Bachelor of Arts in Transportation and Supply Chain

Gain the foundational elements needed to manage the transportation of goods and people more effectively and efficiently in the Bachelor of Arts Completion Program (designed for adults with previous college credit aiming to complete their degree).  The Transportation and Supply Chain major, ranked #51 among business bachelor’s programs, offers hands-on instruction in procurement, asset management, operations planning, inventory management, public policy, economics and finance, international trade, supply-chain logistics, and project management.  The curriculum was designed with input from the Transportation and Supply Chain Institute Board, made up of experts and leaders from transportation, supply chain, and logistics.

The curriculum consists of 11 common core courses, 12 major courses, and electives based on transferrable credits.

Career Outcomes:

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  College graduates enjoy 57% more job opportunities than non-graduates, according to a study done by the Georgetown University Public Policy Institute.

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  Job growth in the transportation industry is strong. Employment for supply chain management professionals is expected to grow by 30% through 2030, much faster than the average for all professions, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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  Increase your earning potential with a bachelor's degree! According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, those with a bachelor's degree will out-earn high school graduates by at least $25,000 annually.

• Core Courses
  • CA 2050 Effective Communication - In this course, students develop communication competence while applying communication skills that are both effective and appropriate in diverse contexts. The focus of the course is on developing skills that lead to improved collaborations, organizations, and relationships as well as improved presentation of persuasive arguments using credible supporting evidence. By fostering understanding of communication competency, as well as how communication shapes identity, perception, and culture, the course strives to enable students to better navigate complex personal and professional worlds.
  • CA 2100 Creativity and Innovation - Everyone has a creative core. It can become hidden or lost, but the ability to recognize one’s creative source and tap into it provides an increased range of communication options. This course focuses on analyzing approaches to the creative process, as well as cultivating best creativity practices for use in professional and personal life. Students will learn about the significant creativity theories of prominent creativity scholars. Also, course participants will explore the association between adult playful personality and individual, as well as organizational creativity. The experiences and activities of this course build skills and confidence in using creativity and innovative thought in a variety of disciplines.
  • LOS 2050 Organizational Behavior - Organizations serve as the fundamental building blocks of society. Most people spend hours of time weekly working in organizations. This course focuses on organizational structure and design by uncovering the dynamics of individual, work group/team and corporate behavior. Through reading, case studies and interaction, students learn about decision-making, problem-solving, patterns of interaction and facilitation of change.
  • LOS 2100 Leadership - What is leadership and how do leaders lead? Can leadership be learned? What skills do 21st-century leaders need? This course provides an opportunity to examine leadership theories, to develop a personal understanding of leadership, and to explore the relations of leaders and followers. The essential skills of effective leaders are explored, such as elaborating a vision, facilitating communication, working with diversity in organizations, shaping an ethical climate, facilitating change. Students will be encouraged to examine systematically their own leadership potential as they reflect on historical and contemporary examples of effective business and political leaders as well as leaders of causes and social movements.
  • PPSS 2050 Ethical Decision Making - Ethical decision making is essential for values-based leadership. Most decisions have ethical implications, but discerning the ethical dimension requires skill and an understanding of how ethical issues are shaped and informed by ethical theory. In this class students encounter theories from the field of ethics such as utilitarian, deontological, social contract, communitarian, and natural law. Students also interact with major philosophical concepts such as principles of non-maleficence; beneficence; justice and respect for persons; and virtues of care, compassion, integrity and courage. Through the use of case studies, students cultivate their capacity for ethical perception, learn to distinguish tough choices from genuine ethical dilemmas, and gain practice deliberating effectively about a variety of ethical issues drawn from both social and professional contexts.
  • PPSS 2100 Concepts of the Public Good - All societies have to deal with natural and social inequalities, tension between individuality and community, and competing concepts of what constitutes the good society. What are the forces that create differing concepts of the public good and how are conflicts between competing visions settled? Case studies from cross-cultural research as well as historical and current examples from United States culture are used to explore the role of power, class, and group identification in shaping ideas of the public good. An important focus of this course is on understanding how concepts of the public good translate into structures that provide or limit the provision of social services.
  • ST 2050 Scientific & Critical Thinking - Using scientific topics drawn from the headlines, the following questions will be addressed: What is the scientific method and how is it used appropriately? How are problems formulated, research questions designed, tests, and other measurements constructed, data gathered and analyzed, conclusions drawn, and findings incorporated into theories? In addition, critical thinking processes and models of decision-making and problem-solving will be discussed. The suitability and effectiveness of critical-thinking models in achieving positive organizational outcomes will be emphasized.
  • ST 2100 The Digital Age - Digitization influences nearly all aspects of life today: how we communicate, conduct business, operate governments, and how we behave as consumers. This course provides opportunities to explore controversies and ethical dilemmas spawned by digitization. Students also reflect on how digital technologies are transforming our world and create a plan for the future.
  • GS 2050 21st Century Global Issues - Certain problems migrate across national boundaries to become global issues. Global issues related to population growth and the movement of people, energy use, environmental impact, the spread of disease and hunger, and the control of weapons of mass destruction are all examples of challenges that must be addressed by all nations. This course guides students through the complex process of understanding how certain global issues are addressed (or unaddressed) by nation states, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations. Students learn processes to identify these global issues and apply those methods through group and individual projects. Students will be encouraged to reflect on how these issues may affect them personally and how to formulate strategies to deal with transnational problems.
  • GS 2100 The Past as Prologue - The present-day character of the world's major regions-Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America--has been shaped by centuries of history, not only specific events such as wars, elections and peace treaties but also long-term developments in culture, language, religion and politics. This course provides a framework for thinking about general historical trends in selected regions of the world, while emphasizing case histories of countries in each region. By examining these national histories, students not only deepen their knowledge of key regions around the world, but also gain analytical skills that enable them to continue learning about other cultures and societies, and the many ways in which the past shapes the present.
  • BACP 2050 Writing Workshop - The Writing Workshop re-introduces students to skills essential for successful university study as well as workplace writing. This is not just an "academic" subject. It is also important to career development and confidence in the workplace. This course focuses on knowledge and skills of expression that bring university study and workplace experience closer together. It deals with close reading, identifying and assessing arguments in texts and other media, approaches to note-taking, and the effective annotation of potential sources; quoting sources accurately and ethically while integrating the quoted material into one's own writing; creating accurate and ethical summaries and paraphrases; demonstrating a university-level grasp of grammar, mechanics, and style; and giving clear, actionable feedback to fellow student writers with the aim of helping them improve their work.

