Service organizations are complex and diverse, and they continue to grow in prominence. They account for 63% of the global economy, 80% of the U.S. GDP, and 86% of the jobs taken by last year's graduating class of Harvard Business School MBAs.

A general management course, MSO resides at the intersection of strategy, marketing, and operations. It draws upon cutting-edge research and field examples from a broad array of industries, including financial services, government, healthcare, hospitality, professional services, restaurants, retail, and transportation. The course is useful for students planning to work in, advise, or invest in service organizations.

This is the half-course version of the Managing Service Operations course. It discusses the same general topics, but in less detail than the full course. This Q2 course may be of particular interest to students who are considering combinations of 1.5 credit courses in their fall term, and who may therefore not have the flexibility to take the full MSO course.

Copyright © 2023 President & Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved.