Ph.D. Student Handbook (Operations Research) | School of Operations Research and Information Engineering

Page Contents

Major and Minor Subjects / Curriculum Overview
Course Requirements
The Special Committee and Minor Subjects
Examination Requirements
Student Progress Review
Financial Support
International Teaching Assistant Program
Recent Ph.D.-Level Course Offerings
Internships
University Resources

(Updated Fall 2025)

Major and Minor Subjects / Curriculum Overview

All Ph.D. students in the Field of Operations Research major in the subject Operations Research and minor in at least two more subjects that can include:

Internal Minors (Subfields):

Probability and Statistics
Mathematical Programming
Manufacturing Systems Engineering

Example External Minor Fields:

Computer Science
Statistics
Applied Math
Mathematics

Course Requirements

The following requirements cover the first four semesters of Ph.D.-level work, during which your primary goal should be to obtain broad exposure to the discipline of Operations Research. These requirements are intended to provide such academic breadth.

A. Core Courses

Course Number	Course Name
ORIE 6300*	Mathematical Programming I
ORIE 6500*	Applied Stochastic Processes
ORIE 6700*	Statistical Principles
MATH 4130**	Introduction to Analysis
MATH 4330**	Introduction to Algebra (emphasis on proof-based linear algebra)

Core course requirements

* Depending on background, a student may be allowed to bypass one or more of ORIE 6300, 6500, 6700. In each instance, however, the student is still required to take the final examination at the end of the first semester of study; these final examinations become a part of the student’s Qualifying Examination (discussed later). On the other hand, if, for any course among these three, a student is not academically prepared to take the course during the first semester of study, it may be delayed until the third semester, with an appropriate preparatory course taken during the first year.

** Whether a student should take MATH 4130 and/or MATH 4330 is determined in consultation with their first-year advisor prior to the start of the first semester of study.

B. Advanced Courses

Students must perform well in three advanced Ph.D. courses with one course from three of the following four areas:

Research Area	Course Numbers
Applied Operations Research	61XX and 71XX
Mathematical Programming	63XX and 73XX
Probability	65XX and 75XX
Statistics	67XX and 77XX

Advanced courses

Generally, 6000-level ORIE courses, i.e., Ph.D.-level electives, are used to satisfy this requirement. With DGS approval, courses from other departments may also be used to meet this requirement.

Perform well; the three advanced courses’ instructors will review students’ performance to determine whether they pass the courses or not.

C. Computer Literacy

Each Ph.D. candidate must demonstrate computer literacy by taking an appropriate Ph.D.-level course.

This course may simultaneously satisfy another requirement, e.g., the simulation course ORIE 6580 would both establish computer literacy and fulfill an Applied Operations Research advanced course requirement, provided you receive at least an A- in the course (e.g., Big Data Technologies – ORIE 6125).

D. Course Load

In the first year, you are expected to enroll in at least 6 appropriately sophisticated technical courses (roughly 24 credits, excluding research course GRAD 9010), each with adequate provision for evaluating student progress, e.g., through regularly scheduled lectures, homework assignments, and/or examinations.

“Technical” means courses in engineering, mathematics, or science, in addition to certain areas of business, such as quantitative finance or operations management.
“Appropriately sophisticated” means either at Ph.D.-level or at a level appropriate to a student’s background. For example, someone who has taken an undergraduate class very similar to MATH 4130 should not enroll in this course, unless the former class was taken several years earlier – see note about consulting with a designated field member and the Director of Graduate Studies.

In each of the third and the fourth semesters you are expected to enroll in at least two appropriately sophisticated technical courses as well as engage in research.

E. Exceptions

Any deviation from the above requires the written approval of the field’s Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). For example:

The computer literacy requirement may be fulfilled by completion of an appropriate project supervised by a field member. These conditions must be met:
- The supervising field member must agree to the arrangement.
- Before beginning, you must submit a one-to-two-page project proposal to the DGS.
- The DGS consults with appropriate field faculty and will decide whether the project meets this requirement.
- At the completion of the project, the supervising field member submits to the DGS written certification that the work accomplished in the project meets the computer literacy requirement.

