This course introduces students to the subject of managing supplier relations and purchasing activities. Topics covered include supplier selection, vendor pricing, materials quality control, value analysis, make-or-buy, speculation and hedging, and international sourcing as well as the legal and ethical constraints faced by purchasing practitioners.

In this course, students integrate the theoretical and practical skills they have acquired throughout the curriculum to design and manage the source, make, plan, and deliver functions of a global supply chain using several SCM simulation packages. In addition, cases would be assigned for the students to analyze and write comprehensive reports.

The practice of international business is detailed-oriented and complex as cross-border trade and investment is subject to various market forces and government regulations. In this course students will study the issues of compliance, risk assessment, sources of international information, logistical complexities and intermediaries, and international payments and financing. The course will develop students with the necessary knowledge base and skills to become successful in the practice of cross border transactions.

This course is used to fulfill the graduate project requirement for the MS degree in management. The candidate must obtain approval from an appropriate faculty member to supervise the paper before registering for this course. A corporate-oriented research project designed by the candidate and his or her advisor to explore a salient management-related issue.