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Overview
Integrate your business skills with mathematical analysis for a modern operational career with this MSc Logistics and Supply Chain Management degree course. You'll explore the flow of information between suppliers, manufacturers, retailers and consumers, and find ways to streamline your company's activity for improved effectiveness and efficiency.
You'll be working with quantitative data and analytical techniques, applying developments in logistics technology, and learning from professional research into the current issues in operations and supply chain management. You'll have access to industry-standard software such as Simul8, and to case studies drawn from live problems in the profession. You'll plan and produce a personal research-driven project, perhaps with an industrial partner organisation, and will study with lecturers who contribute to both the academic and industrial streams of this sector.
You'll graduate with all the tools required for a career in logistics and operations management, either in the UK or further afield.
You can start this course in September or January.
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Eligibility
This course accepts UK, EU, and international students.
Course highlights
- Apply highly data-driven mathematical models to decision-making in the supply chain, so you can bring quantitative methods into your career in logistics
- Study key topics in the field, including Logistics Modelling, Supply Chain Management and Strategic Logistics, as you develop your career skills in problem-solving and interpersonal communication
- Use professional-standard simulation software and statistical packages in our computer labs
- Work on real-life case studies, large-scale logistics problems, or active research projects in companies that collaborate with your lecturers
Accredited by
This course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT). Students studying CILT accredited courses receive exemptions from the academic requirements for membership. Graduates of the MSc Logistics and Supply Chain Management course with an overall average pass mark above 50% are eligible to apply for Chartered Membership (CMILT) once they have gained the necessary experience.
MSc Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Hear from Erestina, a graduate of the course, about her experience of studying with us at Portsmouth.
My first degree is a bachelor in Economics and I studied in a small city in Greece.
I really wanted to move to outside of Greece to see what opportunities I can get.
I couldn't live in a city without having the sea near to me.
Choosing Portsmouth made my everyday life easier, less stressful and I loved it.
I chose Supply Chain Management and Logistics.
I like to have options and to try things so this thing really influenced me to choose this because I knew that studying Supply Chain Management and Logistics can offer different roles.
The thing that I really liked was some practical lessons.
It helped me understand some real situations that might happen in a business.
How you can find results.
It just gave a more practical knowledge.
I'm working as a Procurement Buyer for Raymarine.
Raymarine is a company that develops their own products.
The sourcing of the raw materials is done here on our company.
What I love most from the role is that every day is so different.
The biggest impact for myself from uni about confidence career advice was that I became stronger after this experience.
Once I finished and I realised that I studied and achieved a degree, not on my native language, I felt really strong.
For me, it was one of the best choices I have made.
I think people should never be afraid to try new experiences and should overcome their fears.
Contact information
Contact AdmissionsEntry requirements
Eligibility
This course accepts UK, EU, and international students.
January 2025 start
- A second-class honours degree in a relevant subject, or equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications.
Please get in touch if you're not sure if your undergraduate subject is relevant to this degree.
Equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications will also be considered, such as previous study, employment, voluntary work and training courses, including courses and qualifications you didn't complete. Learn more about our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
If you're applying as an international student with a non-UK degree, you’ll need to show you meet the UK entry requirements listed above.
To find out if your non-UK degree or other qualification is accepted, please visit our page for your country and view the UK equivalent of your qualification.
- English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 (or equivalent) with no component score below 5.5.
You do not need an IELTS or equivalent certification if:
- you have a UK degree
- you have a degree from a majority English speaking country (not taught by Distance Learning)
- you are a national of a majority English speaking country
Degrees taught solely in English from non-majority English speaking countries will be considered on a case by case basis. Find out more about our English language requirements.
If you do not meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
September 2025 / January 2026 start
- A second-class honours degree in a relevant subject, or equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications.
Please get in touch if you're not sure if your undergraduate subject is relevant to this degree.
Equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications will also be considered, such as previous study, employment, voluntary work and training courses, including courses and qualifications you didn't complete. Learn more about our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
If you're applying as an international student with a non-UK degree, you’ll need to show you meet the UK entry requirements listed above.
To find out if your non-UK degree or other qualification is accepted, please visit our page for your country and view the UK equivalent of your qualification.
- English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 (or equivalent) with no component score below 5.5.
You do not need an IELTS or equivalent certification if:
- you have a UK degree
- you have a degree from a majority English speaking country (not taught by Distance Learning)
- you are a national of a majority English speaking country
Degrees taught solely in English from non-majority English speaking countries will be considered on a case by case basis. Find out more about our English language requirements.
If you do not meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Costs and funding
Tuition fees
January 2025 start
September 2025 / January 2026 start
- Full time: £10,900 (may be subject to annual increase)
(including Transition Scholarship)
- Full-time: £10,900 (may be subject to annual increase)
- Full time: £19,200 (may be subject to annual increase)
University of Portsmouth graduates may receive a 20% alumni tuition fee discount.
Fees are subject to annual increase. Read our tuition fees terms and conditions.
You'll be able to pay your fees in instalments. Find out how to pay your tuition fees.
Funding your studies
Explore how to fund your studies, including available scholarships and bursaries.
If you're a UK student, you may be eligible for a Government Postgraduate Master's Loan, which you can use to help with course fees and living costs.
Loans, scholarships and bursaries
Browse funding such as the Government Postgraduate Loan, our scholarships for new and returning students, and subject specific loans.
Funding for international students
Learn more about sponsorships, scholarships and loans for students applying from outside of the UK.
Fees and funding for Master's courses
Explore Master's funding options, including loans, scholarships, bursaries and more.
Additional costs
These course-related costs aren't included in the tuition fees, so you'll need to budget for them when you plan your spending. Additional costs could include:
- Accommodation: Accommodation options and costs can be found on our accommodation pages.
- Recommended reading: You can borrow key texts from the library and if you choose to purchase these texts they may cost up to £60 each.
- General costs: such photocopying, memory sticks, printing charges, binding and specialist printing. We suggest budgeting £75 per year.
- Final project transport or accommodation: where necessary, which related to your research activities. The amount will depend on the project you choose.
Read more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.
Modules
What you'll study
All modules on this MSc Logistics and Supply Chain Management are core.
You'll use industry standard software, such as SIMUL8 and Evolver, to generate logistics solutions with heuristics and simulation techniques. You'll emerge from the module with demonstrable software skills and the ability to formulate and compare the benefits of metaheuristic and discrete event simulation models.
You'll learn about production planning, operations design, Material Requirement Planning (MRP) models, and the use of Excel Solver for practical solutions. Through international case studies, you will formulate and solve logistics and supply chain models, as you demonstrate your grasp of improvement strategies for operation management problems.
This module is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transportation in the UK (CILT)
You'll evaluate each approach, learning to recommend the appropriate model for a given problem in supply chain management, sustainable container port management or warehouse design. You'll also broaden your learning with guest lectures given by professionals from related careers.
This module is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transportation in the UK (CILT)
You'll study global company cases, hear from professional guest speakers, and demonstrate your groupwork abilities.
This module is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transportation in the UK (CILT)
You can take on practical or theoretical projects from faculty research interests or beyond, and you're encouraged to use case studies from your own country or industry. You'll generate impactful recommendations through intellectual analysis, then present your achievements at a professional level.
Changes to course content
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry. If a module doesn't run, we'll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
"I gained an impressive level of satisfaction from doing my MSc at Portsmouth and chose to stay for my PhD thanks to the academic and professional departments that were always there to help support me when I needed them during my MSc and the PhD admission period. My current supervisors were my MSc lecturers and role models that I continue to look up to."
Facilities
Specialist mathematics software
Use advanced specialist software such as industry-standard SIMUL8 for high-level simulations of complex dynamical processes in logistics. You'll also use Evolver which is a genetic algorithm solver for finding optimal solutions for problems in areas such as scheduling and vehicle routing.
Maths Café
No problem is too small or too tough for our Maths Café tutors, who are on hand every day during term-time to help you if you get stuck or need something explained.
How you'll spend your time
We recognise that you'll probably be juggling more demands when you do your Master's degree, as you may be working or you may have family responsibilities.
We'll give you as much indication here as we can of how much time you'll need to be on campus and how many hours you can expect to spend in self-directed study, but please note that these indications are always subject to change. You should receive your full timetable several weeks before you start with us.
It is our expectation that all international students will join us here on campus in Portsmouth.
Course structure
This Master's degree will take:
- 12 months (full-time study, September start)
- 17 months, including summer break (full-time study, January start)
You can expect:
- 10 hours of teaching time every week. You'll receive your timetable near the start of teaching.
- 20 hours of independent study each week
In the last 3 months of the course you'll be focusing on your research project.
Teaching
Master's study is deeper and more specialised than an undergraduate degree. This means you'll focus on something that really matters to you and your career as you work closely with academics committed to the subject.
You'll spend more time in independent study and research than you did for your undergraduate degree, but the majority of your teaching time will be in-person and face-to-face.
Teaching on this course includes:
- lectures
- seminars
- tutorials
- practical computer-based sessions
- laboratory and project work
Assessment
You'll be assessed through:
- examinations
- coursework
- laboratory assignments
- dissertation
You'll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on practice and formal assessments so you can improve in future.
Term dates
September start:
The Master's academic year runs from September to the following September. There are breaks at Christmas and Easter. Over the summer you'll be writing your project / dissertation.
January start:
The academic year for this course runs from January to May in the following year. There are breaks in the summer, at Christmas, and at Easter.
Joining us as an international student
Feel at home in our international community and our diverse city. You'll be joining over 5,000 international students from more than 150 countries who are studying with us.
Learn more about international student life and how we can help you with visas, applications, arrival and settling in.
Career development
It's always been critical to most organisations, but the increasingly data-driven nature of logistics and supply chain management, or Logistics 4.0, demands a new kind of graduate who can apply mathematical principles and analysis to the industry.
This degree's focus on mathematical problem solving and decision making will qualify you for a career in the traditional areas of manufacturing logistics, distribution and supply chain management on graduation. But you'll also have the skills and knowledge to work in industries such as quality control, facilities planning, postal and express delivery, the emergency services, the military and defence industry.
