Logistics and Supply Chain Management (MSc)

Our MSc Logistics and Supply Chain Management provides you a detailed understanding and cutting-edge expertise of the discipline, to enable you to proceed to professional and managerial careers in business and the public sector.

Our MSc Logistics and Supply Chain Management provides you with a detailed understanding and cutting-edge expertise in the discipline, to enable you to proceed to professional and managerial careers in business and the public sector. The programme has been specifically designed for those with no prior knowledge of logistics and supply chain management, as the one-year master’s degree will blend contemporary academic thinking with best practices from industry, to allow you to advance to Logistics and Supply Chain management roles with a highly developed skillset.  

During the master’s programme, you’ll develop knowledge that covers and integrates the main areas of logistics and supply chain management. You’ll gain a critical understanding of a range of specialised theories, principles, and concepts and develop extensive, detailed, and critical knowledge of a variety of specialisms, informed by research-teaching linkages. You’ll gain knowledge of how Logistics and Supply Chain Management is developed, by exploring the implementation of emerging techniques of research and scholarly enquiry. You’ll use case studies to interpret data and relate real-life scenarios to the frameworks identified in the academic literature and use appropriate tools to support and enhance academic and professional activities.  

Beyond the taught skills and knowledge, you’ll gain key transferrable skills which will set you up for life after graduation. You’ll learn key qualitative and quantitative forms of analysis, learn to work to strict timescales both independently and in self-managed groups, learn to apply academic and business techniques to a variety of business cases, develop your justification and application skills, and develop your general data interpretation and advanced communication skills. You’ll be equipped with the ability to think critically, identify problems, evaluate options, and communicate solutions which will enable you to effectively implement your specialist knowledge to any logistical problem you may face in your career.  

You’ll have the opportunity to specialise and choose three optional courses – from business analytics and introduction to big data, measuring and managing performance, green and sustainable logistics, quality management, project management, and systems thinking and analysis – to customise your learning and develop your specific interests. Your logistics and supply chain management dissertation will allow you to further build on your specialist area, by presenting you the opportunity to carry out an original research project at the forefront of knowledge. The knowledge base, subject and transferable skills you will gain will prepare you for lifelong learning and personal development in various industrial sectors.   

Your student experience

• Your learning will be informed by the expertise of our research-active academics whose work contributes to tackling grand societal challenges through our Global Research Institutes in areas such as Net Zero and Health and Care Technologies. 
• Heriot-Watt University stands at the forefront of logistics research and specialises in the study of management, integration, reform, impact, and modelling of logistics activity, particularly from an environmental and sustainability perspective through our Centre for Logistics and Sustainability. 
• You’ll learn from academics, whose work provides government, industry, commercial and other sectors with insight into logistical trends, transport benchmarking and road use throughout the UK and Europe. Much of our research output is transformed into practical management guides, tools, and techniques.
• The MSc Logistics and Supply Chain Management programme is taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials and group work allowing you to get to know and build relationships with your peers and academics.  

Course content
September Intake - Edinburgh

Year 1
Mandatory September

• Freight Transport and Warehouse Management
• Strategies for Managing Supply Chains
• Operations Management

Optional September

• Business Analytics and Introduction to Big Data
• Supply Chain Risk and Adaptation
• Measuring and Managing Performance

Mandatory January

• Research Philosophy and Practice
• Global Purchasing and Supply

Optional January

• Green and Sustainable Logistics
• Quality Management
• Project Management
• Systems Thinking and Analysis

Mandatory May

• Logistics and Supply Chain Management Dissertation

January Intake - Edinburgh
Year 1
Mandatory January

• Research Philosophy and Practice
• Global Purchasing and Supply
• Green and Sustainable Logistics

Optional January

• Systems Thinking and Analysis
• Project Management
• Quality Management

Mandatory September

• Operations Management
• Freight Transport and Warehouse Management
• Strategies for Managing Supply Chains

Optional September

• Supply Chain Risk and Adaptation
• Measuring and Managing Performance
• Business Analytics and Introduction to Big Data

Mandatory Second January

• Logistics and Supply Chain Management Dissertation