Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Operations Research

BA Degree with a Major in Operations Research

Upon completing the BA degree with a major in Operations Research, students will be able to:

1. Formulate mathematical programs and stochastic processes that model real-world situations. (Critical Thinking)
2. Design and analyze exact and approximate approaches to solve operation research models. (Design)
3. Design, implement and debug software to solve operations research models. (Design)
4. Communicate the solutions and insights generated by operations research models to a non-technical audience. (Communication)

BA Degree with a Major in Operations Research

For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing BA degree with a major in Operations Research must complete:

• A minimum of 20-25 courses (64-69 credit hours), depending on course selection, to satisfy major requirements.
• A minimum of 520 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
• A minimum of 54 courses (43-45 credit hours, depending on course selection) taken at 300-level or above.

undergraduate program in operations research has been designed to accommodate a wide range of student interests. Students are strongly encouraged to take additional courses in pure and applied mathematics, computation, and modeling.

courses listed below satisfy this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of major’s academic advisor, or where applicable, department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document courses to be taken.

Applicants whose first language is not English are required to demonstrate English proficiency in one of two ways:

1. Completing at least two years of full-time study in an English language curriculum prior to submitting an application.

2. Submitting one of the following official test scores.

• The Coalition Application or the Common Application and Rice writing supplement
• $75 nonrefundable application fee (must be paid online)
• Official high school transcript in English (or a certified English translation)
• Recommendation Letters
  • School Counselor
  • Teacher 5
  • Teacher 2
• Demonstration of English proficiency
• International Student Financial Statement
• Architecture portfolio (Architecture applicants only)