Operations Research Center
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Building E40-107
Cambridge MA, 02139
617-253-9303
lrose@mit.edu
Website:
Operations Research Center
Application Opens:
September 1
Deadline:
December 1 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time
Fee:
$90.00
NSF GRFP Fields of Study:
Computer and Information Science; Engineering
STEM Designation:
STEM Eligible
The Operations Research Center (ORC) is an interdepartmental graduate program jointly administered by the MIT Sloan School of Management and the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing. Founded in 1953 as the first program of its kind, the ORC brings together over 60 affiliated faculty from across MIT’s schools and departments. The Center offers the PhD and SM degrees in Operations Research.
Research at the ORC spans theory and methodology development, data-driven modeling, and applied work that shapes policy and industry practices. Most research projects start with a real problem, identified through industry or government collaborators. Models are built with careful attention to problem structure, uncertainty, and risk. They inform the development of practical and scalable algorithms potentially with provable theoretical performance guarantees: validated on real data, are interpretable, and deployed in the field with impact assessment. Increasingly, ORC research integrates modern AI and machine learning with optimization and decision-making processes.
Methods
- Optimization: discrete, continuous, robust, stochastic, and network
- Machine learning, statistics, and AI for decision making, including interpretable models, causal inference, and integration with optimization
- Applied probability, stochastic modeling, and queueing
- Reinforcement learning and dynamic decision making
- Game theory, mechanism design, and incentives
Applications
- Healthcare and life sciences
- Transportation and logistics
- Supply chains, manufacturing, and service operations
- Pricing and revenue management
- Online platforms and marketplaces
- Energy, water, and sustainability
- Finance
- Public policy and societal impact
- Agriculture and food systems
Applicants should list publications, awards, and honors on their CV. Do not upload papers or other supplemental documents to the application. Applicants who wish to share full materials may include links in their application, for example to a professional website, Google Scholar profile, or preprint repository. The admissions committee may view linked materials at its discretion.
- Online application
- Statement of objectives (see instructions below)
- Three letters of recommendation
- Transcripts
- GRE scores – optional
- English proficiency exam scores – international applicants only
- CV or Resume
For all applicants:
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
- General test is optional
- Institute code: 3514
For international applicants:
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
- Minimum score required: 7
- Electronic scores send to: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Graduate
- Current scores only; scores must be less than 2 years old
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
- Minimum score required: 100 (iBT) or 5 (iBT26)
- Institute code: 3514
- Current scores only; scores must be less than 2 years old
Duolingo English Test (DET)
- Minimum score required: 135
- Electronic scores send to: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Graduate Admissions
- Current scores only; scores must be less than 2 years old
Review the Graduate Admissions test scores policy here.
Department ELP Waiver Policy: The ELP test requirement can be waived for applicants who will graduate from a university in Singapore. The ORC will consider waiver requests for applicants who will complete a master’s degree from an English-speaking university in US. See Department Policies below for further details.
Department ELP Waivers:
Applicants who will graduate from a university in Singapore are eligible to request a department ELP waiver. Applicants requesting a waiver on this basis will be required to provide a copy of their Medium of Instruction from the degree granting institution in Singapore.
The ORC will also consider waiver requests from applicants who will complete a master’s degree from an English-speaking university in US. Unofficial transcript from your master-degree granting institution should be submitted in the Academic History section of your application prior to requesting an ELP waiver.
All academic history and unofficial transcripts should be submitted in the Academic History section of your application prior to requesting a waiver. Eligible applicants will be able to submit a waiver request directly from their ORC application on the Test Scores Instructions page. Waivers are not granted via email.
Official Transcripts:
A PDF copy of a candidate’s unofficial transcript (in English) from each university where a degree was earned or is expected should be uploaded with the application. Only admitted students will be required and prompted to have official, original, sealed transcripts sent from their university’s registrar.
All PhD students in good standing receive full financial support, including tuition, a stipend, and the MIT Student Health Insurance Plan, typically through research assistantships, teaching assistantships, or fellowships.
SM students are admitted without a guarantee of financial support. In practice, most SM students secure funding after enrollment through research or teaching assistantships, and the ORC assists students in identifying these opportunities. Please see the ORC website for more information.
