Residency

The Master of Professional Studies in Supply Chain Management offers one intensive residential experience as part of the SCM 530 (Supply Chain Analysis) and 594 (Professional Paper) courses.  Both courses are taught online and are part of the three-day residential experience at University Park, Pennsylvania.  This residential experience offers several advantages.

Smeal excels in executive education, especially in the supply chain management area. A similar course is regularly taught by a world-class team of tenure-track instructors through Smeal’s Executive Education Program. The four-day MPS residential experience offers students the opportunity to receive instruction by the same tenure-line instructors through Smeal’s executive education format.

The corporate sponsors of the Center for Supply Chain Research at Smeal view the residential experience as a valuable feature of the program. The sponsors represent a broad cross-section of businesses and include leading edge companies, such as IBM, Johnson and Johnson, and Kimberly Clark. Sponsor members viewed the opportunity for face-to-face interactions among students and with faculty as an important feature of the program, which enriches the overall learning experience.

During the four-day residency the Program Director prepares students for professional paper research and writing. Topics addressed include writing a research purpose statement, research proposal and report writing guidelines, schedule of deliverables across the three-semester SCM 594 progression, and the faculty review process that matches students with faculty.