History

The Operations Research Center at MIT was established in 1953 by renowned physicist Philip M. Morse, a pioneer in the field of operations research (OR) and the first president of the Operations Research Society of America (ORSA).  

Under his esteemed leadership, we introduced a rigorous OR curriculum—the first program of its kind in the U.S.—that challenged students to apply scientific methods to decision-making and taught them how to use those techniques in such fields as education, industry, and public service.

Today, we continue this tradition of academic excellence, and we are widely recognized as one of the largest and most successful OR programs in the world.

In fact, our enrollment has increased from a handful in the 1950s to nearly 100 exceptional students—and our nearly 60 distinguished faculty members represent a diverse array of academic specialties. We now offer three first-rate graduate programs: a doctoral degree (PhD) in operations research, a master’s degree (SM) in operations research, and a master’s degree (MBAn) in business analytics. And we are proud to provide our students and faculty with a state-of-the-art facility, where they collaborate on award-winning research.

While much has changed since 1953, one thing has not: We value thinking that is both creative and innovative—and that has a real and lasting impact worldwide.