Overview
Operations Management is about getting things done effectively and efficiently in organizations. Demands for business process re-engineering, better quality, better customer service, time-based competition, and supply chain management demonstrate that superior management of the operations function is vital in business today. Operations managers manage the production systems in manufacturing and services.
All organizations have an operations function. Operations managers might work in managing manufacturing processes or managing the delivery of a service to a customer. Topics include process analysis and improvement, quality control, production planning, inventory systems, managing manufacturing, supply chain management, and managing the delivery of services.
Operations managers need good analytical and problem solving skills and knowledge of computers.
The Department of Management Information Systems supervises the operations management major.
Degree Requirements
Includes foundation courses required for Professional Admission, general education requirements, professional core courses, free electives, and a set of specific OM Courses
Sample OM Courses:
- Systems Modeling and Simulation
- Linear Programming and Applications
- Current Topics in Operations Management
- Managing for Quality Improvement
- Management of Service Operations
- The Supply Chain and Logistics
- Project Management
- Computer Models for Operations Management
- Machine Scheduling
*Students must achieve Professional Admission (a competitive and selective application process) to move from the pre-professional phase to the professional phase.
**Check the Degree/Academic Progress Report (APRR's) for your specific academic program requirements per your catalog at http://catalog.arizona.edu.
Other Preparation
Clubs and Organizations
The college has a wide variety of professional fraternities, honoraries and student clubs. Student organizations offer: career information, networking opportunities with alums, corporate representatives, faculty, and fellow students; social and professional activities; and provide leadership roles and skills building opportunities.
Visit the FESO - Federation of Eller Student Organizations website for more information.
Internships and Rresearch
MIS faculty members encourage students to participate in research projects. Students are urged to seek internships for valuable work experience and skill development. The best of these will have a visible connection to the company's success, and will allow the student to make project management decisions that have an impact.
Certification
APICS certifications are key, and will give you an edge while interviewing:
- Certification in Production & Inventory Management (CPIM)
- Certification in Integrated Resource Management (CIRM)
Career Opportunities
Types of Jobs and Employers - OM/MIS Careers Overview
Graduates are hired in both staff and line positions. Entry-level positions in line are usually as supervisors of production or operating personnel.
Entry-level positions in staff include technical jobs in production planning, inventory control, materials control, work scheduling, quality control, and operations analysis. Typical job titles include:
- Business analyst
- Master production scheduler
- Production planner
- Operations analyst
- Materials manager
- Quality control specialist
- Project manager
Examples of public- and private-sector employers who hire operations management graduates include:
- Retail establishments
- Hospitals
- Banks
- Insurance companies
- Airlines
- Government agencies
- Manufacturing companies
- Research corporations
Salaries
Starting salaries vary by size and type of employer, geographic location, course work, and experience
National average salary offers: (NACE Salary Survey, Spring 2016)
- Management Information Systems/Business Data Processing - $56,846
- Logistics/Supply Chain - $55,246
Recruitment Opportunities
Operations Management graduates obtain jobs through various avenues, leading to placements with a wide range of firms and organizations.
Recruitment opportunities include the annual "Career Week", sponsored each fall by UA Career Services and the spring "Career Showcase" coordinated by Eller BPA Student Council and Delta Sigma Pi.
A sample of employers that recruited Eller College OM majors for both placement and career-related experience in the 2015-2016 school year through the Career Services office:
ABF Freight Systems Accenture AdvancePCS Alliance Funding America West Airlines American Express Technology Group AMS (American Management Systems) Asarco Balboa Capital Beneficial Life Black & Decker Cap Gemini Ernst & Young US LLC Capital One CED (Consolidated Electrical Distributors) Cigna Healthcare Cintas Corporation Consolidated Graphics Deloitte & Touche DMA (DuCharme, McMillen & Associates) EMC The Enterprise Storage Company Enterprise Rent-A-Car FDIC (Federal Depository Insurance Corp.) Ferguson Enterprises |
Gap, Inc. General Electric Capital Hewlett Packard Holsum Bakery i2 Technologies Intel Corporation Intuit Jacobson Financial Services Jeld-Wen John Deere Jules & Associates Kiewit Western Companies KMart Corporation Knight Transportation Macy's West March of Dimes Mervyn's California Micron Technology, Inc. NDC Research & Consulting New England Financial New Times Publications Newell/Rubbermaid Nordstrom |
North Star Resource Group OLDE Discount Corp. Onsite Companies Pacific Gold Beef Jerky PCS Health Systems Pepsi Bottling Group Philip Morris USA PricewaterhouseCoopers Rainbird Raytheon Company Robinsons-May Schreiber Foods Inc. Sherwin Williams Spartacom Technologies Inc. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Stryker Endoscopy Teradyne Toys R Us Tucker Alan Inc. USG Corporation Walgreens Wallace WalMart Internal Audit |
For More Information
- Undergraduate Programs Office
Eller College of Management
McClelland Hall 204
P. O. Box 210108
Tucson, AZ 85721-0108
520-621-2505
http://ugrad.eller.arizona.edu/
- UA Career Services
Student Union, Suite 411
520-621-2588
www.career.arizona.edu
- Department of Management Information Systems
Eller College of Management
McClelland Hall, Rm. 430
520-621-2748
http://mis.eller.arizona.edu/
- Major Advisor
Kevin Lundeberg
klundeberg@eller.arizona.edu - Career Coach
Nancy Roberts
nroberts@eller.arizona.edu
Professional Associations
- Educational Society for Resource Management
www.apics.org - Council of Logistics Management
www.cscmp.org
For additional information, please contact us.