Graduates of this course have gone onto roles such as:
- Logistics specialist
- Supply chain buyer
- Transport line manager
- Quality inspector
Career outcomes shown are sourced from the latest available graduate outcome surveys. The data shows career outcomes at 15 months after graduation.
Career planning
During your course you'll have expert careers advice from our Careers and Employability Centre, your tutors and our Student Placements and Employability Centre. You can access support from our Careers and Employability Centre for up to 5 years after you graduate.
You'll benefit from:
- Networking events
- Applied projects with companies such as IBM, Boeing and Hampshire County Council
- 1-to-1 appointments
- CV and cover letter advice
- Interview preparation and practice
- Workshops to enhance your employability skills
- Recruitment events including the Student and Graduate Opportunities Fair
- Support starting your own business
Supporting you
Master's study is more focused on independent learning than undergraduate study, but you'll get lots of support via video, phone and face-to-face from teaching and support staff to enhance your learning experience and help you succeed. You can build your personalised network of support from the following people and services:
Types of support
Your personal tutor helps you make the transition to independent study and gives you academic and personal support throughout your time at university.
As well as regular scheduled meetings with your personal tutor, they're also available at set times during the week if you want to chat with them about anything that can't wait until your next meeting.
You'll have help from a team of faculty learning support tutors. They can help you improve and develop your academic skills and support you in any area of your study in one-on-one and group sessions.
They can help you:
- master the mathematics skills you need to excel on your course
- understand engineering principles and how to apply them in any engineering discipline
- solve computing problems relevant to your course
- develop your knowledge of computer programming concepts and methods relevant to your course
- understand and use assignment feedback
All our labs and practical spaces are staffed by qualified laboratory support staff. They’ll support you in scheduled lab sessions and can give you one-to-one help when you do practical research projects.
During term time, Faculty Academic Skills Tutors (AST) are available for bookable 1-to-1 sessions, small group sessions and online sessions. These sessions are tailored to your needs.
Support is available for skills including:
- University study
- Getting into the right study mindset
- Note-taking and note-making skills
- Referencing
- Presentation skills
- Time management, planning, and goal setting
- Critical thinking
- Avoiding plagiarism
If you have a disability or need extra support, the Additional Support and Disability Centre (ASDAC) will give you help, support and advice.
Our online Learning Well mini-course will help you plan for managing the challenges of learning and student life, so you can fulfil your potential and have a great student experience.
You can get personal, emotional and mental health support from our Student Wellbeing Service, in person and online. This includes 1–2–1 support as well as courses and workshops that help you better manage stress, anxiety or depression.
If you require extra support because of a disability or additional learning need our specialist team can help you.
They'll help you to
- discuss and agree on reasonable adjustments
- liaise with other University services and facilities, such as the library
- access specialist study skills and strategies tutors, and assistive technology tutors, on a 1-to-1 basis or in groups
- liaise with external services
Library staff are available in person or by email, phone, or online chat to help you make the most of the University’s library resources. You can also request one-to-one appointments and get support from a librarian who specialises in your subject area.
The library is open 24 hours a day, every day, in term time.
The Maths Cafe offers advice and assistance with mathematical skills in a friendly, informal environment. You can come to our daily drop-in sessions, develop your mathematics skills at a workshop or use our online resources.
If English isn't your first language, you can do one of our English language courses to improve your written and spoken English language skills before starting your degree. Once you're here, you can take part in our free In-Sessional English (ISE) programme to improve your English further.
Apply
Unlike undergraduate applications, which go through UCAS, applications for this Master's course are made directly to us.
There's no deadline for applications to this course. We accept applications right up until the start dates in September and January, as long as there are places available. If you wait until your start month to apply, you may find that the course is full.
If you're applying as an international student, remember that you'll need to leave plenty of time to get your visa organised.
You can find more advice about applying in our Master's application checklist. International students and current students and recent graduates of the University of Portsmouth also have some different application options, which are detailed below.
Extra information for international students
If you're an international student, you can apply directly to us using the same application form as UK students.
You could also get an agent to help with your application. Check your country page for details of agents in your region. To find out what to include in your application, head to the how to apply page of our international students section.
If you don’t meet the English language requirements for this course yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Ready to apply?
Standard applications
Start this course in January 2025
Start this course in September 2025
Start this course in January 2026
I'm a current Portsmouth student, or a recent Portsmouth graduate
If you're currently in your final year of study at Portsmouth, or you graduated since July 2024, you're eligible to make a fast track application. You'll have:
- a shorter application form to complete
- access to the 20% Alumni fee discount
- a guaranteed conditional offer, for most Master's courses
After you apply
Once we receive your application, we may ask you for further information. We will then either make you an offer or suggest alternatives if your application is unsuccessful.
You'll usually get a decision within 10 working days, so you shouldn't have to wait too long. Some courses have an interview stage – we'll let you know if you need to prepare for one.
Learn more about how we assess your application.
Admissions terms and conditions
When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.