Operations Research

Operations Research (OR) is a scientific approach to problem-solving and decision-making that relies on mathematical modeling, data analysis, and optimization techniques. Its primary goal is to design, manage, and improve complex systems by determining the optimal or most effective allocation of scarce resources. OR is a cornerstone of decision science, supporting industries and sectors ranging from manufacturing and supply chain management to healthcare, public policy, and humanitarian logistics.

The flexibility of OR allows practitioners to focus on either theoretical methodology or practical applications, providing the foundation to tackle real-world challenges. More information about OR and its applications can be found through professional societies like the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) and the Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers (IISE).

Operations researchers analyze and optimize complex systems to improve efficiency, performance, and decision-making. They apply tools such as mathematical programming, simulation (e.g., discrete event, Monte Carlo, agent-based), stochastic processes, statistics, probability, queuing theory, network optimization, machine learning, and system science. These methodologies enable them to address challenges in diverse fields like:

Healthcare and medicine: Enhancing patient care, resource allocation, and medical logistics.
Public policy: Shaping data-driven policies for societal impact.
Supply chain and logistics: Streamlining global operations and inventory management.
Manufacturing: Improving production efficiency and minimizing waste.
Telecommunications: Optimizing network infrastructure and service delivery.
Intelligent infrastructure: Managing smart cities and sustainable systems.

By integrating advanced analytics and OR methods, these professionals develop strategies to navigate today’s increasingly interconnected and complex systems.

Master's Level	Doctoral Level
M.S. and MEng in Operations Research	Ph.D. in Operations Research

Mathematical Programming (Integer Programming, Stochastic Programming, Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programming)
Machine Learning; Algorithms
Data-Driven Optimization
Graph and Network Optimization
Simulation modeling
Simulation analysis methodology
Simulation optimization
Uncertainty Quantification
Healthcare and public policy research regarding data analysis, statistics, simulation, optimization, queuing theory
Production, supply chain and logisitcs rsearch regarding optimization, scheduling, delivery, data analysis, homeland security

Affiliated Faculty Research & Labs

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Healthcare Analytics Research Group , home
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SysOptiMaL Home , home

Graduates of Virginia Tech’s Operations Research program pursue careers in industry, government, healthcare, and academia, applying advanced analytics and optimization to solve high-impact problems.

Industry & Technology

Optimization Engineer – Builds models to improve supply chains, manufacturing, scheduling, and logistics.
Data Scientist (Optimization & Algorithms) – Applies OR and ML to drive business insights.
Revenue Management & Pricing Scientist – Designs pricing and inventory models to maximize profitability.
Quantitative Researcher – Uses optimization and statistics in finance, risk, and market design.
Operations Analytics Consultant – Advises companies on strategy and operations with data-driven models.

Government & Defense

Operations Research Analyst – Designs models for logistics, readiness, and defense planning.
Systems Analyst (Government/Defense) – Optimizes large-scale public systems (transportation, energy, etc.).
Risk & Strategy Analyst – Applies stochastic modeling to inform security, preparedness, and policy.

Healthcare & Public Policy

Healthcare Analytics Scientist – Improves patient care and hospital operations with OR models.
Policy Optimization Specialist – Supports data-driven decision-making in government and nonprofits.
Humanitarian Logistics Planner – Designs relief and distribution systems for disaster response.

Academia & Research

Research Scientist (OR/AI/ML) – Develops new optimization, simulation, and data science methods.
University Faculty – Teaches and researches operations research and decision sciences.
National Laboratory Researcher – Tackles large-scale projects in energy, defense, and computing.