Studies & Degrees in Production
Production Study Programs
Production, as a field of business and engineering study, is about how goods are made and services delivered: planning what to produce and when, organising people, machines and materials, controlling quality and cost, and improving the process over time. It is also taught under the names production management, operations management, industrial organisation and production engineering. The Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University describes operations management as examining how organisations bring together people, materials, information and technology to produce goods and deliver services efficiently and effectively.
Typical subjects are production planning and scheduling, process analysis, quality management, stock and materials management, supply chain operations, work study and methods improvement, maintenance, lean manufacturing and Six Sigma, and the quantitative methods behind these decisions. Engineering programmes add manufacturing processes, automation, robotics and simulation. Film, television and event production are different subjects with their own programmes.
Qualifications and levels
- Within a bachelor's degree. Production is usually a specialisation or a set of courses inside a business or engineering degree. At Ohio State's Fisher College of Business, operations management is a specialisation of the undergraduate business degree, with coursework in process analysis, quality management, supply chain operations and quantitative decision-making, and electives such as Six Sigma Projects. In Spain, official bachelor's degrees (grados) have 240 ECTS credits.
- Master's degrees. Chalmers tekniska högskola in Gothenburg teaches a Production Engineering MSc of 120 credits over two years, full time and in English, with three specialisations: digitalised production systems, manufacturing processes, and quality and production management. Applications for the next intake open on 16 October 2026 and close on 15 January 2027. In Spain, official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits; in the European system 60 ECTS credits correspond to one full year of study.
- Lifelong-learning master's programmes in Spain. SEAS, Estudios Superiores Abiertos, offers an online Máster de Formación Permanente en Organización Industrial of 1,500 hours and 60 ECTS credits. The school states that it leads to a university's own qualification issued by the Universidad San Jorge and that entry requires a Spanish bachelor's degree or an equivalent. Spanish rules require universities to keep such lifelong-learning qualifications expressly apart from official degrees.
- Short courses. SEAS also lists an online lean manufacturing course of 150 hours and 6 ECTS credits, open to applicants aged 18 or over. Business schools and training companies offer similar courses in quality, auditing and operations for people already in work.
In the United States, some employers prefer production managers with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or a graduate degree in industrial management, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 15 active schools for production. Seven are in Spain and five in the United States; Sweden, the United Kingdom and Germany have one each. In Spain the list includes SEAS in Zaragoza, Bureau Veritas Business School and IDE-CESEM in Madrid, UIBS / Barcelona Business School in Barcelona and the Escuela de Negocios Cámara Valencia in Paterna. In the United States it includes The Ohio State University, the University of Washington, Florida State University, Avila University and Susquehanna University. Elsewhere it includes Chalmers tekniska högskola, the University of Kent and the Technische Universität München.
The language depends on the programme, not only on the country: the Chalmers master's degree is taught in English, while the SEAS programmes are in Spanish and online. Production programmes with an engineering focus usually expect earlier studies in engineering or mathematics, so read the entry requirements of each programme.
Careers
Graduates work as production planners, production and plant managers, quality managers, process and continuous-improvement engineers, and in purchasing, logistics and supply chain roles. SEAS names production director, responsible for planning, processes, methods and times and stock control, among the destinations of its master's programme, and Ohio State mentions careers across manufacturing, consulting, purchasing and supply chain management.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics describes industrial production managers as overseeing the operations of manufacturing and related plants; some are responsible for quality control programmes. They held about 252,100 jobs in 2025, with transport equipment manufacturing the largest employer at 10 percent. They typically need a bachelor's degree, most often in business or engineering, and several years of related work experience. Employment is projected to grow 3 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 17,000 openings a year.
Frequently asked questions
Is production a business or an engineering subject?
Both. Business schools teach it as operations or production management; engineering schools teach it as production or industrial engineering, with more mathematics and technology. Choose according to your earlier studies and the job you want.
Can I study production online?
Yes. SEAS, for example, teaches its 60-credit master's programme in industrial organisation and its lean manufacturing course fully online.
Do I need a degree to become a production manager?
Usually. In the United States, production managers typically need a bachelor's degree and several years of experience, although some workers qualify with a high school diploma and extensive production experience.
Are certifications required?
No. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, production managers may earn certifications in quality or management systems, but they are not required to do so.