
Semester in Strategic Operations
Semester in Strategic Operations (SSO)
Get the in-depth knowledge, skills, and experience you need to succeed by spending a semester working at the heart—and with the hands—of a business.
Overview
Students in the SSO immersion will learn the fundamentals of business operations, from the shop floor and beyond. Alongside peers from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) and the College of Engineering, students get a thorough grounding in all facets of operations, as well as current and core operations issues.
Career Paths
- General management
- Consulting
- Operations – including supply-chain management, strategic planning, and production management
A Sample of Companies Recruiting Here
Recent SSO students secured MBA internships and full-time employment at prestigious companies such as:
- McKinsey & Company
- Ernst & Young
- Johnson & Johnson
- Corning
- BCG
- General Electric
- General Mills
- American Express
- Intel
- PricewaterhouseCoopers
And more.
Highlights
The semester in strategic operations is Johnson’s original immersion. It is a comprehensive plunge into the heart of operations that has provided students with a unique, intense learning experience for nearly a quarter century.
Curriculum Details
Students enrolled in the Semester in Strategic Operations immersion focus on how operations strategies are developed and aligned with business strategies. SSO’s dynamic curriculum includes:
- Core classes focusing on supply-chain management, retail operations, advanced data analytics, statistical programming, probability, and visualization tools
- Site visits, which typically consist of visiting 15 sites over the course of 11 days to see firsthand how corporations align operations to overall business strategy
- Continuous-improvement project, which is a week-long capstone event at a major corporation
Key Skills Developed
The semester in strategic operations immersion cultivates and strengthens your skillsets with a special focus on:
- Learning the fundamentals of operations execution
- Understanding operations from the shop-floor perspective
- Simulation data analytics
- Value-stream mapping
- Understanding human capital
Clubs & Associations
Take advantage of clubs, associations, and networking opportunities related to the semester in strategic operations immersion, such as:

Semester in Strategic Operations Immersion at Work

A Hands-On Approach to Cross-Functional Business
4/20/15
Laura M. Wendt ’15, Industrial and Labor Relations School




Finding Success in the Strategic Operations Immersion
1/14/13
Hilori Kaloti, MBA ‘13