Special Topics in Supply Chain Management
MIT's Engineering Systems Division offers this advanced course covering integrated logistics and supply chain management. Topics include procurement strategies and strategic sourcing, dynamic pricing and revenue management, mitigating supply chain risk through contracts, strategic outsourcing of supply chain functions, managing third party logistics providers, and supply chain security. The course runs as a lecture-discussion format with corporate executives appearing as guest lecturers, giving students exposure to real industry perspectives. Coursework includes industry assessment analyses that students prepare and present formally to the class, mimicking the kind of strategic reporting done in corporate settings. Materials are provided as part of MIT OpenCourseWare, free to access, with no certificate offered. Specific topics vary year to year, but the course consistently blends academic frameworks with practitioner input on sourcing, pricing, risk, and outsourcing decisions across supply chains.