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A unique combination
The Transport & Supply Chain Management specialization offers a unique combination of education in transport economics and in supply chain management. The main focus of our programme is on professional services industries, making this an unrivalled degree specialization in the Netherlands and in Europe.
Career prospects
The career opportunities for students with a Masters degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Transport & Supply Chain Management are excellent and have proven to be independent of economic cycles.
You could embark on a career as a supply chain manager for an international organization, where you will be responsible for managing the international flow of goods from suppliers to customers.
You might enter the world of consultancy, advising on supply chain management practice for a large consulting firm.
The government sector is also an option: you could become a regional or national policy maker in the areas of spatial planning, transport & infrastructure.
Some of our graduates choose an academic career and become PhD researchers in the field of supply chain management.
Another possibility would be to become a logistics manager at a service provider responsible for global warehouse and transport operations.
Regardless of your ultimate career choice, the Masters specialization in Transport & Supply Chain Management will equip you to carefully consider the balance between people, planet and profits.
Transport & Supply Chain Management at VU University Amsterdam
Focus on complex trade-offs
Decision problems in supply chains and transport networks are by default multi-faceted. Interrelationships between actors in a supply chain - businesses, public bodies, non-profit organizations - are extremely complex. Decisions cannot be judged on a single aspect only; focusing just on profit maximization is not enough for achieving sustainable growth. In this Masters programme specialization, you will learn to capture and analyse complexity in supply chains and transport networks. You will focus on both a micro and meso perspective (e.g. transport and logistics processes) and a macro-level perspective (e.g. government regulations and the environment).
You will become thoroughly familiar with the organization of flows of goods and services and related flows of money and information in supply chains and transportation networks. Core aspects include the organization, design, maintenance, usage and optimization of supply chain strategy, processes and cooperation in these networks. This multi-faceted approach to analysing supply chains and transport networks will provide you with excellent opportunities for an outstanding career in this sector.
A broad vision with in-depth knowledge
By studying this programme you will gain broad and in-depth knowledge of various areas such as strategy, economics, financial management, human resource management and logistics. This will enable you to solve problems for companies or government agencies, but also to participate in research on transport and supply chain management.
As a student in the Masters specialization in Transport & Supply Chain Management at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at VU University Amsterdam, you will become thoroughly familiar with the organisation of flows of goods and services and related flows of money and information in supply chains and transportation networks. You will study core aspects including the organisation, design, maintenance, usage and optimization of supply chain strategy, processes and cooperation in these networks. You will look at supply chains and transportation networks both from a micro and meso perspective (e.g. transport and logistics processes) and at the macro level (e.g. government regulations and the environment).
As a Transport & Supply Chain Management student, you will be able to perform research in the area of transport and supply chain management and you will be able to report on the results both to other researchers and to a variety of organisations in the form of management reports and research papers.
During your Masters specialization in Transport & Supply Chain Management you will:
- gain broad knowledge of Transport, Logistics & Supply Chain Management
- learn to recognize and be aware of recent scientific developments in the field of Transport & Supply Chain Management
- develop research and analytical skills for conducting research in the area of Transport & Supply Chain Management
- learn to report on conclusions and research results to a varied audience of researchers and companies in the field
- understand similarities in the behaviour of transport companies belonging to different sectors
- learn to analyse and solve logistical problems at the company level and at the supply chain level using your knowledge of various disciplines
- develop solution approaches for designing logistics strategies and processes and for controlling supply chains
- learn to identify the pitfalls and opportunities for companies with regard to cooperating in transport chains and supply chain management
- understand the impacts of government regulation on transport and supply chain management
The one-year programme consists of 60 ECTS and is divided into six periods. In period 1, all theoretical concepts in relation to Transport & Supply Chain Management will be discussed. Period 2 has been developed to deepen this knowledge by teaching you how to design supply chains using quantitative research methods such as simulation. In period 3, you will tackle decision problems in real-life supply chains or transportation networks by applying the knowledge you obtained in the previous periods.
The Research Seminar TSCM in period 4 presents an overview of relevant research methods in the area of transport and supply chain management. Furthermore, you will take at least one of the two courses on Airline Business or Distribution Logistics & Inter-organizational Systems in period 4, along with a specialization course. You will write your Masters thesis in periods 5 and 6, either on a Transport-related subject or on a subject related to Supply Chain Management.
VU University Amsterdam requires all applicants to take an English test and to submit their score as a part of the application. In order for you to be admitted unconditionally you must send us a certificate from a recognised authority concerning your proficiency in English including the writing/composition test (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge International Examinations CAE: A/B or CPE: A/B/C). Check out our Language Requirements. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 CAE score: (read more) Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) is part of the Cambridge English suite and is targeted at a high level (IETLS 6.5-8.0). TOEFL paper-based test score : 580 TOEFL iBT® test: 92.
Scholarships / Grants:
Neso Indonesia:
StuNed Scholarships for Master studies, short courses and customized training programmes are available for Indonesian professionals with at least two years work experience in a development-related organization.
Nuffic:
The Orange Tulip Scholarship Programme supports promising Taiwanese graduates and young professionals intending to pursue postgraduate degree programmes at a Dutch higher education institution.
VU University Amsterdam:
VU University Amsterdam awards its own scholarships to outstanding students joining our international Master's degree programmes. The VU Fellowship is an amount of money between 2.500 and 15.000 Euros to cover a part of the study expenses. The general criteria for selection are excellence, motivation letter.
Accreditation
All degree programmes of VU University Amsterdam are accredited by NVAO. If the procedure for accreditation of a programme not yet is completed, this is indicated in the description of te programme. NVAO (Nederlands-Vlaamse Accreditatieorganisatie) is the Accreditation Organisation of The Netherlands and Flanders. NVAO is entrusted by law to accredit all existing bachelors and masters degree courses and to validate new study programmes at government-funded higher education institutions as well as institutions approved (but not funded) by the Dutch government.