UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State World Campus is offering two new graduate certificates in its business portfolio of online programs.
The new certificates are in supply chain risk management and real estate law and valuation. The certificates are being offered online in partnership with the internationally ranked and AACSB-accredited Penn State Smeal College of Business through Penn State World Campus. Applications are now being accepted.
Mitigating supply chain risks
Recent events, including the war in Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the six-day blockage of the Suez Canal, have underscored the inherent risks in global supply chains. A factory closure or a sudden surge of panic buying even only a few percentage points higher than average consumption can affect the market for months.
Today, companies need professionals to take on these physical, security and information risks. Penn State World Campus is offering a graduate certificate in supply chain risk management. The certificate joins the top-ranked supply chain education program led by the Smeal College of Business.
In this program, students will study cutting-edge strategies used by successful companies to minimize and control supply chain interruptions. Courses will include real-world case studies, as well as interviews with executives who have successfully navigated major crises and those who struggled through one but learned in the process.
“We see that we just have this overabundance of companies that are all seeking this kind of knowledge right now,” said David Huff, a clinical professor of supply chain and the director of the online graduate supply chain management program. “To prepare, there are things that we can learn, and that we can then build into our systems.”
While supply chain risks are always looming, Huff said localized issues are easier to absorb in the supply chain and may not consistently impact the consumer. However, global events like the COVID-19 pandemic, during which the entire world has shut down at the same time, create a much bigger impact.
“That’s why we’ve seen it so much more starkly and then you lay on top of it these other big events that have been happening,” Huff said, likening the supply chain to a game of Jenga.
The 12-credit graduate certificate includes nine credits that may apply toward a master of supply chain management, a master of business administration, or a master in corporate innovation and entrepreneurship. Students who apply by July 1 and are accepted can start courses in the fall 2022 semester.
Huff said the program is suited for those who want to learn how to make supply chains more resilient in the face of increasing threats, both naturally occurring and human-made. This includes logistics and risk analysis professionals, anyone in the supply chain business sector, and military and defense contractors.
“Anyone who’s working in any aspect of the global supply chain, who is dealing with the logistics, or the manufacturing or the sourcing of products around the world, they’re going to need to be more and more familiar with these skills,” Huff said.
The courses in the certificate are taught by the faculty who teach in the graduate supply chain program that was ranked No. 1 in the country by Gartner Inc.
Learn more about the graduate certificate in supply chain risk management that is offered online through Penn State World Campus.
Navigating the real estate industry with a graduate certificate
The graduate certificate in real estate law and valuation focuses on how to assign values to properties and business entities, calculate risk/reward potential, and understand the requisite content to draft and create legally binding real estate documents.
Brent Ambrose, director of the Smeal College of Business Ph.D. Program and the Penn State Institute for Real Estate Studies, said the certificate is tailored to professionals, including lawyers and accountants, who are interested in the real estate industry.
Mallory Meehan, associate clinical professor of real estate and associate director of the Penn State Borelli Institute of Real Estate Studies, said the certificate can complete a professional’s understanding of the components of the industry.
“This certificate is designed to help fill in those gaps through negotiation and through understanding real estate law,” Meehan said.
The program consists of nine credits, and students who apply by March 20, 2023, and are accepted can start online courses on May 15.
Course instructors plan to pull current events and market scenarios into the curriculum to best equip students.
“We are hoping to keep up with the trends so it’s never a repetitive program. It’s always something that’s able to keep up with current events and current topics,” Meehan said.
One of the included courses focuses on negotiations, which Meehan said is important for those who may not have had a lot of in-person experience due to the pandemic. She said the skills can be applied in multiple aspects of one’s life and career, including when asking for an increased salary or vacation time or negotiating a contract or lease agreement.
“The opportunities are endless,” Meehan said of what a student can do upon completion of the certificate. “It really goes into multiple sectors.”
Career opportunities and advancements for professionals who complete the certificate include real estate developer, real estate investment broker, commercial lender, and estate planner.
Learn more about the graduate certificate in real estate law and valuation that is offered online through Penn State World Campus.