The Management Science Concentration
Philosophy and Objectives
Research in Management Science is diverse, with students concentrating in mathematical programming, stochastic models, applications and interface with production management, applications and interface with economic theory, applications and interface with finance, computational aspects of mathematical programming, and statistical data analysis for decision support. A small set of preparatory courses is mandatory for all Ph.D. students. Elective courses depend upon interests and concentrations. A dissertation meets requirements toward completion of the Ph.D. program if it advances the knowledge in an area of specialization and is sound in theory, computation, and application. The Ph.D. program by nature of Management Science accommodates diversity.
Upon entering the Ph.D. program, students are assigned a temporary adviser to customize their studies by reviewing their academic preparation and helping to design a suitable program of courses.
Graduate faculty of the Department of Finance and Operations Management meet at least once a semester to approve each student's program and monitor progress.
Students work very closely with the faculty in this highly selective program and through various grants and projects initiated by the faculty have opportunities to present their work at scholarly conferences and to write scholarly articles. Graduates of the program typically assume positions at academic institutions since research as well as teaching are highly valued by the program. Recent graduates are now professors at: the University of Connecticut, UMASS Lowell, UMASS Amherst, University of Arkansas, State University of New York at Oswego, and at DePaul University, among other institutions. Other PhD recipients supervised by the outstanding faculty in this program have attained positions of leadership in major financial services companies, consulting companies, software development companies, and logistics companies.
Examples of some recent doctoral dissertation titles of graduates of the Management Science Ph.D. program are: "Productivity and Comparative Analysis in Service and Manufacturing Operations," "Synthesis of Lagrangean Relaxation and Polyhedral Theory for
the Solution of Routing Problems," "Effective Practices of Continuous Quality Improvement in U.S. Colleges and Universities," "Statics and Dynamics of Complex Network Systems: Supply Chain Analysis and financial Networks with Intermediation," "International Financial Networks and Global Supply Chains: A Unified Framework for Decision-Making, Optimization, and Risk Management," and "Transportation Network Policy Modeling for Congestion and Pollution Control: A Variational Inequality Approach," which was awarded the 1999 Transportation Science Section of INFORMS Dissertation Prize.
Degree Requirements
First Year Course Work: The purpose of the first year courses is to provide students with a broad-based introduction to fundamentals. The program is flexible, in part to accommodate varied backgrounds. At the end of the first year, students are required to take a core examination. Courses taken during the first year should at least meet core requirements in Management Science.
| Fall Semester Courses Management Science I Deterministic Models, SOM 752 Probability & Statistics Core Requirement* | Spring Semester Courses Management Science II Mathematical Analysis Stochastic Processes Seminar Core Requirement* |
| * Linear Algebra, Data Structures, Numerical Analysis | |
Core Courses and Examination: The core examination is designed to assess the degree to which a student is prepared for advanced work toward a Ph.D. degree. Students must display knowledge of fundamentals of statistics, probability (calculus-based), mathematical analysis, linear algebra, numerical analysis, and mathematical programming.
The courses that cover subject matter related to the core exam are: Probability and Statistics; Mathematical Programming; Deterministic Models; Programming (Data Structures); Mathematical Foundations (Proof Techniques).
Students may have already taken courses during undergraduate preparation which have exposed them to such fundamentals. Otherwise, specific courses, which should be taken, should be identified with the help of the temporary advisor. (Students should have taken Linear Algebra prior to or concurrent with Management Science I; analysis should be taken prior to or concurrent with Management Science II; the Probability and Statistics course should be calculus-based and taken prior to Stochastic Processes, a second year required course.)
The core examination consists of two parts:
-
Methodology:
Department exam covering fundamentals of
(i) mathematical concepts (analysis, linear algebra);
(ii) numerical methods (numerical analysis, data structures); and
(iii) calculus-based probability and statistics. -
Management Science:
Department exam covering
Management Science I,
Management Science II, and
Deterministic Models.
Second Year Course Work: Students must complete a set of required courses prior to taking the qualifying comprehensive examination. These courses are typically taken during the second year. The required advanced courses are:
Business: Behavioral Course
Management Sciences: Two Seminars in Management Science
Stochastic Processes (IE)
Students may also decide on a minor during the second year and take courses to fulfill the minor requirement. Relevant minors are Computer Science, Finance, Marketing, Industrial Engineering, etc.
| Fall Semester Courses Seminar Advanced Elective* Elective or Minor Elective or Minor | Spring Semester Courses Seminar Stochastic Processes Advanced Elective* Elective or Minor |
| * Advanced Electives (SOM 825, or Independent Study) | |
Students may choose advanced courses as appropriate for preparation for dissertation work. The following courses apply:
| Network Programming Integer Programming Computational Aspects of Mathematical Programming Graph Theory Transportation | Electives or Minor: Simulation (IE) Queuing Theory (IE) Artificial Intelligence Analysis of Algorithms Microeconomics Theory Managerial Economics |
Other Requirements
Other Electives: While students are not required to take courses during the summer, it is advised that during the first summer they determine the desirability of taking courses. All students are encouraged to take writing courses - particularly technical writing - during the summer.
The Comprehensive Exam
The comprehensive exam may be taken any time after essential course-work is completed. The exam is designed for each student, and conducted by an examination committee headed by the candidate's advisor. The examination committee must have at least two representatives from the Management Sciences faculty, and at least one from the student's chosen minor area. The exam typically consists of three components:
-
In-class exam (3-6 hours):
Will consist of questions set by the examination committee. The exam tests knowledge in the area. -
Take-home exam:
Consists of questions set by the examination committee and may be open-ended. -
Oral exam:
Conducted by all members of the committee.