Best Accredited Universities for Doctoral Phd program in Operations Research

The Operations Research and Financial Engineering (ORFE) program places a strong emphasis on mathematical and computational tools. Students in ORFE develop a unique set of skills that build upon a solid foundation in probability, statistics, and optimization. The department ordinarily offers two degree programs: The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Operations Research and Financial Engineering and a Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.).

Applied probability and statistics stresses the techniques and associated underlying theory of probability and statistics, particularly as applied to problems in science, finance, and engineering. The techniques emphasized are those associated with applied stochastic processes (for example, mathematical finance, queuing theory, traffic theory, and inventory theory) and statistics (including statistical decision theory, reliability theory, analysis of life data, and the statistical aspects of the design, analysis, and interpretation of experiments and of ranking and selection theory). Manufacturing systems engineering is concerned with the analysis and design of complex manufacturing and distribution systems. Problems studied include the establishment of inventory-control policies in multistage production and distribution systems design of manufacturing plants with optimal amounts of equipment and optimal materials-handling systems planning and scheduling of production in large-scale, multi-item, multi-location systems and economic analysis of engineering processes.

The structure of the Ph.D. program permits great flexibility, allowing custom-tailored courses of study emphasizing all areas of specialization within the department. In addition to our own faculty, students typically draw on the distinguished faculty and outstanding resources available throughout the University, most notably in economics, mathematics, industrial and systems engineering, computer science, and the Information Sciences Institute.

The Tepper School doctoral program in operations research (OR) is designed to encourage students to make contributions toward basic scientific knowledge in the area. Careful attention is also paid to obtaining knowledge of the substantive areas to which operations research can be applied, such as production, finance, marketing or economics. The basic operations research courses offered include: linear, n ar, integer and dynamic programming network and graph theory optimal control convex analysis and stochastic models.

Our students are highly sought after and tend to be split evenly between those seeking university positions and those pursuing employment in non-academic settings. Graduates of our Ph.D. programs take academic positions at top engineering and business schools where they continue to build impactful research and teaching careers, and also sometimes choose to work in smaller departments, including those focused on computing and math, with a teaching-focused mission. You can find our Ph.D. graduates at virtually every industrial engineering or operations program in the U.S. and many others around the world. Our students also choose to work at some of the best and most progressive companies that deploy industrial engineering, statistics, analytics, or operations research methodologies in their organization.

The intrinsic complexity of supply chain organizations and the coordination of operational and financial decisions throughout the supply chain are at the heart of the PhD in operations research. Weatherhead’s Operations Department has a rich history as a center of education and scholarship—it was here that the world’s first doctorate in operations research was granted. Candidates learn a unique combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer-modeling to assist in decision making for complex organizational problems.

Note: PhD students are listed in bold type.

Systems Modeling and Analysis, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). Mathematical Sciences, Master of Science (M.S.) with a concentration in operations research. Mathematical Sciences, Master of Science (M.S.) with a concentration in statistics.

Careers in operations research can be found in every part of an organization. Operations research experts help managers make important decisions on issues such as allocating resources, developing production schedules, managing chains, and setting prices. With the help of computer software, databases, statistical programs, and modeling packages, operations research analysts work daily to study and solve the challenges associated with integrated corporate operations. Florida Tech offers a doctoral program for individuals to develop advanced subject matter expertise and earn a PhD in operations research.

Operations Research is offered by the Management Science and Information Systems (MSIS). It is the continuation of the previous concentration in Management Science and the program of Operations Research offered by the Rutgers Center for Operations Research (RUTCOR). Primary areas of interest are applied statistics, optimization, business analytics, operations management, inventory theory, scheduling, manufacturing under uncertainty, queuing theory, and risk theory. The MSIS department includes a number of world-renowned scholars.