In industry an organisation’s future lies in continuously improving its business processes. Companies need to compete both by bringing new innovative products to market and by improving existing products and processes. We are witnessing an upsurge in both industry’s and public organisations’ interest in improvement philosophies, e.g. Six Sigma and Lean Production. This Master’s Programme meets these operational and strategic challenges. Students who graduate from this programme acquire knowledge in quality and operations management which is crucial for staying competitive in today’s global markets.

MASTER’S PROGRAMME

QUALITY ANDOPERATIONSMANAGEMENT

QUALITY AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

AIMSThe overall aim of the QOM programme is to support graduates in acquiring the knowledge and skills required to manage, improve and transform organisational pro-cesses as for example developing new in-novative offers, manufacturing and delivery. The programme is run in a multicultural setting, with a sound base in technical and managerial subjects providing students with profound knowledge of quality and op-erations management.

WHY APPLY?We are witnessing an upsurge in industry’s interest in improvement philosophies for existing products and processes that make industry competitive. Examples are Six Sig-ma and Lean Production, which aim to im-prove the process through which products and services are developed and delivered. Many companies and public organisations have improvement programmes in place based on these or similar ideas. However, success in these programmes requires a mindset change and organisational trans-formations. Engineers equipped with the knowledge and competence required for organisational change and business im-provement are therefore crucial.

Students who are interested in pursuing a professional and/or academic career within organisational development and continuous improvement should apply for the QOM programme. Students interested in understanding how organisations de-sign, deliver and improve their processes will have every opportunity to develop their knowledge in the field.

EDUCATIONAL METHODSThe programme’s pedagogic framework is built on students’ participation and responsi-bility for their own learning processes. With-in the theoretical parts of the education, the students will write, present and discuss cases and term papers at seminars, in or-der to improve their ability to present their ideas both in written and oral form. This will prepare them for writing a Master’s thesis as well as offering training for those stu-dents who would like to continue with PhD studies. In the programme, a number of group projects will be carried out, all in cross-cultural teams. This will provide a training arena for cross-cultural group work in line with our goal of training students that can lead cross-cultural improvement projects. Further it will provide an arena for training

the students’ professional skills and their communication skills. This is in line with the intentions behind the CDIO (Conceive — Design — Implement — Operate) initiative in which Chalmers participates. This initiative, as well as the Master’s programme, empha-sise among other things group learning ex-periences as well as industrial cooperation. A palette of assessment techniques will include: project reports, oral examination, written examination, home examination and group projects. These assessment tech-niques are examples of skills training being integrated into the curriculum. This integra-tion will take place in all courses and will support the development of the generic skills communication and teamwork.

RESEARCH AND INDUSTRY CONNECTIONSThe programme is run in close cooperation between the two divisions Operations Man-agement and Quality Sciences. The pro-gramme’s content is closely linked to the re-search at the divisions, which stretches from product development through to production, in a variety of industries, including service in-dustries, such as healthcare. Both divisions have a tradition of strong industrial and inter-national links, with leading academic institu-

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tions, which will be drawn upon in the design and execution of the programme. Throughout the programme, there is a continuous connection with industry, partly through guest lecturers in various courses and partly through an industrially-based project course. Such industrial cooperation is facilitated by the divisions’ research co-operations with various companies and or-ganisations, for example SKF, Volvo Trucks and the Region of Västra Götaland. Thus, the students are able to create a network including a number of representatives from industry, that can be useful for their future careers.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIESHaving completed the programme, graduates will be able to assume a number of engineer-ing and management positions including, but not limited to, project leaders, change agents and consultants. Future career opportunities are not restricted to manufacturing organisa-tions, but also include service providing or-ganisations and public services. Examples of positions occupied by former students of ear-lier versions of this programme are: academic researchers, management consultants, pro-duction engineers, quality engineers, project leaders in product development and compa-ny internal consultants.

UNDERGRADUATE PROfILEMajor in Industrial Engineering and Man-agement or an Engineering Discipline.

PREREQUISITESMathematics, minimum 30 cr. including Statistics, minimum 7.5 cr. Minimum 15 cr. from courses in Economics and Organi-zation/Management. Preferable course experience: Single- and multivariable anal-ysis and Linear algebra.

PROGRAMME OvERvIEWOn an overall level the programme plan consists of three blocks of courses: com-pulsory courses, elective courses and the Master’s thesis. The first course in the programme will give an overview of the area of quality and op-erations management and provide the class

with a common basis for their studies. The remaining compulsory courses are struc-tured in a way that resembles a product de-sign process, i.e. start in identifying needs, develop a product or service, deliver it and then work with continuous improvement. For the elective courses, students are free to choose from a wide variety of courses. Electives can be chosen to further deepen the knowledge within the quality and operations management area, within the technical area studied at Bachelor’s level or in a way that gives a broader profile of subjects. The Master’s thesis, equivalent to one full semester, is the last part of the programme. The students’ thesis work is conducted in pairs and in most cases it is performed in cooperation with an industrial company or a public organisation.

Karin Markides, president

“Chalmers – for a sustainable future is a vision which exudes the long-term approach, the acceptance of re-sponsibility and the trust I feel is worthy of Chalmers. At the same time, it is obvious that this vision has to be shared by many and that Chalmers has to co-oper-ate across disciplines in order to promote the whole of society’s commitment to our future.”

Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden, Phone +46 31 772 1000

“Chalmers – for a sustainable future is a vision which

CHALMERS UNIvERSITY Of TECHNOLOGY

Chalmers conducts research and edu ca tion in engineering and natural scien ces, architec ture, technology-relat ed mathe mati cal scienc es and nautical sciences – in close collaboration with industry and society. Chalmers is one of Sweden’s largest universities of technology with about 12 000 students and 2 200 em ployees. Approximately 40 percent of Sweden’s graduate engineers and architects are educated here. Chalmers has formed partnerships with major industries mostly in the Gothenburg region such as Ericsson, Volvo and SKF. The Master’s Programmes at Chalmers are strongly linked to advan c-ed research in areas of particular strength. Upon completion of studies, candidates will be granted a Master’s degree. The programmes are taught in English and open to applicants from the whole world. Chalmers has eight areas of advance where the aim is to bring together research, education and innovation across departmental boundaries and to co-operate with bodies and organisations out side Chalmers: Materials Science, Produ c tion, Information & Communica -tion Technology, Transport, Built Environment, Nano science & Nano-technology, Life Science and Energy. The eight key areas also have a firm foundation in the basic sciences. The pursuit of new knowledge and improved technology has characterized Chalmers ever since its foundation in 1829.More info at: www.chalmers.se/en

THE SMALL METROPOLIS – GOTHENBURGMore than 60 000 are currently studying in Gothenburg. In many ways, their decision to choose Gothenburg when the time came to take the next step into the future isn’t surprising. Gothenburg is an attractive major city with a maritime atmosphere and within easy reach of outdoor activities in the rest of West Sweden. Gothenburg is an uncommonly inviting city for students, with a great deal to offer: You’ll find an exciting cultural and entertainment scene worthy of any major city, as well as a friendly atmosphere that will help you to quickly feel at home.

Founded in 1621, Gothenburg is a young city by European standards. Since formative years it has been an important port of international trade and today it is the largest in Scandinavia. With a population of about half a million, it is both friendly and cosmopolitan. More info at: www.goteborg.com

SWEDEN – A CULTURE Of INNOvATIONOne of the world’s most modern countries, Sweden is the birthplace of many successful international corporations. Innovative research at Swedish universities and companies has resulted in a number of successful inventions. Some examples are: the computer mouse, Bluetooth for internet mobility, the pacemaker, the ball bearing, the Tetra Pak beverage packaging system, the dialysis machine and internet applications such as the online music streaming service Spotify and the free internet calling service Skype. These fairly recent inventions build on a long history of excellence in academia and research. Sweden is the home of the prestigious Nobel Prize, awarded in Stockholm every year. Sweden has a number of large multinational corporations, such as telecom supplier Ericsson, automotive companies Volvo and Scania, household appliances corporation Electrolux, bearing manufacturer SKF, and high-tech engineering groups Sandvik and Atlas Copco. The deep-rooted creative environment has made Sweden a strong nation in the areas of design, fashion and music, with well-known international brands such as furniture giant IKEA and clothes retailer H&M. Sweden is also one of the largest music-exporting countries in the world.More info at: www.studyinsweden.se