Supply Chain and Information Systems, B.S.

Program Description

The Supply Chain and Information Systems major concentrates on the management of value-creating supply chain networks that modern business enterprises use to acquire, produce, and deliver goods and services all over the world and on information technology as the key enabler of supply chain integration. Students learn how to analyze and design supply chains and manage core business processes including (1) sourcing and procuring raw materials, (2) manufacturing and service operations, and (3) planning and fulfilling customer demand. Students also develop knowledge, skills, and abilities in the information systems area, including information processing, databases, information systems design and analysis, and supply chain technologies.

Graduates are well-prepared for careers in the supply chain and information systems area in both industry and government, including manufacturing, service, technology, and merchandising companies, third-party logistics providers, transport system enterprises, consulting firms, and government agencies.

More information about the broad range of career opportunities is available at http://www.smeal.psu.edu/scis/recruit.

What is Supply Chain and Information Systems?

Supply Chain and Information Systems is a boundary-spanning field of supply chain networks, which organizations use to acquire, produce, and deliver goods and services all over the world.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SUPPLY CHAIN AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Entrance to Major

To be eligible for entrance into the Supply Chain and Information Systems (SC&IS) major, a degree candidate must be enrolled in the Smeal College of Business or the Division of Undergraduate Studies and satisfy requirements for entrance to the major.

Administrative Enrollment Controls

This program currently has administrative enrollment controls. Administrative Enrollment Controls are initiated when limitations of space, faculty, or other resources in a major prevent accommodating all students who request them. Students must follow the administrative enrollment controls that are in effect for the semester that they enter the university.

First-Year Students Entering Summer 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021

In order to be eligible for entrance to this major, students must satisfy the following requirements:

• 40-59 graded Penn State credits (excludes transfer and AP credits)
• completed with a grade of C or better:
  • English - ENGL 15 or ENGL 30 or ESL 15 or ENGL 137H or CAS 137H
  • Mathematics - MATH 110 or MATH 140 or MATH 140B
  • Statistics - SCM 200 or SCM 200H or STAT 200
• completed ECON 102 or ECON 102H
• completed at Penn State (no substitutions or transfers) with a grade of C or better:
  • Accounting - ACCTG 211 or ACCTG 211H
  • Management - MGMT 301 or MGMT 301H or MGMT 301M or MGMT 301W
  • Marketing - MKTG 301 or MKTG 301H or MKTG 301W
  • Finance - FIN 301 or FIN 301H
• earned a minimum cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.20

Students Who Entered Prior to Summer 2020

Students who entered the University from Summer 2018 through Spring 2020 should view the administrative enrollment controls in the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin archive. Students who entered the University prior to the summer 2018 semester should view the administrative enrollment controls for the semester that they entered the university on the Academic Advising Portal.

Degree Completion

Students accepted into the Supply Chain and Information Systems major are expected to enroll at University Park the fall semester after gaining entrance to the major. In addition, Senate Policy 83-80.5 stipulates that the college dean and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken in the college where the degree is earned. Based on this policy, the Smeal College of Business has set the following credit earning limitations for SCIS majors:

1. Fifteen credits of 300/400 level prescribed and additional courses in the major field must be completed with Supply Chain and  Information Systems faculty at University Park.
2. Nine additional credits of 300/400 level related and supporting courses must also be completed at University Park. See the Supply Chain and Information Systems Suggested Academic Plan for details.

Degree Requirements

For the Bachelor of Science degree in Supply Chain and Information Systems, a minimum of 120 credits is required with at least 15 credits at the 400 level:

12 of the 45 credits for General Education are included in the Requirements for the Major. This includes: 3 credits of GWS courses (ENGL 202D); 6 credits of GQ courses (MATH 110 or MATH 140 and SCM 200 or STAT 200); 3 credits of GS courses (ECON 102).

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

The keystone symbol  appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required.)

• Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
• Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits

Knowledge Domains

• Arts (GA): 6 credits
• Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
• Humanities (GH): 6 credits
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 6 credits
• Natural Sciences (GN): 9 credits

Integrative Studies (may also complete a Knowledge Domain requirement)

• Inter-Domain or Approved Linked Courses: 6 credits

University Degree Requirements

First Year Engagement

All students enrolled in a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, and the World Campus are required to take 1 to 3 credits of the First-Year Seminar, as specified by their college First-Year Engagement Plan.

Other Penn State colleges and campuses may require the First-Year Seminar; colleges and campuses that do not require a First-Year Seminar provide students with a first-year engagement experience.

First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their academic adviser for these requirements.

