Major in Operations Research and Engineering

A hallmark of the Cornell School of Operations Research and Information Engineering is the dual focus on theory and applications. Students learn how and when to apply sophisticated mathematical and analytical techniques and quantitative methodologies, but they also learn where these techniques come from and how and why they work.
Rows of students sit in a lecture hall with laptops open in front of them.

We continue to attract gifted undergraduate and graduate students and powerhouse faculty who are drawn, certainly, by the reputation of the school but even more so by the opportunity to work with some of the brightest students and fellow faculty in the field.

Program Objectives and Outcomes

Students will be well grounded in the mathematical, engineering and modeling skills that are the basis for operations research, and they will be prepared to apply those skills to the efficient design, analysis, operation and control of complex systems.

The academic program will include:

  • One or more advanced courses on applications in: supply chain and manufacturing systems; data analysis; information engineering; financial engineering; or service systems.

  • A collaborative systems design experience.

  • Collaborative project experiences involving both written and oral presentations.

  • Courses with significant experiential learning components.

  • Experiences with identifying, accessing, evaluating, and interpreting information and data in support of assignments, projects or research.

  • Course experiences with large-scale datasets.

Learning Outcomes for Students

  • Proficiency with tools from optimization, probability, statistics, simulation, and engineering economic analysis, including fundamental applications of those tools in industry and the public sector in contexts involving uncertainty and scarce or expensive resources.

  • Facility with the design, implementation and analysis of computational experiments.

  • Facility with mathematical and computational modeling of real decision-making problems, including the use of modeling tools and computational tools, as well as analytic skills to evaluate the problems.

  • ORIE Professor Mark Lewis seated in Rhodes Hall as two seated students talk.

    Honors Program

    The B.S. degree with honors is granted to engineering students who satisfy the requirements of the major and who also complete nine credit hours of academic work beyond the minimum required for the B.S. degree.

  • Three students look at an open laptop computer whose screen is not visible.

    Undergraduate Research

    Most faculty advise undergraduate research. Students often present their research at Cornell and scientific meetings, and some become authors on scientific papers.

  • Professor Kathryn Caggiano stands in front of a projected slide showing data as she speaks to a class.

    Continuing to a Ph.D. Program

    Pursuing a Ph.D. in operations research is an exciting, rewarding and challenging experience. The operations research and engineering major at Cornell can be tailored to prepare students for rigorous Ph.D. programs in operations research.

Ways to Use Your Degree:

  • Transportation

    Optimize the operations of companies like Uber and Citi Bike.

  • Health Care

    Enhance the organization of people, institutions, and resources to deliver essential services to target populations.

  • E-logistics

    Consult with companies like Wayfair and Amazon to make the processes more effective.

  • Sharing Economy

    Help shape new economic structures, including those made possible by the rise of artificial intelligence.

How to Affiliate

Students must be affiliated with a major by the beginning of their fifth semester.

Contact

For detailed information about the undergraduate curriculum, refer to the Degree Requirements.  For questions, please contact the undergraduate coordinator at orie-ug-support@cornell.edu or at 278 Rhodes Hall.