience Year 2
  • Schedule an appointment with your advisor to explore minors, certificates, and plan your required REAL experience.
  • Get familiar with the research process with the VCU Libraries Research Basics Guide.
  • Talk to professors about your research interests, electives, and strategies for success in your classes.
  • Explore innovation and business/non-profit creation classes with the da Vinci Center.
  • Be prepared for a challenging year of accounting, economics, and math classes and use SI sessions and tutoring at the Campus Learning Center to get ahead.
  • Complete a Career Exploration appointment with Business Career Services.
  • Complete a gap analysis with your career advisor to identify key skills required for your professional field.
  • Seek out practical experience through independent skill-building, internships, shadowing, or part-time work.
  • Explore global career options with a career advisor to set goals for getting your dream job.
  • Organize examples of your academic and professional experiences, accomplishments, and reflections in an ePortfolio.
  • Attend career and internship fairs and other professional development events.
  • Pursue a digital badge to highlight the knowledge, skills, and experiences employers and graduate schools value.
  • Learn about and capitalize on your professional strengths by taking a free assessment like CliftonStrengths or True Colors with the Office of Student Engagement.
  • Work with your Business Career Services advisor to identify externship opportunities built for sophomores to engage with employers.
  • Connect with alumni on VCULink for career advice, industry contacts, and meaningful professional relationships.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of professional interest.
  • Ask a faculty or staff member to be your academic and professional mentor and to provide future letters of recommendation.
  • Meet with a coach at The Money Spot to set financial goals, understand student loans, and create spending plans.
  • Conduct three informational interviews on VCU Bizconnect to expand your network and gain more knowledge into potential career paths.
Year 3
  • See your academic and career advisors to discuss graduation progress and career planning.
  • Enhance your business, software, technology, and creative skills using LinkedIn Learning.
  • Take SCMA 320 as this course is an important prerequisite to future SCMA electives.
  • Build language proficiency and cultural competence by carrying out your plans for study abroad, internships, and service-learning.
  • Get required REAL experience and effect community change by using iExcel’s Active Citizen’s Toolkit to vote and volunteer.
  • Explore new cultures at one of Richmond’s wide array of festivals.
  • Prepare for future work on multidisciplinary and multicultural teams by showcasing your interpersonal skills on your resume.
  • Take advantage of mock interview opportunities through InterviewStream or meeting with a career advisor.
  • Update your ePortfolio.
  • Apply for the Graduate School Mentorship Program to learn more about graduate school and the graduate student experience.
  • Attend alumni panel events like Black in Business, First 100 Days, or Women in Business to hear from business professionals who were once in your shoes.
  • Participate in the Analytics Challenge.
  • Make a plan with your academic, career, and faculty advisors for applying to graduate school or land a micro-internship.
  • Study for and complete any standardized exams required for graduate school the summer before senior year. 
  • Prepare for job offer negotiation by researching salaries, benefits, and other opportunities for flexibility.
  • Research professional certifications needed for your field.
  • Sign up for the Connect Mentoring program on VCU Bizconnect, get matched 1:1 with a business mentor for the academic year (meetings are flexible with your schedule!), and gain invaluable professional insights.
Excel Year 4
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor the semester before you graduate to ensure that all graduation requirements will be met.
  • Choose REAL electives to diversify your skillset and round out your degree.
  • Be aware of the prerequisites for MGMT 434 to ensure you can complete this course in your final semester.
  • Complete BUSN 499 Business Knowledge Exam.
  • Carry out globally-oriented research projects with multilingual faculty and international partners.
  • Read scholarly articles about diversity in your field.
  • Master your answers to interview questions about your experience working with diverse populations.
  • Plan for how you will grow your cultural agility after graduation.
  • By serving as a mentoring liaison to international students through the Connect Mentoring program, develop your leadership skills as you recruit, educate, and train fellow School of Business majors.
  • Prepare for graduation by making a plan to complete licensing exams, applications, and self-marketing activities.
  • Single out prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy at least 8 months before graduation.
  • Have a personal statement or cover letter reviewed by Career Services. 
  • Connect with the Office of VCU Alumni Relations at Grad Fair, Grad Bash, and the VCULink Industry Network or alumni chapter.
  • Attend the School of Business Career Fair in fall and spring.
  • Gain your second 1:1 mentor through the Connect Mentoring program on VCU Bizconnect (meetings are flexible with your schedule!) and expand your professional insights.