Cultures Requirement    

6 credits are required and may satisfy other requirements

• United States Cultures: 3 credits
• International Cultures: 3 credits

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 120 degree credits must be earned for a baccalaureate degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

The college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

Requirements for the Major

To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn a grade of C or better in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
BA 342	Socially Responsible, Sustainable and Ethical Business Practice	3
BA 411	Analyzing Business and Industry	3
BLAW 341	Business Law I: Introduction to Contracts, Liability Issues, and Intellectual Property	3
ECON 102	Introductory Microeconomic Analysis and Policy	3
ECON 104	Introductory Macroeconomic Analysis and Policy	3
MIS 250	Introduction to Problem Solving with Spreadsheet Analysis and Information Systems Management	3
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
ACCTG 211	Financial and Managerial Accounting for Decision Making	4
ENGL 202D	Effective Writing: Business Writing	3
FIN 301	Corporation Finance	3
MGMT 301	Basic Management Concepts	3
MKTG 301	Principles of Marketing	3
SCM 301	Supply Chain Management	3
SCM 404	Demand Fulfillment	3
SCM 405	Manufacturing and Services Strategies	3
SCM 406	Strategic Procurement	3
SCM 421	Supply Chain Analytics	3
SCM 450W	Strategic Design and Management of Supply Chains	3
Additional Courses
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
MATH 110	Techniques of Calculus I	4
or MATH 140	Calculus With Analytic Geometry I
SCM 200	Introduction to Statistics for Business	4
or STAT 200	Elementary Statistics
Supporting Courses and Related Areas
Attainment of 12th-credit-level proficiency in a single foreign language. Proficiency must be demonstrated by either examination or coursework.		4
Select 3 credits of related coursework. See Department List.		3
Select 6 credits of supporting coursework See Department List.		6

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university’s academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee’s unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

University Park

Advising Center
Smeal College Undergraduate Education
202 Business Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-1947
SmealAdvising@smeal.psu.edu

Suggested Academic Plan

The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2020-21 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition (Note: the archive only contain suggested academic plans beginning with the 2018-19 edition of the Undergraduate Bulletin).

University Park Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy University Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

GWS, GQ, GHW, GN, GA, GH, and GS are abbreviations used to identify General Education program courses. General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ) and Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS, and Integrative Studies). Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of ‘C’ or better.

Integrative Studies courses are required for the General Education program. N is the suffix at the end of a course number used to designate an Inter-Domain course and Z is the suffix at the end of a course number used to designate a Linked course.

All incoming Schreyer Honors College first-year students at University Park will take ENGL/CAS 137 in the fall semester and ENGL/CAS 138 in the spring semester. These courses carry the GWS designation and replace both ENGL 30 and CAS 100. Each course is 3 credits.

College and Department Notes:

1. The Smeal College of Business requires that the following entrance-to-major courses be taken at Penn State: ACCTG 211, MGMT 301, MKTG 301, and FIN 301.
2. Pursuant to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation standards, the Smeal College of Business requires that all upper division courses within the departments sponsoring the major be completed in residence at University Park under the instruction of Smeal College faculty.

Commonwealth Campuses

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy University Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

GWS, GQ, GHW, GN, GA, GH, and GS are abbreviations used to identify General Education program courses. General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ) and Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS, and Integrative Studies). Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of ‘C’ or better.

Integrative Studies courses are required for the General Education program. N is the suffix at the end of a course number used to designate an Inter-Domain course and Z is the suffix at the end of a course number used to designate a Linked course.

All incoming Schreyer Honors College first-year students at University Park will take ENGL/CAS 137 in the fall semester and ENGL/CAS 138 in the spring semester. These courses carry the GWS designation and replace both ENGL 30 and CAS 100. Each course is 3 credits.

College and Department Notes:

1. The Smeal College of Business requires that the following entrance-to-major courses be taken at Penn State: ACCTG 211, MGMT 301, MKTG 301, and FIN 301.
2. Pursuant to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation standards, the Smeal College of Business requires that all upper division courses within the departments sponsoring the major be completed in residence at University Park under the instruction of Smeal College faculty.

Accreditation

The Smeal College Bachelor of Science degree in Supply Chain and Information Systems (SCIS_BS) is part of the Smeal College’s accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION TO ADVANCE COLLEGIATE SCHOOLS OF BUSINESS

Contact

University Park

DEPARTMENT OF SUPPLY CHAIN AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS
454 Business Building
814-865-1866
scis@smeal.psu.edu

https://php.smeal.psu.edu/smeal/contact/?contactID=scis