Operations Research

Programs of Study

The Operations Research Program at the University of Delaware is an interdisciplinary graduate program, drawing its faculty and students from the following departments:

• Bioresources Engineering
• Food and Resource Economics
• Business Administration
• Economics
• Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Computer and Information Sciences
• Mathematical Sciences
• Marine Studies
• School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy

The student is encouraged to select an adviser among the relevant faculty as soon as possible. The director of the program will assist in the search. After the first semester but no later than during the second semester, the student should have an advisor for course selection and thesis/dissertation purposes. Changes in the adviser are possible with special justification, but all concerned including the Director of the Program must agree. The program encourages co-advisers for students if it is in their interest.

Master's programs allow students to take either the thesis or non-thesis option. The thesis option requires a research-oriented thesis (six credits) and course work about equally divided between OR-related courses, and course offerings in the area of application, for a total of 33 credit hours. A thesis committee consisting of at least four members, two of which are OR faculty, should be formed after the first year of study to advise the candidate and administer the thesis defense exam. One member should be external to the student's home department.  The non-thesis option requires an internship and a related research report in lieu of the thesis. Two semesters of seminar attendance is required for all masters students.

Students can also participate in a formalized internship program called CORP (Corporation Operations Researchers Program).  Students in this program usually intern at the corporation during the academic year (September to May), 20 hours per week and 40 hours per week in summer.  This accounts for 1 to 6 credit hours.

The Ph.D. program is intended to prepare well-qualified students for management, research or teaching careers in industry, government or academia. Dissertations for the Ph.D. degree are a blend of empirical and theoretical research combining OR methodologies with application from a particular discipline. A dissertation committee consisting of at least five members, three of which are OR faculty, should be formed after the second year of study to advise the candidate and administer the comprehensive and final oral exam. The degree requires at least 51 credits hours with nine credits fulfilling the dissertation requirement and the remainder equally divided among OR-related courses and course offerings from the area of application. Ph.D. candidates must take the ORES 800 level course sequence and register for four semesters of seminar attendance. Comprehensive exams are administered in three areas (OR and two other areas of concentration) after a majority of the course work has been successfully completed.