DGS approval is required for courses from other departments used to satisfy the Advanced Courses requirement. For example:

Several appropriate Ph.D.-level probability courses are offered by the Department of Mathematics.

Exceptionally well-prepared students beginning serious research investigation under the direction of a field faculty member may seek DGS approval for using the course ORIE 7900 Special Investigations in satisfying the course load requirement.

The research project must be documented (at the beginning) by a student proposal approved by the supervising faculty member and (at termination) by a report from the faculty member on the work accomplished.

Example of Courses Selection

Semester 1

ORIE 6300
ORIE 6500
ORIE 6700

Semester 2

First Minor Course 1
Seocnd Minor Course 1
Computer Literacy

Semester 3

First Minor Course 2
Second Minor Course 2
First Minor Course 3

Semester 4

Second Minor Course 3
Any other requirements from Committee

The Special Committee and Minor Subjects

A. The Special Committee

Each student forms a Special Committee by end of the third semester (Deadline: December 1). Students have the option to request a one-semester extension through the online General Petition form. Refer to the Graduate School Website. The composition of the committee may be changed at a later date. Each student can only be granted one extension.
To nominate your committee, visit Student Center.
List of ORIE Field members.
You may choose your committee chair. The chair must be a member of the operations Research field. If you’d like to work with a faculty member from another department as your committee chair, please email your DGS to request a nomination to the ORIE field. Minor members do not need to be in the ORIE field.
Your Special Committee will consist of at least three individuals:
- The Chair, who will ultimately be your thesis advisor.
- The Minor Advisors, at least one for each of your two minor subjects (see below).
You are welcomed and encouraged to have more than one advisor for your minor subjects.

B. Minor Subjects

Minors must be taken in engineering, science (including mathematics), or technical areas of business (e.g., finance.) You may petition for an exception.
Of a student’s two minor subjects, at least one must be from outside the field of Operations Research.
A minor subject typically involves at least three Ph.D. courses, determined by the minor advisor in consultation with the student.
Required courses can count towards a minor; for example, ORIE 6300(63XX) can count towards a minor in Mathematical Programming.
The role of each minor subject is to enhance the student’s exposure to the subject—either in breadth or in depth—beyond the courses that would generally be included as part of the student’s major program of study.
- At least one minor should be entirely satisfied by courses different from those used to satisfy the course requirements for the Ph.D. program.No course may be used to count simultaneously toward both minors.

Examples of Acceptable Committee Memberships

Example One

Chair
Minor member
Minor member

Example Two

Chair
Co-chair
Minor member

Example Three

Chair
Minor member
Additional member

Example Four

Chair
Co-chair
Additional member

Example of an Unacceptable Committee Membership

Chair
Additional member
Additional member

Examination Requirements

There are three mandatory examinations over the course of your Ph.D. program

A. Qualifying Exam (QE)

Timeline

Summer research advisor submits the paper to DGS by the end of the second week of July.
DGS assigns two additional committee members by the end of third week of July.
QE must be completed by the end of the second week of your third semester

