The advance in communication technology and transportation has gradually broken regional borders. Global manufacturing refers to the distribution of up-stream and down-stream production activities (ranging from material souring, product development, production assembly and product distribution) in different regions with different comparative advantages through co-ordination and strategic alliances within and amongst enterprises. In other words, companies are now establishing their production bases wherever human resources, technology or markets are available so as to make the best use of resources of a local area. This mode of production method of global co-ordination and integration not only increases market signals. To this end, an integrated approach to manage the logistics planning and operations on a global basis is crucial.

The programme of study is designed for full-time and part-time students to complete within 1 and 2 academic years respectively (i.e. 2 semesters and 4 semesters). Courses in the programme will be offered on weekday evenings and weekends (Saturday/Sunday). The maximum period of registration for full-time and part-time students is four years from the date of registration. Application for extension will only be approved under exceptional circumstances..

To meet the challenge of world-wide manufacturing competition, it is important that our students should understand what information technologies can contribute in the effective utilitsation of resources and in the creation of systems that produce these products and services.

In the MSc award, subjects are arranged as compulsory and elective.

The Postgraduate Programme in Engineering requires that the student studying for an MSc award has to take FIVE compulsory subjects for the award and TWO elective subjects plus a dissertation, or FOUR elective subjects plus a field trip study (ISE550). For the award of Postgraduate Diploma, the student has to take FOUR compulsory subjects plus TWO elective subjects.

The compulsory subjects are:
1. Warehousing and Material Handling Systems (ISE512)
2. Global Operations and Logistics Management (ISE525)
3. Enterprise Resources Planning (ISE526)
4. Logistics Information Systems (ISE527)
5. Supply Chain Management Enabling Technologies (ISE544)

There are a wide variety of elective subjects to choose from, including Port Policy and Management, Optimization Modeling and Applications, Simulation of Industrial Systems, Process and Performance Management, Risk and Crisis Management, and Workflow Design and Management.