Students join the Smith School with a variety of technical skills, educational, and professional backgrounds. Incoming students do not need to be proficient with all of the tools listed prior to the start of classes, however, having some prior experience could help them learn more effectively. The resources below have been compiled to assist incoming students with preparing for their fall coursework during the summer months.
UMD students have unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning, an online library of instructional videos covering the latest software, creative, and business skills.
Required Summer Reading
MS in Supply Chain Management students will participate in a required Case Competition as part of New Student Orientation.
Students are required to read the following case and article no later than August 20, 2023:
- COVID-19 and Adaptation at Orbis Technologies, by Professor David Waguespack for the Center for Global Business
- Extract from Chapter 3 of Understanding, by Micheal Porter
Strongly Recommended Summer Assignments
First semester courses, especially BULM 710: Data Driven Decision Making I, will focus on analytical principles that can guide complex decision-making. A strong understanding of statistics will be critical to successfully completing the semester. To prepare for coursework, it is strongly recommended that students complete the following no later than August 20, 2023:
- LinkedIn Learning: Statistics Foundations 1: The Basics
- LinkedIn Learning: Statistics Foundations 2: Probability
Study Time Required: It is estimated that it will take 3 hours to complete these assignments. Please assume this as a minimum to be safe and plan accordingly.
Optional Summer Work and Reading
- Business Writing and Communications
- LinkedIn Learning: Communication within Teams
- LinkedIn Learning: Communication Foundations
- LinkedIn Learning: Tips for Better Business Writing
- LinkedIn Learning: Own Your Voice: Improve Presentations and Executive Presence
- A Plain English Handbook: How to Create Clear SEC Disclosure Documents
- Excel (for students with no Excel experience)
- SAS
- LinkedIn Learning: SAS® 9.4 Certification Preparation
- The Little SAS Book: A Primer
- SAS How-To Tutorials
- UCLA SAS Learning Modules
- R
- LinkedIn Learning: Master R for Data Science
- The Book of R: A First Course in Programming and Statistics
- UCLA R Learning Modules
- Introduction to R Notes
- Tutorials Point R Tutorial
- Tableau
- SQL
- Python
The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business recently published its Summer Reading List 2023, as recommended by faculty.