Operations Research Center

Fall Term (September)

Master of Science in Operations Research (SM)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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

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

CV/Resume: 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.

Statement of Objectives (limit of two pages): In a single document, describe: (i) your research experience and the questions or problems that motivate you; (ii) your goals for graduate study and beyond; and (iii) your fit with the ORC, including ORC faculty whose research interests you and why. We are interested in how you think about research: what makes a question worth pursuing, and how you would approach it.

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.

For all applicants:

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

General test is optional
Institute code: 3514
Current scores only; scores must be less than 5 years old

For international applicants:

All international applicants are required to submit valid English Language Proficiency (ELP) test scores unless an applicant meets the eligibility requirements for an automatic exemption from the ELP Test Score requirement. Please see the accepted score types for applicants to ORC and instructions on how to send your scores to MIT below.

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

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.

Review the Graduate Admissions English language proficiency (ELP) test score policy here.

Test Score Verification

All test scores shared with MIT must be verified by the testing agency in order to be reviewed. If you do not see your score verification status change upon submission, you may request assistance with test score verification in your application status portal.

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.

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.