Management: Operational Excellence

Faculty in the Master of Science in Management: Operational Excellence program define “management” as focusing on three interrelated areas: people, organizations and processes. Each course in the program addresses at least one of these overlapping considerations.

• People. People are the most important part of your organization and managers must not lose sight of this fact. Without a dedicated, motivated and inspired workforce, organizations would not be able to offer quality products and services. Furthermore, only by building a culture of trust and collaboration will managers see truly excellent results from employees. Faculty in the MSMOE program are recognized experts in the areas of managing people and leverage their experience in courses related to leadership, ethics, organizational culture and human resources.
• Organizations. Managers also must think strategically and implement a vision for how their organization, whether a two-person team or large corporation, will achieve success within their environment. Without a plan and knowledge of context, organizations will fail in their quest to achieve excellence. The MSMOE program develops skills related to managing organizations through courses related to strategy, supply chain and research issues.
• Process. The best employees and plans can still fail without processes to help get work done. Through constant collaboration with employees, managers need to know how to develop standardized operations so that customers will receive the quality that they demand in their products and services. While understanding the goals of the organization, managers also need to know how to measure the key controls crucial to achieving high productivity, output and efficiency. The MSMOE program offers students the knowledge to implement tools to help measure these areas through courses and hands-on seminars related to operations, information systems, quantitative analysis and financial management. 

The MSMOE program is a 36-credit, year-round program.
 
Fall
GCBA607: Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management (3 credits; required)
GCBA630: Advanced Accounting and Finance in Operational Excellence (3 credits; required)
GCBA692: Operations Management I (3 credits; required)
GCBA693: Supply Chain Management (3 credits; elective)
GCBA695: Strategic Management of Complex Organizations (3 credits; required)
GCBA698: Agile Project Management (3 credits; elective)
GCBA730: Graduate SAP Business One Program (3 credits; elective)
 
Spring
GCBA665: Management Information Systems (3 credits; elective)
GCBA686: Organizational Culture (3 credits; required)
GCBA690: Quantitative Analysis (Stats Review) (3 credits; required)
GCBA697: Leadership and Ethics (3 credits; required)
GCBA703: Operations Management II (3 credits; required)
GCBA725: Six Sigma Lean Green Belt Certification Prep Course (3 credits; elective)
 
Summer
GCBA700: Advanced Statistical Process Control (Stats II) (3 credits; elective)
GCBA705: Change Management (3 credits; elective)
GCBA711: Team Dynamics and Organizational Planning (3 credits; elective)
GCBA720: Project Management (3 credits; elective)
 
Various
GCBA750: Independent Study* (credits vary; elective)
GCBA751: Graduate Level Internship in Management or OE (credits vary; elective)
GBCA00X: Exit Interview and Business Competencies (0 credits; required)
GBCA00Z: OE Non-Credit Seminar (0 credits; required)

Completion of business competency requirements
Additional approved electives

*Granted on a case-by-case basis and only 1 will be granted for the duration of the program

• Eaton Corporation
• Elliot
• Excela
• Giant Eagle
• Guardian Storage
• Hamill Manufacturing
• Kennametal
• Matthews International
• Microsoft
• MSA
• NORMA
• Pace Industries
• PNC Bank
• SAP
• Waste Management

• Business Strategy Manager
• Change Manager
• Continuous Improvement Engineer
• Customer Service Manager
• General Manager
• Human Resource Consultant
• Logistics Manager
• Materials Manager
• Operational Excellence Manager
• Operations Analyst
• Operations Coordinator
• Operations Manager
• Operations Specialist
• Operations Supervisor
• Planning Manager
• Process Engineer
• Process Improvement Manager
• Production Manager
• Project Manager
• Quality Manager
• Sales Manager
• Supply Chain Manager
• Team Leader
• Value Stream Manager

1. Completed Application for Graduate Admission in Master of Science in Management: Operational Excellence.
2. Possess an earned bachelor’s degree** from an accredited institution. Official transcripts must be submitted from each institution attended. 
3. Have a minimum overall grade point average of 3.0 on a 4-point scale. For a GPA lower than 3.0, applicants will be required to sit for the Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT). 
4. Submit three recommendations – at least one recommendation from a professional work supervisor, at least one recommendation from a college professor and one recommendation that may be either academic or professional. All references should clearly state the relationship between the individual and the applicant. 
5. Personal statement explaining your desire to obtain a graduate degree in Management and/or Operational Excellence. 
6. Submission of curriculum vitae or resume (showing evidence of at least three years applicable work experience). 
7. For international applicants, a TOEFL-ibt score of 90-91, 232 on the CBT, or 6.5 on IELTS or higher is required. Some exceptions may be made for those international students from English-speaking countries and who have completed undergraduate degrees in the United States. 
8. All admission decisions are at the sole discretion of the Graduate Director of the program.

