Supply Chain and Logistics
Overview of Study Areas and Courses
Courses are to be taken over two years of study, corresponding to the terms of the academic year at Langara College. Scheduling to be announced before each semester of study. All of the courses are required for completion of the program.
Courses areas in the program:
- Introduction to Logistics and Transportation
- Introduction to Purchasing
- Security, Compliance & Loss Prevention
- Professional Purchasing
- Introduction to Contract Law
Supply Chain Purchasing & Inventory Management Courses
- Introduction to Operations Management
- Negotiations and Supplier Management
- Inventory Control and Materials Management
- International Transportation and Trade
- Distribution Centre Management
Supply Chain Transportation Courses
- Essentials of Freight Forwarding (CIFFA designation)
- Customs Issues and Procedures (CIFFA designation)
- Supply-Chain Career Management
Business Studies Courses
- Financial Accounting 1 - Part 1
- Economics - Micro & Macro
- Business Communications
- Human Resources Management
- Negotiation & Dispute Resolution
- Marketing Skills for Managers
- Microsoft Office
- Project Supervision
- Intercultural Strategies for Business
Course Information
A detailed course schedule showing class times and days of instruction will be distributed before the first day of classes. Students must attend their classes as scheduled. Courses are scheduled mainly on weekdays (9:00am-6:30pm). The class schedules will vary from term to term. There may be a few evening courses in each intake (6:30-9:30 pm).
Courses are delivered mostly through in-person classroom instruction at the Langara College main campus. Some courses will be delivered using online-learning tools such as Brightspace by D2L, Zoom, or a combination of delivery methods. Students will be informed of the course-delivery format in the detailed course schedule. Classes must be taken according to the scheduling and delivery format indicated.
The SCL PDD program does not have elective courses or course substitutions. All the courses listed in the program description are required for completion of the program. The assigned terms or semesters in the program must be taken in order.
Courses in the program curriculum are non-credit courses in Continuing Studies, meaning that credits are not assigned and they are not applicable as transfer credits to other undergraduate or graduate degrees at BC post-secondary institutions.
Exemption of previously completed coursework is allowed only for designated courses that were taken at Langara College. All course exemptions are subject to review by CS staff members. Transfer of courses from other colleges and universities is not permitted for this program.
Grade Requirement
In order to progress in the program, students must achieve a minimum C+ or 65% grade in all courses. Students who are unable to meet this minimum will not be permitted to advance to the next course. A Satisfactory (S) grade is required in the Supply Chain & Logistics – Workplace Practicum (SCLP 1401) course.
NOTE: In the two Regular Studies (RS) courses required for the program, Operations Management (BUSM 4810) and Employment Strategies for the Current Labour Market (EXPE 2300), students must achieve a minimum C or 60% grade. Students who plan to apply for the CIFFA certificate will be required to meet CIFFA’s 70% course minimum requirement.
Please note: Certain courses may be completed in a different term than is listed below, or presented in a different sequence, depending on course schedule issued for each term. Scheduling of courses is subject to revision with appropriate notice to students in the program.
Current
Workplace Practicum
The work placement component enables students to develop professionally, learn from practical experience, and contribute to working environments with host employers. It also provides students with a great opportunity to interact with working professionals in the supply-chain management industry (SCM) prior to graduation. The types of duties that students will perform with the host organizations are flexible, but their work roles should be closely relevant to the learning objectives for the Supply Chain and Logistics PDD program (SCL).
The practicum work placements take place during the sixth (final) semester of the program. All students will spend from 8-10 weeks, up to a maximum of 20 hours per week, under the supervision of the host employer staff members at an approved work-placement facility or as a work from home arrangement option. This is an unpaid training position.
The weekly and daily schedules will be negotiated between the host employer and students, with consideration of the hosts’ respective job positions and the availability of the students. However, students must be available on a weekly schedule for up to 20 hours at the practicum facility since they are still full-time students in the program.
The overall goal for students in the SCL practicum is to demonstrate their abilities and knowledge by adding value to their work placement roles and projects. The SCL practicum provides clear benefits both for our students and for the organizations participating in the program. The benefits for the students include:
- Interacting with staff members, supervisors, and mentors
- Being exposed to organizational practices, methods, and equipment
- Developing one’s future experience, career interests, and goals
- Gaining confidence to pursue career positions in the industry
Students may be given opportunities to perform the following types of tasks:
- Assist the management with ongoing work within the organization
- Identify, analyze, and implement new procedures
- Document, analyze, and develop process alternatives
- Define objectives, deliverables, and constraints for a project
- Identify and define opportunities for continuous improvement in a work role
- Recommend fully evaluated effective solutions
- Present their findings to the host organization as written and oral reports
Host a Practicum Student
Workplace practicum placements provide students with invaluable opportunities to interact with professionals and clients in their chosen industry.
Work placements are unpaid positions of 8-10 weeks, with up to 20 hours per week spent at an employer’s facility under supervision. The program coordinator will provide guidance to students and act as the liaison with employers.
Practicum placements start in January, May, and September at the beginning of the respective terms. If your organization is interested in becoming a practicum host for students, or if you’d like to find out more information, please contact the program coordinator at sclplacement@langara.ca.
Benefits of partnering with Langara College as an employer host:
- Targeted recruitment for students with specialized skill sets
- Temporary assistance that leverages students’ academic learning for your short-term projects
- Immediate staffing support for your on-going positions
- Access to a diverse group of skilled students who are seeking industry-specific experience
- Access to bilingual and multi-lingual individuals
- Student placements can add multicultural diversity to spark innovation in your team
What can employers expect from students?
Before entering their work placement, students receive 16 months of full-time instruction from experienced industry professionals on the theory, principles, and practices required to perform skilled tasks within an organization.
Work-placement students will help their industry hosts to improve operational effectiveness by applying a mix of business and supply-chain skills in areas of operations such as total quality management, supply chain management, freight forwarding, customs, warehouse operations, business systems analysis, and production and inventory control.
Our students are eligible to receive a certificate in International Freight Forwarding before they enter the practicum, once they pass their CIFFA exams.
Students add value in many different industry areas.
The aim of the work placement term is to prepare students to pursue employment in positions in Supply-Chain Management and related industries, which may include:
- Freight and shipping/receiving dispatch
- Import/Export
- Logistics, materials management, and production
- Purchasing
- Warehouse management and supervision
- Inventory planning
- Customs
Employers guide the learning process.
Our industry partners play a key role in the students’ training and professional progress. Their guidance and supervision will help to bridge the gap between theory and practice. These are some basic expectations for Employers:
- To be responsible for providing a teaching/working environment for the students
- To provide an on-site supervisor with the background to help the students function and meet the objectives of the internship
- To observe student performance, provide the student with regular ongoing feedback.
We invite companies in the Metro Vancouver area to join us in the education of the next generation of Operations, Logistics and Supply Chain Managers in the industry. Their success is your success.
Learn More.
Contact the Program Coordinator
sclplacement@langara.ca
604.323.5971
Request more information by completing the form below.