Composition

Oral presentation of a paper selected by your summer research advisor along with a presentation of your summer research.
Passing the three Core courses.
Summer Research Performance.
TA performance if applicable.
The Qualifying Exam (QE) is the only exam that is field-administered, as opposed to being administered by the Special Committee /Graduate School.
- The QE determines whether you can be expected to perform at an appropriately high level in advanced coursework and research and assists the Special Committee in developing your program of study.
The QE for all Ph.D. students includes an oral presentation on a research paper or papers selected by your summer research advisor.
- This presentation will be given at the beginning of your third semester.At least three field members (two minor members will be appointed by the DGS) will attend, and they may ask questions related to the content of the paper or your summer research during the presentation.
- Once the paper is assigned, you will be told which field member submitted the paper for consultation purposes, though you should bear in mind that your independence in mastering the paper is also being evaluated.
What constitutes the rest of your QE depends on your performance in the three primary ORIE courses.
- You will be orally examined on the material of each of the three primary courses – ORIE 6300, 6500, 6700 – if the instructor determines that you didn’t pass the final exam.
  - For courses taken during your first year, the oral exam is held at the beginning of the third semester.
  - For courses taken during your third semester, the oral exam is held at the beginning of the fourth semester.
  - Each course will have a separate day for its oral examination.
- If you are permitted to skip any of these courses, the grade is based only on your performance on that course’s mandatory final examination.
Summer Research is required for your first summer in the program and is a component of your Qualifying Exam. A two-page summary of your summer research must be submitted to the DGS before the oral presentation.
After a student has completed all the required oral exams, but no later than the beginning of the fourth semester (and generally at the beginning of the third semester), field members discuss the student and reach one of two decisions, thus finalizing the Qualifying Exam:
- You may continue in the Ph.D. program.
- You will be required to leave the Ph.D. program at the end of the second year, retaining all funding during your last semester, and with support from faculty in pursuing alternative programs.
  - This outcome is relatively uncommon, but when it does occur, the student typically completes a master’s thesis and receives a master’s degree.

B. Admission to Candidacy Exam (The A Exam)

This exam is a formal requirement of the Graduate School. You are required to schedule the A exam through Graduate School’s website: A Exam Schedule Form.
- Because the Special Committee often views passing your QE as demonstrative of your competence in the fundamentals of the field, the A exam focuses instead on assessing your mastery of your areas of research.
This exam is typically taken during your third year and will be administered by your Special Committee (see Topic III above).
- At the time of your exam, you must submit to the DGS a summary of the courses used to satisfy all program requirements.
- In the rare event that not all coursework has been completed at this time, you will need to specify your intended courses to satisfy these requirements.
The format of the A exam is largely up to the discretion of your Special committee – in some cases, it is primarily a presentation of proposed research for a thesis. In other cases, it may follow the format of an oral examination.
- Your Special Committee will be available for consultation on what you should expect in your A Exam.
A degree cannot be awarded until at least two units of residence have been earned after passing the exam.
You need to email the GFA the title, abstract, and zoom link 14 days prior to the exam date for ORIE colloquium announcement.
There will be at least three examining members of your special committee at your exam.
- If one or more members of your Special Committee cannot attend your A exam, consult with the DGS.
- Any member of the Field may attend your exam.

C. The Final Exam (The B Exam)

This exam is your presentation and defense of your Ph.D. thesis.
This exam is a formal requirement of the Graduate School. You are required to schedule the B exam through Graduate School’s website: B Exam Schedule Form.
You need to email the GFA the title, abstract, and zoom link 14 days prior to the exam date for ORIE colloquium announcement.

Student Progress Review

Beginning in your second year and for the duration thereafter, Ph.D. students are required to meet annually with their Special Committee and complete a Student Progress Review (SPR) through the Graduate School’s online system.

These forms help track progress toward your degree, but also serve as a useful record for you to refer to throughout your program and in preparation for your post-graduate career planning.

For more information, please visit the Graduate School SPR website.

A. Procedure

Schedule an SPR meeting with your Special Committee Chair.
- You are required to have at least one in-person meeting with your Special Committee Chair per year.
Complete and submit your portion of the SPR form at least ten days prior to your scheduled meeting.
- It may be saved as a draft, but a final deadline will be communicated to you (typically in late November).
- Upon submission, it will be sent to your Committee Chair.
- Information and links can be found on the Graduate School website under “Academic Progress” > “Requirements” > “Student Progress Review”.
Discuss your progress/planning with your Committee Chair.
- They will submit their portion of the online form within the next two weeks.
- The GFA will communicate the final deadline to the Special Committee Chair.

Financial Support

Financial support for Ph.D. students is provided through a combination of Fellowships, Teaching Assistantships (TA), and Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA). Every option will provide a stipend that covers housing and living expenses in Ithaca, a tuition waiver, and medical insurance.

