Minor in Operations Research

Operations research is the increasingly growing discipline devoted to the use of analytical and quantitative methods to help inform decisions made in complex systems. This minor allows students to develop the required skills in analytical methods and optimization required to apply operations research in health care, military, transportation, energy and other systems.

students and faculty with drones

Learning Objectives

  1. Understand and describe current theories, methods, and principles related to operations research
  2. Identify, formulate and solve problems in the area of operations research
  3. Design systems which are efficient from a logistics and cost efficiency perspective
  4. Communicate effectively about operations research problem solutions and system designs

Curriculum

The curriculum includes seven courses related to operations research and its application areas. Note that six of the seven courses are upper division, as courses specific to this area are typically taught at the 300 and 400 level. At least three courses applied to the minor cannot be used to fulfill requirements for the UB Curriculum, a major, or a minor in another subject. Some of the courses have their own specific pre-requisites and therefore might not be available to all students in the minor.

Lower Division Course (required):

MTH 142 College Calculus 2

Upper Division Courses (required):

IE 322, Analytics and Computing
IE 373, Systems Modeling and Optimization, OR 1
IE 374, Systems Modeling and Optimization, OR 2

Upper Level Electives (choose three):

MTH 309, Linear Algebra
IE 411, Social Network Behavior Models
IE 412, Decision Analysis
IE 425, Applications of Operations Research in Healthcare
IE 414, Revenue Management and Pricing

Other 400 level IE classes in operations research maybe substituted with permission of the program director.

How to Apply

Students can apply for the Minor in Operations Research online through the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Apply now

Contact Information

Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
342 Bell Hall
(716) 645-2357