Master of Applied Supply Chain Management/Master of Business Administration (MPA/MBA)

This double master's brings together supply chain management and business administration in one degree. You graduate with two qualifications: a Master of Applied Supply Chain Management and a Master of Business Administration. At Le Cordon Bleu Australia, the mix leans on the food, hospitality and service industries, where supply chains decide whether a business makes money or loses it.

What you study

Supply chain units cover procurement, logistics, inventory, demand planning, supplier relationships and operations. The MBA side adds accounting, finance, marketing, people management, strategy and leadership. Expect case work on real operational problems: a menu that depends on imported ingredients, a hotel group managing seasonal demand, a food manufacturer balancing shelf life against transport cost. Assessment is mostly assignments, group projects and exams rather than a single final test.

How the degree is structured

Australian master's degrees usually run over one to two years full time, but this double degree is longer because you complete the requirements of two awards. Study is organised into semesters or trimesters, and you enrol in units of study, each worth a set number of credit points. You need a set total of credit points to graduate from each master's. Many double master's programs include a capstone unit or applied project in the final stage, where you take a live business problem and work it through end to end. Some include a placement or industry project; where that applies, it is arranged through the school. Confirm the exact unit list, credit point totals and any placement requirement on the official course page.

Skills you build

You learn to read a supply chain and find where it breaks: forecasting demand, negotiating with suppliers, costing a distribution decision, managing risk when a shipment is late. On the business side you learn to build a budget, read a profit and loss statement, lead a team and pitch a plan to people who control the money. The two halves reinforce each other. A logistics fix only counts if you can show the CFO what it saves.

Who it suits

This suits people already working in supply chain, logistics, procurement, food service or hospitality who want to move into general management. It also suits career changers with some work experience who want a business qualification with a clear operational specialisation. If you are coming straight from a bachelor's degree with no work history, check the entry requirements carefully, as MBA components often expect professional experience. International applicants need to meet the English requirement published for the course, and the Student visa has its own separate English threshold set by the Department of Home Affairs. While studying, a student visa generally allows work of up to 48 hours per fortnight. After graduating, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream lets eligible graduates stay and work in Australia. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 113972H.

• Supply chain manager
• Logistics and distribution manager
• Procurement or purchasing manager
• Operations manager
• Demand or inventory planner
• General manager in food service, hospitality or retail
• Business development or category manager
• Consultant in supply chain and operations

Employers include food and beverage manufacturers, hotel and restaurant groups, grocery and retail chains, freight forwarders, third-party logistics providers, agribusiness exporters, healthcare suppliers and management consultancies. Australia's food, hospitality and export sectors rely heavily on well-run supply chains, which is where this combination of qualifications tends to be most useful.