Students majoring in operations research select one minor subject for the M.S. degree and two for the Ph.D. degree, one of which must be outside the field. A minor may be in operations research or in a subject offered in another field, such as computer science, econometrics and economic statistics, environmental systems engineering, managerial economics, mathematics, or planning theory and systems analysis. In addition to the examinations required by the Graduate School, the field requires a qualifying examination for Ph.D. degree candidates, normally taken in the third term of graduate study at Cornell. 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. Manufacturing systems engineering is concerned with the analysis and design of complex manufacturing and distribution systems.
Students use modern analytic and computer techniques in the design and analysis of such systems.
Students are expected to understand the manufacturing processes associated with some type of industry. Research, which may involve development of new mathematical methodology, is often conducted directly with a cooperating company, for example, in automotive or semiconductor manufacturing. The objectives of this program are to give students greater breadth and depth of technical knowledge and to provide an environment in which they can synthesize the material studied in the course work. The emphasis is on mathematical modeling and on the application of quantitative techniques associated with optimization, probability, and statistics to the design and operation of systems. The projects usually are provided and sponsored by industrial or government organizations.