General admission requirements and the process for applying are presented in the Graduate Information and Regulations section of this catalog. Under the thesis option, up to six credit hours of thesis may be granted in place of electives toward the required 33 hours and an oral defense is required. The nonthesis option requires a comprehensive examination. Courses taken to satisfy admission prerequisites cannot be counted toward the degree requirements. The program's curriculum is designed to provide breadth with some flexibility to accommodate the diversity of backgrounds typically found in an operations research program.
Greater flexibility is provided for the elective courses beyond the core.
A student has the choice of developing greater depth in one area of specialization, aiming at eventual research in that area, or continuing to develop breadth across more than one area. By choosing courses in a related field of application, students can prepare for careers in specialty areas such as management science, actuarial science or economic modeling in addition to conventional areas of operations research. Each student will complete a program plan that satisfies the requirements listed below, subject to approval of the advisor and program chair. Substitutions are sometimes permitted. Three courses in areas of interest to the student as approved in the student's program plan.