Studies & Degrees in Operations Management
Operations Management Study Programs
Operations management is the part of business studies that deals with how goods are made and services are delivered. The Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University describes it as the study of how organisations bring together people, materials, information and technology to produce goods and deliver services efficiently and effectively. It applies to a car plant and a warehouse, and also to a hospital, a bank or an airline.
Students learn to design, plan, control and improve processes. McGill University, for example, presents its concentration as training in the design, planning, control, coordination and improvement of the business processes, systems and resources behind products and services, with an emphasis on quantitative analysis. Typical courses are process analysis, quality management, supply chain and logistics, purchasing, forecasting and demand planning, project management, and methods such as lean manufacturing and Six Sigma. The subject uses statistics and spreadsheets more than most business subjects.
Qualifications and levels
- Bachelor's level. Operations management is usually a major, specialisation or concentration inside a business degree, not a separate degree. At Ohio State it is a specialisation with two tracks, one on operations and one on purchasing. In Spain the subject is taught within official bachelor's degrees (grados) of 240 ECTS credits in business administration and in industrial organisation engineering.
- Master's level. Spanish official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. One example is the Máster Universitario en Logística y Dirección de Operaciones of ENAE Business School in Murcia: 60 ECTS credits, offered face to face, blended or live online, starting on 17 September 2026. The school states that it leads to an official degree of the Universidad de Murcia, listed in the Spanish register of universities, centres and degrees, together with ENAE's own qualification. MBAs also include operations as a core subject.
- Short and online courses. These cover a single method or area. SEAS, the online centre of the Grupo San Valero in Zaragoza, offers a Curso de Lean Manufacturing of 150 hours and 6 ECTS credits, which leads to the centre's own course certificate.
People enter the field from both business and engineering. Among students of the ENAE master's, the school reports that 36% hold a degree in industrial engineering and 31% in business administration.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 33 active schools for operations management. The United States has 14 and Spain eight. Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom have two each, and Canada, France, Peru, Venezuela and Japan one each.
In the United States the list includes The Ohio State University, The University of Texas at Austin, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Maryland, the University of Washington, the University of Dayton, the University of Scranton and Miami University. In Spain it includes ENAE Business School in Murcia, SEAS in Zaragoza, the Universidad de Huelva, the Universidad Camilo José Cela and Global Business School Barcelona. Elsewhere it includes McGill University in Montreal, the campuses of ESCP Business School in Paris, London, Berlin and Turin, the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Lima and the Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas.
When comparing programmes, check these points:
- whether the focus is manufacturing, services, or logistics and supply chain
- how much quantitative work and software the courses include
- whether the degree is official or the school's own
- whether company projects or placements are part of the curriculum
- the language of instruction, which is normally that of the country
Careers
Graduates work in production planning, quality, purchasing, logistics and supply chain, process improvement and consulting. Ohio State mentions careers across manufacturing, consulting, purchasing, supply chain management and service industries. With experience, the path leads to posts such as plant manager, supply chain manager or operations manager.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes projections for three related occupations for 2025 to 2035. Employment of logisticians, who analyse and coordinate an organisation's supply chain, is projected to grow 18 percent. Employment of industrial production managers, who oversee the operations of manufacturing plants, is projected to grow 3 percent. Top executives, a group that includes the general and operations managers who direct day-to-day operations, are projected to grow 5 percent overall. The Bureau notes that industrial production managers typically need a bachelor's degree and several years of related work experience, and that some employers prefer an MBA or a graduate degree in industrial management.
Frequently asked questions
Is operations management the same as supply chain management?
They overlap. Operations management covers all the processes that produce goods and deliver services inside an organisation. Supply chain management concentrates on the flow between suppliers, the company and its customers. Many programmes teach both.
Do I need an engineering background?
No. The subject is taught in business schools and in engineering schools, and students come from both. Comfort with numbers helps, because the courses rely on quantitative analysis.
How long does a master's in operations management take in Spain?
Official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The ENAE master's in logistics and operations management has 60 ECTS credits, which is one academic year.
Can I study operations management online?
Yes. The ENAE master's has a live online mode, and SEAS teaches its lean manufacturing course online.