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Operations Research

Operations Research

Program Description

Operations Research is the discipline of applying advanced analytical methods to help make better decisions. It provides rational bases for decision making by seeking to understand and structure complex problems and to use this understanding to predict system behavior and improve system performance. Much of this work is done using analytical and numerical techniques to develop and manipulate mathematical and computer models of organizational and operational systems composed of people, equipment, and procedures. 

Operations Research draws upon ideas from engineering, management, mathematics, and psychology to contribute to a wide variety of application domains; the field is closely related to several other fields in the “decision sciences” — applied mathematics, decision analysis, computer science, economics, industrial engineering, and systems engineering. Operations research is distinguished by its broad applicability and by the wide variety of career opportunities and work styles it embraces. Within the field, some OR professionals remain generalists while others specialize in particular tools or problem domains.

Admissions Requirements

Degree Required: Baccalaureate degree in operations research, mathematics (not math education), engineering, physics, computer science, or quantitative economics, or other quantitative discipline, provided in each case that curriculum includes sufficient mathematics as noted below.

Mathematics Required: Calculus I & II (differential and integral calculus) and an an undergraduate course in probability. Strongly preferable but not required are also an advanced calculus course (e.g., multivariable calculus) and coursework in statistics.

Test Required: GRE - 152V/156Q (within the last five years)

GPA Required: Overall - 3.0; Math - 3.0

Waivers to the above criteria may be granted on a case by case basis. Therefore, individuals whose academic credentials fall below any of the above criteria are encouraged to apply.

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Outcomes & Objectives

Program Education Objectives (PEOs)

  • Breadth. Apply foundational operations research analysis techniques to efficiently and effectively advance Air Force, DoD, and other government inter-agency organizations, as well as other employer capabilities
  • Depth. Are well educated, highly-valued, and successful operations research analysts
  • Professionalism. Professionally communicate technical analytical assessments, solutions, and results
  • Lifelong Learning. Continue to pursue lifelong multidisciplinary learning

Program Outcomes (POs)

  • Operations research specific knowledge. Students leverage probabilistic modeling, applied statistics, mathematical programming, simulation, and decision analysis to directly support decision- and policy-making activities.

  • Critical thinking and problem solving skills. Students conduct rigorous analytic research of an ill-structured problem to include defining the problem; selecting and applying an appropriate modeling methodology; developing and applying a solution approach; and deriving defensible insights and recommendations.

  • Communication Skills. Students communicate effectively via oral and written presentations the analysis of complex problems to a decision-making audience.

Program Chair

Dr. Brian J. Lunday

Degree Information

Degree Type: Master's


Delivery Method: In-Residence


Degree Requirements

  • Core Coursework (28 hours)
  • Mathematics (8 hours)
  • Electives (As needed for research)
  • Thesis (12 hours)

Graduate School Catalog

Faculty Research Areas

  • APPLICATIONS OF ACTIVE AND PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING
  • APPLIED STATISTICS
  • ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS
  • CHANGE-POINT MODELS
  • COMPUTATIONAL MATHEMATICS AND OPTIMIZATION
  • DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF EXPERIMENTS
  • FORECASTING
  • FUZZY LOGIC
  • INNOVATION
  • INTEGER PROGRAMMING
  • MATHEMATICAL PROGRAMMING
  • NEURAL NETWORKS
  • OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
  • PROJECT MANAGEMENT
  • QUALITATIVE METHODS
  • RELIABILITY
  • RESEARCH METHODS
  • ROBUST DESIGN
  • ROC CURVE THEORY AND EXTENSIONS
  • SCHEDULING
  • SIMULATION
  • SIMULATION MODELING AND ANALYSIS
  • SIX SIGMA METHODS
  • STATISTICAL DATA ANALYSIS
  • STOCHASTIC PROCESSES
  • SURVIVAL/RELIABILITY ANALYSIS
  • ADAPTIVE ALGORITHMS
  • APPLIED MATHEMATICS
  • ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
  • ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING
  • AUTONOMOUS AGENTS
  • BEHAVIORAL MODELING
  • BUSINESS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT
  • COMBAT MODELS
  • COMPLEX OPTIMIZATION
  • COMPLEX SYSTEMS
  • COMPRESSED SENSING
  • COVERING ARRAYS
  • CYBER OPERATIONS
  • CYBER WARFARE
  • DECISION ANALYSIS
  • DECISION SUPPORT
  • DELPHI METHODS
  • DESIGN OPTIMIZATION
  • DEVELOPMENT OF WEATHER SIGNAL PROCESSING ALGORITHMS
  • DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING
  • DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING
  • ECONOMICS
  • EMPIRICAL MODELING & ANALYSIS
  • EVOLUTIONARY ALGORITHMS
  • EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
  • FACILITY LOCATION
  • FLIGHT TEST
  • FORMAL METHODS
  • FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS
  • GAME THEORY
  • GRAPH THEORY
  • HEURISTIC METHODS FOR OPTIMIZATION
  • HEURISTICS
  • HEURISTICS AND SIMULATION
  • HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGING
  • IMAGE PROCESSING
  • IMAGING
  • INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
  • INFORMATION FUSION
  • INFORMATION OPERATIONS
  • INTRUSION AND ANOMALY DETECTION
  • INVENTORY
  • IRREGULAR WARFARE
  • LARGE-SCALE OPTIMIZATION
  • LINEAR PROGRAMMING, NONLINEAR PROGRAMMING, NETWORK INTERDICTION MODELS
  • LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS
  • LOGISTICS PLANNING
  • MACHINE INTELLIGENCE
  • MATHEMATICAL PROGRAMMING AND OPTIMIZATION
  • METAHEURISTICS
  • METAREASONING
  • MOBILE AGENTS
  • MOBILITY MODELING
  • MULTI-AGENT SYSTEMS
  • MULTICRITERIA ANALYSIS
  • MULTIDISCIPLARY DESIGN OPTIMIZATION, AIRCRAFT DESIGN, FLIGHT TEST ENGINEERING
  • MULTIVARIATE STATISTICS
  • NETWORK CENTRIC WARFARE
  • NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
  • OPTIMIZATION
  • ORTHOGONAL ARRAYS
  • PACKING ARRAYS
  • PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
  • PATTERN RECOGNITION
  • QUEUING NETWORKS
  • QUEUING SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
  • REENGINEERING
  • RELIABILITY MODELING AND ANALYSIS
  • RESEARCH DESIGN
  • RESPONSE SURFACE METHODS
  • REVERSE LOGISTICS
  • RISK AND DECISION ANALYSIS
  • SIGNAL PROCESSING
  • SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS
  • STOCHASTIC MODELING
  • STOCHASTIC MODELING AND ANALYSIS
  • STOCHASTIC SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
  • SUPPLY CHAIN INTEGRATION
  • SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
  • SYSTEMS DYNAMICS MODELING
  • THEORY OF CONSTRAINTS
  • WAVELET ANALYSIS
  • QUANTITATIVE METHODS
  • DESIGN OF EXPERIMENTS
  • REGRESSION
  • TEST AND EVALUATION
  • INTEGRATED AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS
  • NETWORKS
  • NUMERICAL SIMULATION
  • HYPERSONICS
  • AIRCRAFT SURVIVABILITY
  • FINANCIAL MODELING
  • PROBABILITY THEORY
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Air Force Institute of Technology
2950 Hobson Way
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH 45433-7765
Commercial: 937-255-6565 | DSN: 785-6565