• Major Courses
  • BACP 2075 Data Concepts and Structures - This course will cover the basics of data to include data concepts, terminology, and literacy. Students will learn what typical data sets are, how data relationships work, and where data is stored. These concepts will be the basis for data analysis using commonly available tools and techniques.
  • GS 3050 Economics and Finance - This course begins with a review of fundamental economic concepts, such as supply and demand, cost analysis, money and banking, saving and investment, and the nature and limitations of markets. The emphasis is on how basic economic factors influence all types of organizations and what organizations do to manage their financial affairs through budgets, financial controls, investments, and collaborations with other organizations. The role of international and financial institutions, such as the World Trade Organization, World Bank Group, and International Monetary Fund, will be examined. How globalization has altered the economic and financial arrangements between countries is also explored. Students learn to utilize economic and financial tools to identify and analyze international business opportunities.
  • GS 3100 Understanding International Trade - Basic concepts of international economics are reviewed to explore how economic factors, such as exchange rates, balance of payments, inflation, labor, tariffs and the flow of capital affect trade. Using existing data sources students explore what countries and regions trade with each other, to what extent, and in what products and services. Students will be able to analyze the international trade interactions of a particular state, country, or region, as well as the historical and current factors that impact these patterns. Students will also explore legal constraints to engaging in international trade, such as requirements for export licenses and screening for individuals and countries where trade is illegal.
  • GLBL 3100 Procurement, Sales, and Customer Relations - This course exposes students to the theory and practices commonly used by best-in-class organizations relative to procurement, sales, and customer relationship management. The focus of the course is on the tactical approaches involved in marketing to potential customers, the procurement process, account set-up, quality customer experience, and customer relationship management including customer retention strategies.
  • GLBL 3200 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.
  • GLBL 3250 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.
  • GLBL 3275 Warehouse and Asset Management - Learn the essential elements of warehouse management, including the acquisition of warehouse and distribution properties, management of the property, and physical management of the warehouse/distribution center. Gain insight into the assets and systems used to physically manipulate the inventory.
  • GLBL 3300 Transportation Policy, Safety, & Security - This course provides an overview of the many public policy dimensions of transportation systems. It examines government regulations affecting transportation businesses, environmental regulations, labor laws, finance, public welfare, and the general relationship between economic policy and transportation investment. The class focuses on personal mobility (autos, highways, urban transit, and airlines), including freight transport (rail, ports, and pipelines). Future directions in transportation-related public policy are also addressed.
  • GLBL 3325 Integrated Operations planning & 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.
  • GLBL 3500 Field Experience in Transportation and Supply Chain - This course is an experiential learning collaboration between a student, a faculty advisor, and a professional supervisor, offering students an opportunity to apply their content knowledge to a professional setting. Students will integrate academic theory with practical experience in a professional field of interest. Additional site-specific learning outcomes are established in conjunction with the site supervisor.
  • LOS 3300 Project Management - Work in organizations, or in the collaboration among organizations is often structured as projects. Almost any individual in an organization can be called upon to participate in or lead a project. Projects have deliverables that must be met within an agreed-upon time frame and budget. In this course, students learn the basic concepts and processes of project management including how to establish standards of performance, allot time, calculate costs, develop work-break-down structures, and delineate critical pathways. Students also learn about software tools available to plan and track successful projects to completion. Work in organizations, or in the collaboration among organizations, is often structured as projects. Almost any individual in an organization can be called upon to participate in or lead a project. Projects have "deliverables" that must be met within an agreed-upon time frame and budget. In this course, students learn the basic concepts and processes of project management: how to establish standards of performance, allot time, calculate costs, develop work breakdown structures, delineate critical pathways, enlist people and resources, and motivate accomplishment.
  • LOS 3325 Applied Project Management II - This applied project management course is a continuation of concepts learned in LOS 3300 Project Management and focuses on project management strategies and tactics, including understanding data, tracking, and software used to manage projects. A project will be managed from concept to evaluation. Students must register for a corresponding lab section.
  • LOS 3326 Applied Project Management II Lab - Taken in conjunction with LOS 3325 Applied Project Management, this course provides students with hands-on use of project management tools to execute projects related to their major. Students focus on real-world examples, best practices, and have the opportunity to develop, deploy, and evaluate project management tools and technologies.