
Supply Chain Management
Efficiency • Profitability • Sustainability
CONTACT US
Certificate Description
"In the Supply Chain Management certificate program, you will be laser-focused on the tools and solutions—from the operational level to the execution level—that our instructors have encountered in their decades of work experience."
— Caleb J. Zhang, Chair/Instructor, Supply Chain Management Certificate Program
Leadership in strategic, sustainable procurement
The supply chain network was changed significantly by the pandemic, which highlighted security and public safety issues, bottlenecks, and numerous cybersecurity flaws. Organizations are strapped to get the resources they need to meet these challenges and they are demanding more. The new supply chain network reality requires a paradigm shift and the embrace of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence.
In the UCSC Silicon Valley Extension Supply Chain Management program, you learn a wide spectrum of business skills—from procuring finished goods and raw materials to equipment and services. Our students explore emerging strategies and advanced technologies at play in every organization’s bottom line.
By learning best practices in proactive collaboration and negotiation, using data analytics to support your decisions, and practicing continuous process improvement for a path of profitability, you will help your organization accomplish its key missions and objectives.
Certificate program learning outcomes
1. The Supply Chain Management Role
Acquire understanding of supply chain management role in an organization through strategic master planning of resources in a supply chain.
2. Concepts of Sustainable Supply Chain Strategies & Data Analytics
Apply data-driven principles and concepts of sustainable supply chain strategies.
3. Problem Solving and Communication Skills
Identify the principles of customer and supplier relationship management in supply chains by applying key skills—problem-solving abilities, critical thinking, effective written and oral communication—to business situations, and learning to observe changes that could impact an organization’s bottom line.
4. Optimizing Supply Chain Operations
Apply logistics and purchasing concepts to improve supply chain operations through principles of quality and Lean management concepts to all functions throughout the supply chain network. Incorporate complexities of international shipping terms, including transportation law and deregulation.
How Does Cybersecurity Affect the Supply Chain?
The supply chain industry has been turned upside down. It's facing constant threat of cyberattacks. How do we rebuild a more stable supply chain? Hear industry expert Maitjian Welke discuss her new course: Safeguarding the Supply Chain: Best Practices in Cybersecurity. [Sept. 8. 2021]
Program Overview
Estimated Cost: Starting at $5,550 (You pay only for courses you enroll in.) | International Tuition Cost
Program Requirements: 8 courses (16 quarter units). Take 6 core courses (13.5 quarter units) and 2 elective credit courses (2.5 quarter units).
Minimum Hours of Instruction: 160 hours of instruction.
Estimated Duration: A full-time student can complete the certificate in 9–12 months.
Courses
1. Required Course(s):
2. Electives:
3. Completion Review:
Certificate Inquiry Form
Recommended Course Sequence
Please follow this sequence.
Begin with Evolving Role of Supply Chain Management. After that, courses may be taken in any order provided the prerequisites are met.
Substitutions
To receive your certificate
Upon completion of the course sequence you may request your Supply Chain Management Certificate Completion Review.
Professional Development
Courses in the Supply Chain Management program qualify for certification and recertification hours for the following programs:
Institute for Supply Management
- Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM)
- Certified Professional in Supplier Diversity (CPSD)
Universal Public Procurement Certification Council
- Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO)
- Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB)
Requisite Knowledge
Please review course descriptions to ensure that you have taken necessary prerequisites or meet the requirements through job experience or previous education.
Advisory Board

Certificate Program Chair
CALEB J. ZHANG, MBA, MS, a partner at Alliance Solutions LLC., has nearly 25 years of corporate experience in procurement, supply chain management, JIT, VOMI, product development, inventory and cost reduction, engineering, manufacturing, marketing, quality assurance, business development, and operation management. Previous leadership positions include experience as general manager for Forture US. E-Pro Precision Semiconductor Ltd., and Lam Research Semiconductor (Silfex) Ltd., and as a vice president at Oriol Inc. Several times he’s returned to the classroom as a teacher at UCSC Silicon Valley Extension, University of Phoenix, and Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University. He is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Certified ISO:14001-2004 Internal Auditor, and Quality Management System Lead Auditor (T Ü V Rheinland). He has served as chair of the Supply Chain Management Program since 2021.
Certificate Program Advisory Committee
RICK CLINE
Professional Services Contracts Manager, Port of Vancouver
G. BURT LANCASTER
President/Owner, Lancaster Resolve Technology
MARK MASTANDREA, MBA, MS
Director of Sales Operations and Remarketing, Lucid Motors
Instructor, Supply Chain Management Program
UCSC Silicon Valley Extension
DARIN MATTHEWS, CPPO, CPSM
Chief Procurement Officer, California Polytechnic State University
Instructor/Program Founder, Supply Chain Management Program
UCSC Silicon Valley Extension
SAM MELWANI, CSM, BA
Global Strategic Sourcing Manager, Nutanix
UCSC Extension Certificates: Project and Program Management, UNIX Systems Administration and Programming
NATHAN MOSLEY, CPPB
Senior Procurement Specialist III, Port of Portland
Instructor, Supply Chain Management Program
UCSC Silicon Valley Extension
CALEB J. ZHANG, MBA, MS
Partner, Alliance Solutions LLC.
Chair/Instructor, Supply Chain Management Program
UCSC Silicon Valley Extension
Establish Candidacy
Establish candidacy in a certificate or specialization
Once you create your student account, you can establish candidacy in a certificate or specialization program any time during your studies.
The benefits of enrolling early
- Lock in your certificate requirements.This means that even if program requirements change, the requirements to complete your certificate will remain the same for you
- Receive program updates
- Set your intention
- It’s free
To complete a program, you must enroll in the certificate program before enrolling in the Certificate Completion Review.
You have five years to complete all necessary courses in a certificate program or three years to finish up a specialization program.
All the necessary units in a certificate must be completed within this window.* The clock begins on the first day of your first course in the certificate program. For example, if you started a course on Sept. 5, 2017, you would have to complete all of the required units in this certificate by Sept. 4, 2022.
Note:
Enrolling in a certificate program does not trigger the beginning of the five-year window. It begins the first day of the first course that applies to a certificate program. The Certificate Completion Review process does not have to occur within the five-year timeframe.
For more information: How do I get my certificate or specialization?
* Students participating in a special program, such as workforce, international, Personal Financial Planning, or curriculum partner programs (such as GreenFig or CLS by Barbri) may have a shorter completion requirement.
Grade Requirements
Please note that only letter grades of C or higher may be applied to a certificate, and in some programs, students may have more stringent requirements. Students in most employer- and government-sponsored payment programs, such as workforce development, as well as international students on F-1 visas, need to maintain a B average to meet their requirements. Personal Financial Planning students have additional grade requirements for individual courses to attain a certificate.
See Grading and Credits Policy for further information.