Operations Research Major

View course descriptions and suggested course sequence.

Operations Research (OR) is the application of quantitative techniques to managerial decision making. To gain an appreciation for the field, it is necessary to look at the origins of Operations Research.

OR, as a discipline, arose from the need to determine optimal resource allocation and assist decision makers during the Second World War. Groups of mathematicians, physical scientists and economists were assembled during the war to perform studies that would provide quantitative input for commanders. The results of their efforts were impressive and, soon thereafter, the commercial sector realized the power of these new planning techniques.

The use of mathematics to model real-world systems was nothing new; physicists and economists had been doing this for years. What defined this new field called OR was its focus on the operations of organizations. Not only were traditional mathematical modeling methods used, such as statistics and probability, but new modeling methods were created, such as mathematical programming and queuing theory.

Operations Research, therefore, entails the development of new quantitative modeling methods and the application of these and existing models to real management and economic problems. This is an exciting field and one that attracts curious problem solvers who are strong in mathematics and computer science and are eager to solve real-world problems.

The description of Operations Research provided above highlights OR's interdisciplinary nature. The Academy has captured the essence of the field by establishing a truly interdisciplinary major. The OR program is jointly administered by the Departments of Management, Mathematical Sciences, Computer Science and Economics and Geosciences. In addition to the core set of OR courses, your required major’s courses will include courses from each of the four departments.