Operations Management



 


THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY PROGRAMME IN OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

The purpose of this study programme is to educate students for the profession of manager of Operations Management in economic and noneconomic organisations. Operations Management is fully in accordance with the basic responsibilities of the Faculty of Management.

Operations Management study programme has been designed to provide future managers with skills in planning, organizing, directing, monitoring and managing sections (functions) of enterprises and enterprises as a whole. They represent competences which will fill an important gap in professions missing from organizations in all industries of the Serbian economy and society and whose lack is one of the main causes of low effectiveness and efficiency of these organizations. These reasons are basic elements of social justification and usefulness of this programme and its prospects. Faculty of Management defined basic tasks and goals in order to educate highly competent people in the fields of organisation and management.

The purpose of this study programme is also providing students with competencies needed for the following professions: a manager in the operations management of various business organizations, the manager of economic and non-economic organizations, a manager in human resources, a manager in the field of production management and enterprise development. Knowledge is acquired in management and information technology, which enables future operations managers to be successful in their jobs and to develop managerial skills in decision-making and problem solving in organizations.

The undergraduate academic studies in Operations Management provides students with knowledge and skills needed for involvement in working process and further studies in the field of management. With the realization of such a curriculum there is an opportunity to educate managers who will possess the appropriate competence.

Competencies after graduation

Mastering the study programme in Operations Management, a student acquires general and subject-specific skills, which are an important component of learning outcomes in the study programme. These skills are related to scientific and technical activities in the field of operations management.

General skills which a student acquires upon completion of the degree programme are:
— analysis, synthesis and prediction of solutions and consequences of the management of sections or of a whole business system;
— mastering research methods, procedures and process in the field of business management;
— development of critical and self-critical thinking and approach in the process of managing business systems and decision making;
— application of knowledge, skills and creative abilities in managerial practice;
— development of communication abilities and skills in order to achieve successful cooperation with subjects in a business system (executives and superior managers) as well as with a narrow social and international setting, which has an influence on management success;
— following the principles of professional ethics codex, which reflects in responsibilities to employers, co-workers, business partners and the public.

Subject-specific skills which a student acquires upon completion of the degree programme Operations Management are:
— thorough knowledge and understanding of the phases in a managerial process (planning, organizing, directing and controlling) and the elements of subjective support to management (motivating, communicating, decision making);
— solving actual problems in business using: quantitative methods, methods of operations research for solving management problems, statistical methods of quality control, financial instruments, etc;
— interrelating basic knowledge from different fields and its application (management, economics, organization, technique and technology, informatics, foreign language);
— monitoring and applying professional innovations as a result of being instructed in obtaining professional and scientific information in their own field of work;
— development of skills in applying knowledge in the field of business management (communication, coordination, decision making, directing, etc);
— use of information and communications technology for gaining knowledge in the field of business management (use of software such as MS Word, MS Excel, MS Access, Corel Draw, Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, etc).

Compliance of the study programme with similar programs

The study programme in Operations Management is in compliance with international contemporary trends in the managerial profession, as well as with contemporary trends in the communication process, and as such it is comparable with similar educational institutions in the world and in Europe. The study program in Operations Management offers students the latest scientific and technical knowledge as well as knowledge in the best management practice. It complies with European standards and it is in accordance with the requirements: in terms of the conditions of entry, duration of study, the conditions of transition to the next year, grading, methods of study and graduation. The study programme achieves the unity of the educational, scientific, artistic and professional work. Scientific research, professional and other types of programs, and various projects are continuously being devised, prepared and implemented.

Enrolment

Enrolment in the first year of the study programme in Operations Management is carried out on a competitive basis. Contest proposition is defined by The Academic Council of the Faculty, and the decision to call a tender for studies is adopted by the Senate of the University.

One who has graduated from secondary school and passed the orientation and ability test may apply for the first year of undergraduate academic studies.

Applied candidates are ranked according to their secondary school marks and entrance exam results. Secondary school marks can bring from 16 to 40 points. A candidate can achieve a maximum of 60 points on the Entrance Exam.

A candidate gains the right to enrol in the first year of undergraduate academic studies if they are ranked within the enrolment quota and if they get at least 31 points in total (according to the points from secondary school and Entrance Exam).

Kinds of knowledge, aptitude and abilities that are tested at the entry exam correspond to the nature of the study programme in Operations Management. We form a complete picture of the candidate who is enrolling in the study programme in Operations Management. The type of the test is published within the Contest.

It is possible to transfer from other study programmes and related institutions in accordance with the available capacity and with the appropriate analysis of achieved ECTS credits.


Assessment and student progression

On the study programme in Operations Management, there are prescribed optional and compulsory courses as well as prerequisites that a student must meet in order to take some of these courses. A student can independently decide which subjects will be in their field of interest. There is a prescribed evaluation system that involves gathering points during the entire course / subject, and not only at the final exam. Student performance is monitored continuously during the class and it is expressed in points. After fulfilling the pre-exam requirements (mid-semester tests, tests, seminar papers, etc.) and passing exams a student can achieve a maximum of 100 points. The proportion of points earned in the pre-exam requirements and the final examination is determined for each subject. Pre-exam requirements grant a maximum of 70 points. A precise relation between won points and a final mark is defined by the Statute of the Higher Education Institution:

5 – up to 50 points
6 – from 51 to 60
7 – from 61 to 70
8 – from 71 to 80
9 – from 81 to 90
10 – from 91 to 100.

Each course grants a certain number of ECTS credits determined on the basis of the total annual number of classes, practical work, the number of seminar papers, mid-semester tests and the time necessary to prepare at home. The number of credits collected and the final mark are influenced by:

• activity on practical classes and lectures (assessment of acquired knowledge and attitudes which are necessary upon graduation for gaining and, later on, keeping global competitiveness in acquiring and applying knowledge); knowledge evaluation is based on their participation in discussions at lectures and practical classes, class attendance and the completion of practical tasks;

• results from mid-semester tests (assessment of the relative progress achieved and the current level of knowledge in the acquiring necessary new knowledge, attitudes and skills; students are not expected to reproduce facts, but they should create new knowledge and have attitudes about certain problems);

• writing a seminar paper or project (assessment of the relative progress achieved and the current level of knowledge in the acquiring necessary new knowledge, attitudes and skills based on the presentation and defence of the paper or project; assessment of the ability to recognize a problem and propose a way of solving it).

Control

Quality Control of the study programme in Operations Management is carried out by the regular control of: implementation of the Course Plans, teachers’ performance, quality of assessment and textbooks, according to adopted standards, procedures and practices.
Adopted procedures and practices ensure the continuity of the quality control of the study programmes. The Commission for quality assurance and self-evaluation conducts self-assessment procedure at least once in every three years.
Students play an active role in improving the quality as their views and opinions are gathered through surveys and they also participate in the work of the Faculty.
Continuous modernization of the study programme is based on the results of quality control, feedback and comparison with relevant foreign study programmes of higher education institutions.