FAQ
The Application
To obtain an application, go to the MIT Graduate Admissions website.
Applications should include the following:
- standard MIT application form and fee (unless the fee is waived)
- Statement of Objectives
- transcripts
- three letters of recommendation
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and/or Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) test scores (if international). TOEFL scores must be from within the past two years.
No, you cannot apply for both programs. You must chose one or the other.
You also cannot request to be considered for the SM program should you not be accepted to the PhD program.
The ORC online application usually opens in early November.
The application fee is currently $75. It must be paid by check drawn on a U.S. bank or by credit card if applying electronically.
The application fee is required by MIT and can only be waived by US citizens and US permanent residents who qualify. For detailed information on the qualifications for the fee waiver, please visit the ODGE Application Fee Waiver page.
Applications will not be reviewed until the fee has been paid or waived.
Yes, you should complete this section (to the best of your ability) with all courses taken throughout your studies that are relevant to the OR application.
You should indicate "Operations Research Center" as the designated department.
You will receive an acknowledgement email from the Admissions Coordinator once your application has been received and processed.
GRE/IELTS and TOEFL Tests
- We require the IELTS and/or TOEFL for all international students. We strongly encourage international applicants from non-English speaking countries to take the IELTS. The ORC will also accept scores from the TOEFL iBT Home Edition.
- TOEFL score within the past two years.
- The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is optional. Applications submitted with a GRE score should not have any advantage over applications submitted without a GRE score.
Yes. The ORC will waive the TOEFL and/or IELTS exam for those students who have completed their undergraduate studies (four years) in a US English speaking university. Otherwise, the exam is required.
The minimum score requirements are as follows:
- 250 – computer-based test (CBT)
- 100 – Internet-based test (iBT)
The institution code for MIT is 3514.
You should send your scores using institution code 3514. There is no specific department code for the ORC. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is optional.
Transcripts and Letters of Recommendation
The ORC can accept letters of recommendation submitted via Interfolio and similar services.
Do I have to include all three letters of recommendation with the application, or can these be sent separately?
We ask that you submit your letters of recommendation electronically via your application. You will be able to request a letter directly through the online application system.
Yes, however, we will accept no more than four letters of recommendation.
Original transcripts are not required when you apply to the ORC. Once admitted, you will be asked to send us an official copy of your transcripts, including all grades for the year. We will accept translations of transcripts issued by an institution or professional translating service, such as World Education Services (WES), however we would still need a copy of the transcript in the original language as well.
Funding
The majority of doctoral degree students receive funding in the form of a research assistantship (RA) during their years at the ORC. Master’s degree students are not guaranteed financial aid; however, we assist them in securing possible funding. Historically, our master’s in operations research students have received funding; our master’s in business analytics students do not receive funding.
How do students in the master’s degree (SM) in operations research program secure financial support for their studies?
Although SM students are not admitted to the program with a guarantee of financial support, the majority of the SM students are able to secure a research assistantship (RA) with a faculty member for their studies at MIT. Students can meet with faculty during the two day Open House to discuss possible RA opportunities. Or, if they are unable to visit, they can reach out to faculty of interest via email to discuss possible funding.
Admitted students are given the opportunity to meet with faculty during our Open House, which helps them find an advisor they would like to work with while at MIT. For those students who do not visit during the Open House, we will work with you to find an appropriate RA based on your research interests.
Review/Decisions
The ORC forms an Admissions Committee to review the applications for our doctoral degree (PhD) in operations research and our master’s degree (SM) in operations research. The committee consists of four to six current OR-affiliated faculty members.
Admission decisions are usually made in late February and/or early March. You will be notified via email with your admission decision.
The ORC does not hold interviews during the admissions process.
No, admission decisions will not be disclosed over the phone.
In most cases, you are allowed to defer admission to the OR program for one year. However, this request is handled on a case-by-case basis. If you are admitted and would like to request a deferral, you must outline your reason for requesting the deferral in a letter to the co-directors. In some cases, admission may be deferred without a guarantee of financial support.
Each year, we hold a two-day Open House for those students who have been offered admission. At that time, admitted students are invited to visit and meet with faculty and students. We do not arrange for visits for prospective students prior to admission decisions due to the number of applications we receive each year.
General Questions
We do not provide probabilities or chances of acceptance. In any case, it would not be fair to answer this question based on just scores. The Admissions Committee takes the entire application into consideration when making admission decisions.
No, we do not require a minimum GPA to apply. However, our applicants are usually very strong academically and in the top of their classes.
No, we do not require any specific courses for admission. However, many students who apply to the Center have a strong background in such advanced mathematics classes as calculus and linear algebra.
We receive more than 300 applications each year for the doctoral degree (PhD) and master’s degree (SM) in operations research. For the master’s degree (MBAn) in business analytics, we receive over 250 applications per year.
We usually make an offer of admission to 20-25 doctoral degree students and to 8-12 master’s degree students in operations research.
No, work experience is not a prerequisite for admission to the ORC programs.
It usually takes students two years to complete the master’s degree program in OR.
It usually takes students four to five years to complete the doctoral degree program in OR.
Incoming Students
We recommend that you arrive at least one week prior to Registration Day to get acquainted with the MIT campus and the Boston/Cambridge area. Our international students should arrive earlier to check in with the International Students Office and to sign up for our mandatory Immigration Information Session.
Please visit MIT's Academic Calendar for exact dates
All of our incoming ORC students are required to complete a writing assessment. If your native language is English, you’ll take our Writing Skills Examination; if your native language is not English, you’ll take our English Evaluation Test.
You will choose your classes on Registration Day, which can be found on MIT’s Academic Calendar. You will also receive more detailed information about registration via email.
We recommend that you visit http://housing.mit.edu for more information about housing options available to you. Additionally, you will be assigned a senior ORC student guide, who will be an invaluable resource, helping to answer any questions you may have.
Yes, this MIT email address will be used throughout your career here at MIT. We often send important information and reminders to your email address, so please be sure to check it often.
For technical questions concerning the ORC computing facilities, you should contact the current ORC student computer administrators. You’ll find their names and email addresses on the door of the ORC computer lab. If they are unavailable, you should bring your concerns to an ORC staff member.
For IT questions outside of the ORC, you should refer to MIT’s IS&T site, found here: http://ist.mit.edu/. If you are unable to find an answer to your question, you can contact using this link.
You will have the opportunity to meet with your academic advisor prior to Registration Day to decide on the appropriate courses for your first term at the ORC. If you would like to review our course offerings, please visit our Course Offerings page.
