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Education Master's and PhD degree programmes DDM Service and Supply Chain Management
Header image DDM Service and Supply Chain Management
Double Degree master - full-time

DDM Service and Supply Chain Management

Study service and supply chain management in Porto and Groningen to build a successful career in service-oriented companies.

In this Double-Degree Master’s programme, you follow MSc Management with a specialization in Service Management at the Católica Porto Business School in your first year. You will learn about the service management and strategies critical for modern business operations. You take multidisciplinary courses such as Operational Excellence, Marketing in the Digital Age, Digital Services and Technologies, Project Management, and Business Analytics.

In the second year, you will advance your expertise in MSc Supply Chain Management here at the University of Groningen where you can specialize in the supply chain discipline or broaden your knowledge of societal challenges, such as the energy transition, sustainable supply chains, and a healthy society.

You will learn to think critically and develop solutions that enhance productivity, reduce costs, and improve social and environmental outcomes in supply chains.

By the end of this double degree programme, you will graduate with two diplomas from highly ranked universities: MSc Management with a Specialization in Service Management from Católica Porto Business School (CPBS), Universidade Católica Portuguesa, and MSc Supply Chain Management from the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Groningen.
Facts & Figures
Degree
MSc in Supply Chain Management
Course type
Double Degree master
Duration
24 months (120 ECTS)
Croho code
60093
Language of instruction
English
Start
September
Faculty
Economics and Business
Apply now
Why study this programme in Groningen?
  • The programme is unique in combining the areas of Service Management and Supply Chain Management.
  • You can earn two Master's degrees from leading-edge business schools—the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Groningen and the Católica Porto Business School at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa—in just two years. You will get advanced knowledge of supply chain and service management in different business environments and cultural contexts.
  • Both Groningen and the Católica Porto Business School have been internationally accredited by the AACSB and EQUIS, ensuring a high-quality education, which only 1% of universities reach worldwide.
Programme

You will start at Católica Porto Business School. In the 1st year (60 EC) you will have courses like Operations Management, Management of Innovation in Services and Service Management.

To see an overview of the courses and specializations, please visit: Note that you will always start the programme in the 1 st year (September/October) in Porto. It is not allowed to start the MSc SCM courses in the double degree programme before following the Católica Porto Business School courses in year 1.
CoursesCourse Catalog >
Study in UC, Porto (60 EC)

You start with the mandatory course SCM Fundamentals, covering the basic knowledge and skills to analyze supply chain performance and the important role of coordination.

Each of these aspects is further advanced in the mandatory courses Supply Chain Processes, focusing on diagnosing and improving supply chain processes, and Supply Chain Coordination, providing state-of-the-art knowledge on managing complex supply chains. Research methods for SCM prepares you for a successful Master’s Thesis in SCM. Theory comes to life when you join guest speakers, work on case studies with practical data sets, and present your project results to managers.

Recent innovations towards sustainability and digital business that affect supply chain management decisions are discussed in the programme, both in mandatory and elective courses. Option group A courses enable you to specialize within the supply chain management discipline, in courses such as Sales and Operations Planning, Purchasing, Facility Design and Planning, or Sustainable Transportation and Logistics. Other electives enable the application of your supply chain management knowledge to societal challenges, in courses such as Carbon Footprint of Supply Chains, Healthcare Operations, Strategic Collaboration in Healthcare and Sustainable Energy Supply.

In Groningen, you can choose two Focus areas to specialize:
Energy Transition and Climate Change
Healthy Society

Semesters
CoursesCourse Catalog >1a1b2a2b
Facility Design and Planning (5 EC, optional)

Option group A
SCM Fundamentals (5 EC)
Service Operations (5 EC, optional)

Option group A
Supply Chain Processes (5 EC)
Electives(s) MSc SCM (10 EC)

A few examples are: ​Sustainability: Strategies, Innovation & Change; Healthcare Purchasing and Supply Chains; Data-driven Business Processes; Sustainable Energy Supply; Business Research and Consulting; Energy Transition & Innovation; Challenges in Healthcare; Innovation & Entrepreneurship; Healthcare Operations (all 5 EC). The full list of electives can be found on Ocasys.
Purchasing (5 EC, optional)

Option group A
Research Methods for SCM (5 EC)
Sustainable Transport and Logistics (5 EC, optional)

Option group A
Global Supply Chain Man & Sustainability (5 EC, optional)

Option group A
Supply Chain Analytics (5 EC, optional)

Option group A
Supply Chain Coordination (5 EC)
Master's Thesis SCM (20 EC)
Inventory Management (5 EC, optional)

Option group A
Sales and Operations Planning (5 EC, optional)

Option group A

Study abroad

  • Study abroad is required
Our double degree partner is Católica Porto Business School, Portugal.
Entry requirements

Admission requirements

Specific requirementsMore information
previous education

Students from an undergraduate programme of the University of Groningen who have direct admission to the MSc Supply Chain Management may apply for admission to this double degree programme through the procedure described below. All other students need to apply through the CPBS admissions office. Application deadlines may differ from the University of Groningen (UG) application deadlines below (see Double Degree with University of Groningen).

