Business School

Operations and Supply Chain Management

Operations and Supply Chain Management (OSCM) is applicable to most organisations and is concerned with the design, planning, and management of all facilities, processes, and activities required to transform resources into goods and services.

Operational managers control more than 70% of organisational resources (people, money, materials, and buildings) used in the production of goods or in providing services. Successful operations managers also need knowledge of marketing, human resource management, and finance.

Career Opportunities
Operations and Supply Chain Management provides graduates with the skills and understanding to enable them to function as supply chain managers, production planners, operations managers, quality managers, project managers, procurement managers, business analysts, and management consultants. Many graduates are expected to rise to senior management levels.

Students in other disciplines often find it valuable to include some OSCM courses in their degree programme, as exposure to the principles of OSCM has become an assumed part of the training of quantitative social scientists as well as accountants, computer specialists, and engineers.

Innovation

Innovation is the key to successful business, government, and society, where generating new ideas for improvement is a continuous goal.

Through UC’s award-winning business experts, students will gain insight to the current global market, the different levels of business, from family-owned to large corporations, and the latest technologies changing the face of the corporate world.

The flexible programme allows students to combine their Innovation major or minor with courses from a range of other subjects, to gain a competitive edge with expertise in key areas, such as technology, business, education, policy, and society.

At second and third year, Innovation students complete team consulting projects with real-world organisations to demonstrate their comprehensive knowledge. They also have the opportunity to complete a practical project implementing economic, social, and/or business solutions for an organisation.

Career Opportunities
Innovation graduates will be among Aotearoa New Zealand’s leaders for innovative change, and have the opportunity to lead the nation in the future global market. Innovation offers a highly multidisciplinary skillset suitable for a range of industries, particularly in areas of business, technology, entertainment, product production, and government, which are in continuous need for innovative thinkers.

Strategy and Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is one of the fastest growing majors internationally in universities with over 2,000 programmes globally. UC has an internationally recognised group of scholars in Strategy and Entrepreneurship who are active researchers and award-winning teachers. In addition, the Strategy and Entrepreneurship academics have an impact on government and industry, for example studying how Ōtautahi Christchurch’s rebuild was most effectively accomplished by one coordinating super-organisation; and whether business accelerators create jobs in Aotearoa New Zealand or build community entrepreneurial capabilities.

Students at UC will be exposed to business at all levels from individually owned and run small businesses, to family business, to social enterprise, to high-tech focused startups, and large corporations using innovation to gain advantage. Students gain real-world experience and make connections with businesses and the community through business case competitions.

Career Opportunities
UC Commerce programmes reflect the latest research and business applications to give you a flying start in whatever career you choose.

UC’s real-world focus on internships, competitions, entrepreneurship, and community involvement gives you a taste of the excitement and opportunity of working at the top end of business innovation and leadership.

Graduates start their careers in a wide range of trainee management, operations, marketing or market research roles and advance into positions as business consultants, strategic business analysts, and senior managers in the commercial, public, and not-for-profit sectors.

Business Economics

Business Economics applies the tools and rigour of Economics to business situations. Students focus on a broad range of analytical and business skills and take courses that apply economic reasoning and insight to problems in business or the non-profit sector. The focus is on managerial economics and informed decision making.

The Business Economics major at UC combines knowledge of an academically rigorous discipline with skills that equip graduates to be work-ready.

Students majoring in Business Economics can also take advantage of the Economics and Finance internship courses to further their work-ready skills in real businesses.

Career Opportunities
Graduates in Business Economics are well prepared for employment in many areas of government and business, where it is recognised that an economist’s education provides valuable training for a professional career, as well as good preparation for an executive, entrepreneurial, or administrative career.

The inclusion of a second business discipline gives breadth to a degree that requires good analytical and problem-solving skills.

Professional business economists are employed to conduct research and give advice on economic matters in various organisations such as government ministries and state-owned enterprises (eg, Treasury, Health, Social Development, Agriculture and Forestry, Foreign Affairs and Trade).