Operations Research & Management Science

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

The Operations Research and Management Science (ORMS) major is designed for students in the College of Letters & Science. It provides a solid foundation in the quantitative, model building, and problem-solving skills of operations research and management science. It also gives students the flexibility to learn more about a particular field of interest to them in which they can apply these skills.

The major is very math intensive and is appropriate for students who enjoy and are good at mathematics, computers, and solving practical, multidisciplinary problems. 

Declaring the Major

The ORMS major is impacted. To be considered for admission, students should have a minimum of a 3.2 overall grade point average (GPA) in the prerequisite courses.  For admission,  request to be added to the email list at https://ieor.berkeley.edu/undergraduate-resources/orms/

Unit Cap/Semester Cap

Students who entered Berkeley as a freshman must apply for admission by the end of their fifth semester (does not include summers or withdrawn semesters) or prior to the accumulation of 80 units (does not include units earned in high school, but does include units in-progress at the time of application); whichever comes second. For most students, this is the fifth semester.

Transfer students must apply for admission by the end of their first semester. Summer session prior to the academic year does not count as the first semester.

Prerequisite Coursework

All four prerequisite classes (MATH 53, MATH 54, UGBA 10, and either ECON 1, ECON 2 or ECON C3) must be completed prior to acceptance to the major and all must be taken for a letter grade. Students should apply to the major during the semester in which they are enrolled in their final prerequisites. Students should have a minimum of a 3.2 UC Berkeley GPA in the four prerequisite courses.  For students applying to the major with prerequisite coursework completed Spring 2020 to Spring 2021, please see the ORMS website for alternate prerequisite GPA calculations of coursework not taken for a letter grade.  

Many factors are considered in determining admission. The main criterion, however, is academic performance as measured by the Berkeley GPA in the prerequisite courses.  Since this major is capped, planning for an alternate major is recommended. There is an Operations Research concentration in the Math Department that might be a good choice if students are not admitted to the ORMS major.

Honors Program

Students with a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.5 overall and 3.7 in the major upper division coursework should consider participating in the ORMS honors program. To graduate with honors, a student must find a faculty sponsor appropriate for an original research project that he or she wishes to do and enroll in two semesters (6 units) of the honors thesis courses IND ENG H196A and IND ENG H196B

Alternatively, a student may take two approved graduate courses in Operations Research or a related field, and achieve at least an A- in each course. Courses used for the honors program cannot be used to fulfill the requirements for the ORMS major or any IEOR graduate program. The student must also maintain a minimum 3.5 overall GPA and 3.7 in the major at the time of graduation.

Minor Program

There is no minor program in Operations Research and Management Science.  However, students interested in an ORMS minor, may be interested in the Industrial Engineering and Operations Research minor.

Visit Department Website

All Operations Research and Management Science (ORMS) graduates are expected to acquire the following general skills and knowledge:

1. Ability to apply mathematics and science to the solution of societal problems.
2. Ability to design and conduct experiments, analyze, and interpret data.
3. Ability to design system and operating policies to meet desired needs.
4. Ability to function on multidisciplinary teams and communicate effectively.
5. Ability to identify, formulate, and solve societal system problems.
6. Understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
7. Recognize the need for and ability to engage in life-long learning.
8. Knowledge of contemporary issues.
9. Ability to use techniques, skills, and modern tools in practice.

Skills

The ORMS major in the IEOR Department has four general objectives for the Bachelor of Arts degree program. The department aims for the BA degree graduates to become skilled in the following:

1. Quantitative modeling and analysis of a broad array of systems-level decision problems concerned with economic efficiency, productivity, and quality.
2. Development and creative use of analytical and computational methods for solving these problems.
3. Collection and analysis of data and the use of database and decision-support tools.
4. Comprehension and analysis of risk and uncertainty.

In addition, graduates will obtain the broader skills, background, and knowledge necessary to be effective life-long professionals who understand the impact of systems in a societal context in a rapidly changing global economy.

Specific outcomes of the BA degree program are as follows:

1. Develop scientific, quantitative, model building, and problem solving skills through core courses in mathematics, statistics, operations research, and management sciences.
2. Learn how to apply these skills and tools effectively for operational, tactical, and strategic decisions in an area of choice.
3. Pursue graduate study in operations research and the management sciences.