Transportation & Supply Chain Operations Certificate

Create a vision for yourself as a leader.

Developed in partnership between the College of Professional Studies and the Transportation & Supply Chain Institute at the University of Denver, the Transportation and Supply Chain Operations certificate offers hands-on instruction that covers foundational elements within the transportation and supply chain industry, safety and security issues, law and policy, economics and finance, supply-chain logistics, and transportation modalities.

• Course Listing

  • Transportation Modes and Nodes

    This course provides an overview of the role of freight transportation to drive global economic development from its historical roots into the future. Global supply chains are built on a foundation of transportation modes. This foundation has evolved with value derived from speed, cost, capacity, flexibility, reliability, and technological adaption. Greater risk is now present in this foundation stemming from cyberthreats, political volatility, and public health crises. Transport modes have grown over time to include maritime (ships and barges), surface (rail, trucks, and vans), air (planes, helicopters, and drones), and underground (pipelines). Students will learn about the characteristics of these modes and the nodes with which they interact including ports, terminals, distribution centers, and flow centers. Whether working for a manufacturer, distributor, retailer, or e-tailer, students learn how effectively manage transportation, which is a key factor in profitability and customer satisfaction.

  • Supply Chain and Logistics Systems

    This class provides an overview of supply chain management as a key business function that holistically integrates functions such as planning, purchasing, inventory control, transportation, and warehousing. Students learn about topics such as designing supply and distribution networks aligned with the firm's business and supply chain strategy as well as improving supply chain performance via SCOR, Lean, and Six Sigma techniques. Students explore how various aspects of supply chain management are integrated within the firm as well as coordinated with suppliers, trading partners, and logistics/transportation providers to deliver superior customer satisfaction. Making sound strategic and tactical decisions are learned by managing a global consumer electronics supply chain via an online simulation. Best practices are investigated by studying some of the world's top supply chains.

  • Warehouse and Asset Management

    Learn the essential elements of warehouse management, focused on the role of an operations manager to lead people, develop and manage processes, and design and implement technologies. The scope of the course will be related to both warehouses and distribution centers within the supply chain. Gain an understanding of the role of warehouses and distribution centers in relation to the overall global supply chain system.

  • Integrated Operations Planning and Inventory Management

    The world of interconnectedness requires sophisticated planning and execution to supply the world. Sales, Inventory, and Operational Planning (SIOP) are parts of an integrated business management process through which the executive/leadership teams can continuously achieve focus, alignment, and harmonization among all functions of an organization. In this course, students will learn the essential components of this process, how strategic operational plans are developed and synchronized, the inputs and outputs of the process, and the ways Key Performance Indicators (KPI) influence and guide the organization.