Students already registered in an undergraduate programme at UG that grants direct admission to the MSc Supply Chain Management should submit their applications in English via the double degree programme coordinator: dr. ir. Paul Buijs at p.buijs rug.nl (deadline 1 May). Application includes:

  • writing a motivation letter in English;
  • providing a copy of your university marks (results);
  • indicating that you have completed your undergraduate programme or providing evidence that it will be completed before the double degree programme starts;

The coordinator will inform the students before 1 June whether they will receive an offer for this programme or not. Note that several conditions need to be met before you receive a Certificate of Acceptance from Católica Porto Business School. The most important condition to be met is the possession of a Bachelor's degree or Pre-MSc certificate with an overall GPA of preferably 7 or higher. To decide on acceptance, students with a final GPA lower than 7 will be invited for a personal interview.

Since it is not allowed to start MSc SCM courses that are in the double degree programme before having followed the Porto courses, applicants who already passed MSc SCM courses that are part of the double degree will be rejected.

If you have any questions concerning admission, please contact the Admissions Office https://www.rug.nl/admissions

Application deadlines

Type of studentDeadlineStart course
Dutch students01 May 202501 September 2025
EU/EEA students01 May 202501 September 2025
non-EU/EEA students01 May 202501 September 2025

Admission requirements

Specific requirementsMore information
previous education

Students from an undergraduate programme of the University of Groningen who have direct admission to the MSc Supply Chain Management may apply for admission to this double degree programme through the procedure described below. All other students need to apply through the CPBS admissions office. Application deadlines may differ from the University of Groningen (UG) application deadlines below (see Double Degree with University of Groningen).

Students already registered in an undergraduate programme at UG that grants direct admission to the MSc Supply Chain Management should submit their applications in English via the double degree programme coordinator: dr. ir. Paul Buijs at p.buijs rug.nl (deadline 1 May). Application includes:

  • writing a motivation letter in English;
  • providing a copy of your university marks (results);
  • indicating that you have completed your undergraduate programme or providing evidence that it will be completed before the double degree programme starts;

The coordinator will inform the students before 1 June whether they will receive an offer for this programme or not. Note that several conditions need to be met before you receive a Certificate of Acceptance from Católica Porto Business School. The most important condition to be met is the possession of a Bachelor's degree or Pre-MSc certificate with an overall GPA of preferably 7 or higher. To decide on acceptance, students with a final GPA lower than 7 will be invited for a personal interview.

Since it is not allowed to start MSc SCM courses that are in the double degree programme before having followed the Porto courses, applicants who already passed MSc SCM courses that are part of the double degree will be rejected.

If you have any questions concerning admission, please contact the Admissions Office https://www.rug.nl/admissions

language test

IELTS Academic overall score 6.5 (Speaking 6, Writing 6.5); TOEFL internet-based overall score 90 (Speaking 20, Writing 24); Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency (overall score 176, Speaking 169, Writing 176).

Application deadlines

Type of studentDeadlineStart course
Dutch students01 May 202501 September 2025
EU/EEA students01 May 202501 September 2025
non-EU/EEA students01 May 202501 September 2025
Tuition fees
NationalityYearFeeProgramme form
EU/EEA2024-2025€ 2530full-time
non-EU/EEA2024-2025€ 20800full-time
EU/EEA2025-2026€ 2601full-time
non-EU/EEA2025-2026€ 21400full-time
The tuition fees above are for the one year studying in Groningen. For an estimation of the total tuition fees for the double degree, please see  DD fees .

Practical information for:

Dutch studentsInternational students
After your studies

Job prospects

After your studies, you have gained important knowledge and skills related to the field of supply chain management, as well as general professional skills like how to communicate in business, how to write management reports, how to give presentations, and how to work in teams. Our alumni are highly versatile and can work in a wide range of positions and industries, such as production, retail and e-commerce, energy, and logistics.

You might decide to work as a supply chain planner to efficiently link production and sourcing, as a logistics engineer to improve the transport, storage, and distribution processes, or as a continuous improvement specialist to ensure high-quality products and processes. Also, you can work at consulting firms and advise businesses on supply chain optimization, future technologies, and strategic planning. You may opt for an academic career, instead, and delve even deeper into the dynamics of supply chain management. Thanks to the programme’s focus on energy and a healthy society, you can kickstart your career in organizations committed to sustainable practices.

Job examples

  • Management trainee
  • Supply chain manager
  • Service manager
  • Procurement manager
  • Logistics manager
  • Continuous improvement specialist
  • Researcher
  • Business analyst
  • Strategy advisor
Research

Linking education to research and career preparation

Our research-driven education is strongly rooted in business practice and society. At the heart of our teaching approach is (interdisciplinary) research and in collaboration with external partners, students and professors conduct projects on societally relevant topics.

In collaboration with external partners, we conduct research projects on (e-commerce) logistics, healthcare and service supply chains, resilience, port logistics, transportation, energy transition, sustainable energy supply, last-mile deliveries, and sustainable logistics. Example projects can be seen at our research group Centre for Operational Excellence (COPE) . The research institute related to the MSc programme is Operations Management and Operations Research .
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Study associations

TeMa

TeMa is the study association specialised in the masters Supply Chain Management and Technology and Operations Management. TeMa organizes social, study and career activities, like monthly socials, the TeMa Conference and the Inhouse Tour.
https://www.temagroningen.nl/home
Read more
Study support

Studying means working independently and planning your studies yourself. But successful studying depends on many different factors, so it is understandable that you may need to consult an impartial expert to discuss your study progress and personal circumstances that influence your studies. The faculty's study advisors are available to help you. Obviously, everything discussed with the study advisor remains confidential.

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