Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Graduate School New Brunswick
 
About The University
Graduate Study at the University
Other Graduate Study at the University
Degree Programs Available
Admission
Tuition and Fees
Financial Aid
Student Services
Academic Policies and Procedures
Degree Requirements
Programs, Faculty, and Courses
Course Information
African Studies 016
Agricultural Engineering
Alcohol Studies 047
Animal Sciences 067
Anthropology 070
Art History 082
Arts, Visual and Theater
Asian Studies 098
Atmospheric Science 107
Biochemistry 115
BioMaPS 118 (Programs in Quantitative Biology)
Biomedical Engineering 125
Bioresource Engineering 127
Biotechnology 126
Cell and Developmental Biology 148
Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology
Ceramic and Materials Science and Engineering 150
Chemical and Biochemical Engineering 155
Chemistry 160
Civil and Environmental Engineering 180
Classics 190
Cognitive Science 185
Communication, Information and Library Studies 194
Communication Studies
Comparative Literature 195
Computer Science 198
Curatorial Studies
Ecology and Evolution 215
Economics 220
Education 300
Educational Psychology; Educational Theory, Policy, and Administration; Learning and Teaching
Electrical and Computer Engineering 332
Engineering Geophysics
English, Literature In (English 350, Composition Studies 352)
English as a Second Language 356
Entomology 370
Environmental Change, Human Dimensions Of 378
Environmental Sciences 375
Food and Business Economics 395
Food Science 400
French 420
Geography 450
Geological Sciences 460
Geospatial Information Science 455
German 470
History 510
Human Resource Management
Industrial and Systems Engineering 540
Industrial Relations and Human Resources 545
Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program 554
Italian 560
Labor and Employment Relations
Library Studies
Linguistics 615
Literature and Language 617
Literatures in English
Mathematics 640, 642
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 650
Mechanics 654
Medicinal Chemistry 663
Medieval Studies 667
Meteorology
Microbiology and Molecular Genetics 681
Molecular and Cell Biology 695
Molecular Biophysics 696
Molecular Biosciences
Music 700
Music
Neuroscience 710
Nutritional Sciences 709
Oceanography 712
Operations Research 711
Programs
Graduate Courses
Packaging Science and Engineering
Pharmaceutical Science 720
Pharmacology, Cellular and Molecular 718
Pharmacy
Philosophy 730
Physics and Astronomy 750
Physiology and Integrative Biology 761
Planning and Public Policy 970
Plant Biology 765
Plant Pathology
Plant Science and Technology
Political Science 790
Psychology 830
Psychology, Applied and Professional
Public Health 832
Public Policy
Quaternary Studies 841
Russian, Central and East European Studies 859
Social Work 910
Social Work: Administration, Policy and Planning, and Direct Practice
Sociology 920
Spanish 940
Statistics and Biostatistics 960
Theater Arts
Toxicology 963
Urban Planning, City and Regional
Visual Arts
Wireless Communications Certificate
Women's and Gender Studies 988
Research Centers, Bureaus and Institutes
Administration
Governance of the University
Divisions of the University
Camden Newark New Brunswick/Piscataway
Catalogs
  Graduate School-New Brunswick 2005-2007 Programs, Faculty, and Courses Operations Research 711 Programs  

Programs

Operations research is by nature an interdisciplinary field. It has its origins in World War II when scientists, engineers, and mathematicians were asked to develop ways to make the most effective use of limited military resources. Since then, operations research has had a major impact on improving the efficiency of business and government. The discipline has been widely applied to help decision makers allocate scarce resources and to solve problems involving design, allocation, planning, and logistics.

The faculty represented in the program work on a variety of research problems, from the theoretical to the applied. Recent faculty research interests include combinatorial optimization, linear and nonlinear programming, network optimization and synthesis, Boolean functions, integer programming, dynamic programming, graph theory, matroid theory, and artificial intelligence and expert systems. Other faculty members are studying mathematical models of social and policy problems, measurement theory, utility and decision making, social choice, game theory, computational complexity, queuing theory, stochastic processes and stochastic optimization, competitive bidding, statistical decision theory, design and analysis of surveys, random algorithms, economics of uncertainty, natural resources, numerical analysis, simulation, reliability theory, production analysis, inventory theory, scheduling, performance analysis, system theory, dynamic systems, and optimal-control problems.

The Ph.D. program in operations research emphasizes both the theory and the practice of operations research. Doctoral students are exposed to theoretical and computational aspects of operations research and to its applications. They also are expected to specialize by taking a series of courses chosen to complement their individual strengths and interests. Students are encouraged to get involved in the research activities of the Rutgers' Center for Operations Research (RUTCOR).

Specific features of the Ph.D. program in operations research include a strong research orientation and emphasis on the interdisciplinary nature of operations research. Many students are authors or coauthors of research reports presented at major conferences and published in internationally circulated journals. The program has a curriculum and faculty drawn from several disciplines. Students are encouraged to take courses from other departments in the mathematical sciences, engineering, business, and other subjects. The program is strong, particularly in optimization theory, discrete and stochastic operations research, and logical analysis of data. Additional applications to science, engineering, and finance are being developed.

Students pursuing studies leading to the M.S. degree in operations research prepare for positions in industry and government that apply methods of operations research to practical problems. Students in the M.S. program are encouraged to take as many practically oriented interdisciplinary operations research courses as possible and to participate in various operations research programs at RUTCOR that are aimed at industrial and government applications.

The major requirements for the Ph.D. involve course work (48 credits), research work (24 credits), a Ph.D. qualifying exam-ination, and a dissertation. There also is a seminar requirement.

The major requirements for the M.S. involve course work (30 credits), an essay, and a final examination. The essay can be expository, or it may involve the development of new theoretical results, software, computer implementation of algorithms, modeling, or a related topic. There also is a seminar requirement.

A wide variety of courses related to operations research are given by the programs participating in RUTCOR and other departments at the university. In addition, students in the Ph.D. and M.S. programs may sign up for independent study courses for credit toward the 48-credit or 30-credit requirements. All students are expected to participate extensively in RUTCOR's seminars and colloquia.

Admission to the M.S. and Ph.D. programs is awarded selectively by the admissions committee. Applicants to the M.S. program should have an undergraduate degree in a field related to operations research. Applicants to the Ph.D. program should have either a bachelor's or a master's degree in one of these fields. Both programs, which are intended to be small, are aimed at a high-quality group of students. Applications should include transcripts, three letters of recommendation, and scores from the Graduate Record Examination. A subject test in a field related to operations research is recommended but not necessary. Foreign students should supply a score on the TOEFL. The official deadline for application is May 1, although this deadline is waived whenever possible for qualified students.

Students entering the programs in operations research are expected to have knowledge of undergraduate probability, statistics, advanced calculus, linear algebra, and introductory computer science.

Financial support for graduate study in operations research at Rutgers is coordinated through RUTCOR. Students are supported through teaching, graduate and research assistantships in the participating departments of RUTCOR or in RUTCOR itself, research on faculty members' research projects, fellowships, and adjunct teaching jobs. Applications for financial support should be included with the application for admission. They are due by March 1 for the following academic year (beginning in September). Late applications for financial support are accepted as long as support is available.


 
For additional information, contact RU-info at 732/932-info (4636) or colonel.henry@rutgers.edu.
Comments and corrections to: Campus Information Services.

© 2005 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. All rights reserved.