WHAT IS OPERATIONS RESEARCH?
Operations research (OR) is the discipline of applying advanced analytical methods—such as optimization, statistics, machine learning, and probability—to make better decisions that impact society and the world positively.
MIT’s Operations Research Center (ORC) is the world’s premier graduate program in operations research (OR).
Since our founding more than 60 years ago, we have received numerous distinguished awards and fellowships for our academic achievements. We have written the definitive textbooks in OR and analytics. We have presided over the professional organizations in the field. But most importantly, we have made significant contributions to our global society in the areas of health care, transportation, manufacturing, and services, among many others—and we will continue to do so for years to come.
It’s no wonder, then, that our prestigious program attracts the best students and faculty, who share their passion for discovery in our challenging yet uniquely supportive environment.
The MIT ORC provides an innovative, interdisciplinary education with a focus on collaborative investigation—in fact, here, research starts on day one. We aim to connect data to decisions in order to solve problems effectively and impact the world positively.
We offer the following programs:
- doctoral degree (PhD) in operations research
- master’s degree (SM) in operations research
- master’s degree (MBAn) in business analytics