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Published : 06 May 2026, 12:39 AM
Independent University, Bangladesh has introduced a BBA in Supply Chain Management under its School of Business and Entrepreneurship (SBE) in the wake of a growing global demand for specialised skills in the sector.
The programme, offered through the Department of General Management, comes amid recent global supply chain disruptions that have affected industries worldwide and underscored the need for trained professionals, the university said in a statement.
It is designed to provide students with structured exposure to global supply chain strategies, sourcing and procurement, logistics, inventory management, risk analysis, technology, sustainability and supplier relations, enabling them to identify weaknesses and improve organisational performance.
Prof Md Mamun Habib, head of the department, said the initiative reflects increasing global demand for expertise in the field.
“Recent disruptions in fuel, food, resources and financial systems caused by regional conflicts and the Covid-19 pandemic have highlighted the central role of supply chains and logistics across industries. This programme is designed to prepare graduates to respond to such challenges with practical and analytical skills,” he said.
The four-year programme requires a minimum of 130 credits and includes foundation, core, major, minor and internship components.
Key courses include Demand Planning and Inventory Management, Managing Global Supply Chains, Sourcing and Procurement, Total Quality Management, and Strategic Supply Chain Management.
Electives such as Enterprise Resource Planning, Project Management and Lean Six-Sigma will also be offered.
Prof Raisul Awal Mahmood, acting dean of SBE, said the new major marks a strategic expansion of the school’s academic portfolio.
“Supply chain management is now a core function in modern business. By introducing this major at the undergraduate level, SBE is aligning its programmes with emerging industry needs while strengthening its focus on applied, industry-relevant education,” he said.
Admission will follow standard undergraduate criteria, requiring a combined GPA of 7.0 in SSC and HSC examinations, with provisions for O-Level, A-Level, International Baccalaureate and equivalent qualifications.
Applicants with strong SAT, TOEFL or IELTS scores may be exempted from the admission test.
Prof Daniel W Lund, pro-vice chancellor of IUB, said the programme reflects evolving trends in global business education.
“Leading business schools around the world are placing greater emphasis on integrated, highly practical, cross-functional knowledge rooted in cutting-edge research and global best practices. Supply Chain Management sits at the intersection of operations, logistics, data-driven decision-making, and strategy,” he said.
The programme received approval from the University Grants Commission on Apr 8, 2026, and applications will open from the Autumn 2026 semester, with the admission process beginning in the first week of July.
Vice Chancellor Prof M Tamim said the programme emphasises practical learning.
“In a world increasingly shaped by systemic shocks -- whether in energy, food or logistics -- classroom knowledge alone is not enough. Students need to understand how real systems behave under stress,” he said.
With this launch, IUB becomes one of a few universities in Bangladesh offering a specialised undergraduate major in supply chain management, the statement said.
The university has been offering a similar concentration in its MBA and EMBA programmes for the past two years.