Admission to the program is competitive and the program is cohort-based. Once all spaces in the cohort are filled, no additional applicants can be admitted even if they meet the minimum requirements. New cohorts begin each semester. If you meet the minimum requirements but are not admitted in a particular semester due to no available space in the cohort, you are encouraged to reapply in a subsequent semester. The following are the minimum requirements for admission to the program:

Mail the above to:
Office of Graduate & Continuing Education
Saint Vincent College
300 Fraser Purchase Road
Latrobe, PA 15650-2690

All admission decisions are at the sole discretion of the Graduate Director of the program.

Provisional Acceptance
If a student does not meet the above requirements for regular admission to the MSMOE program, consideration may be given for acceptance on a provisional basis (students may be asked for further information to consider their application to the program). A student accepted on a provisional basis will be required to maintain a 3.33 GPA over the course of completing nine graduate credits. If the student is able to maintain a 3.33 grade point average she/he will be reviewed for regular admission. A student with provisional status will not be allowed to take more than nine credits of graduate coursework per semester. If the student is not able to maintain a 3.33 GPA after completing nine credits of graduate coursework, regular admission will be denied. Students will be removed from the program after two consecutive provisional semesters. Provisional acceptance will still allow a student to qualify for financial aid if needed.

Graduate Non-Degree Status  
If a student does not want acceptance to the MSMOE graduate program but would like to register for graduate classes, the student may apply as a graduate non-degree seeking student. This allows the student to register for up to nine graduate credits without applying or being accepted to a program. In order to register under this status a student must complete the graduate non-degree application and submit official transcripts to the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education. Once this information is received the student will be contacted regarding registration for classes. A student with this status is not eligible for financial aid.

* This is a Master of Science degree in Management with a focus on Operational Excellence. As such, the candidate must meet certain core competencies in general business areas over and above the MSMOE’s graduate curriculum to be awarded the Master of Science in Management: Operational Excellence degree. Those students with undergraduate degrees in business from accredited institutions will meet these competencies. Those possessing undergraduate degrees in other areas of concentration may be required to pass an exam testing for these competencies or take additional undergraduate level business courses. These courses are in addition to the MSMOE curriculum and can be completed prior to or during the period in which you are seeking your Master’s. Please discuss your ability to meet the core competencies with the Graduate Director if you have any questions. The Master of Science in Management: Operational Excellence cannot be conferred to an individual unless core competencies are satisfactorily met. 

What is "Operational Excellence"?

Operational Excellence (OE) is a management philosophy used by world-class organizations to compete effectively in their dynamic environment. OE goes beyond short-term initiatives and leveraging “quick-fix” improvement tools. OE can be seen as a type of culture that allows employees to grow and develop while providing the value demanded by customers. Providing added value to customers occurs through being able to continuously improve, problem solve and eliminate waste. These three activities are emphasized throughout the Master of Science in Management: Operational Excellence (MSMOE) curriculum. Simply stated, Operational Excellence is effective management.

Who is the MSMOE for?

The MSMOE is relevant for anyone, regardless of industry or job title, who is interested in being more effective at problem solving, leveraging techniques to reduce waste and improving performance every day. Most students are or aspire to become leaders in their organizations. Students in the program have careers in manufacturing, human resources, health care, pharmaceuticals, retail, education and banking/finance, among others. They are from a variety of regions within the United States as well as abroad.

Why a Master of Science in Management instead of an MBA?

As a Master of Science in Management, the MSMOE is different from a traditional business graduate degree like an MBA. While other graduate business degrees focus on general concepts at a high level, the MSMOE focuses on key areas that will help to make you a more influential leader. Each experience in the program is designed to enhance your personal leadership abilities and to help you apply proven management practices on a daily basis.

Are courses available online and/or in the evening?

The MSMOE program is designed to meet your needs. Classes are conveniently scheduled in the evenings with face-to-face and online options available. Students can earn their degree in as little as a year or as long as their individual situation requires. With options for achieving credit through independent studies and internships as well as elective courses, students are able to craft their studies to explore areas of interest.

Our online approach is cutting-edge because we simulate being in the classroom. Our philosophy is that learning occurs through discussion and interaction. While many online programs do not allow for learning by conversation, ours emphasizes this, which makes us unique. Online students log in during each real-time class session and participate in the discussion just as though they were physically in the classroom. This approach allows us to build a community among the MSMOE graduate students, a hallmark of Saint Vincent’s educational approach. Furthermore it allows students to explore concepts more in depth by allowing real-time technology-facilitated interaction.