Full funding for Ph.D. students is guaranteed through the fifth year (not including the fifth summer). If it appears that you will need a sixth year (or beyond), funding may be available through your chair or the School, but cannot be guaranteed. External fellowships are an excellent option in this situation.

A. Fellowships

A Fellowship provides financial support with no requirement that the student teach or conduct research in a specific group.
There are internal fellowships available for candidates nominated by the Field, including from Cornell University as a whole, the College of Engineering, and ORIE.
Students are heavily encouraged to apply for external fellowships, and the field will support those applications every way that they can.
- It is the student’s responsibility to understand and maintain their eligibility for the external fellowship.

B. Teaching Assistantship

An appointment in support of teaching a particular course, supervised by the instructor of the course.
There is not a teaching requirement for the program, but students are encouraged to have at least one semester of TAing – being able to teach a subject is a way to demonstrate mastery.
The Graduate School mandates that a student must average 15 hours of work per week, with no one week going over 20.
- You may have an additional part-time job with your TAship, but it cannot be more than five hours a week. It is a federal law that a full-time student does not work more than twenty hours in a given week. This is nonnegotiable.

C. Graduate Research Assistantship

An appointment with the primary responsibility of conducting research related to the student’s thesis.
Supervised by the student’s research advisor, though the supervisor may be different if the thesis is a collaboration between multiple faculty.
The duties of a GRA vary depending on the research areas and project, but goals and expectations should be clearly laid out at the start of the semester.
- While there is no specific hours-based requirement for GRAs, they are still not permitted to take on outside employment that schedules more than 8 hours per week.

International Teaching Assistant Program

Any student accepted into the Ph.D. program has already demonstrated a very high degree of proficiency with the English language. If you submitted TOEFL/IELTS scores with your application, you will be asked to complete an additional Language assessment and possibly complete a supplementary class before you can assume full TA duties.

A. Language Assessments / Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI)

Refer to the ITAP website for details about the interview: ITAP Information
Language assessments are scored using the ACTFL proficiency guidelines. Students who achieve a score of Intermediate Mid (or below) must take ALS 5780 until they score Intermediate High, at which point they will be able to TA while taking ALS 5780.

B. ALS 5780

ALS 5780 is a deliberately experiential course focused on improving oral English proficiency. This structure is based on evidence and experience that show oral proficiency is developed most rapidly through practice. The course is highly interactive and designed to give you a maximum number of opportunities to practice English language speaking skills. It is a 2-credit course graded on an S/U basis.

Recent Ph.D.-Level Course Offerings

In addition to the courses listed below, all Cornell students may take coursework outside their primary area of study. You are encouraged to explore classes offered by other departments—such as Computer Science, Statistics, or Electrical and Computer Engineering, among others. However, ORIE courses should remain your top priority when planning your schedule.

Our students also enroll in coursework outside of OR and their minor fields, and in any given semester, our Ph.D. students may be taking anything from Introduction to Wines to Fencing.

Course	Name	Credits
ORIE 5741	Learning with Big Messy Data	4
ORIE 6125	Computational Methods in Operations Research	3
ORIE 6140	Mathematical Modeling of Operational Systems	2
ORIE 6154	Revenue Management	3
ORIE 6180	The Design of Online Marketplaces	3
ORIE 6300	Mathematical Programming I	4
ORIE 6320	Nonlinear Programming	3
ORIE 6326	Convex Optimization	3
ORIE 6328	Convex Analysis	3
ORIE 6330	Graph Theory and Network Flows	3
ORIE 6334	Combinatorial Optimization	3
ORIE 6335	Scheduling Theory	3
ORIE 6336	Integer Programming	3
ORIE 6340	Mathematics of Data Science	3
ORIE 6350	Foundations of Game Theory and Mechanism Design	3
ORIE 6500	Applied Stochastic Processes	4
ORIE 6510	Probability	4
ORIE 6520	A Random Walk Through Applied Probability	3
ORIE 6540	Advanced Stochastic Processes	3
ORIE 6555	Stochastic Processing Networks	3
ORIE 6560	Multi-arm Bandit Models	3
ORIE 6570	Stochastic Dynamic Programming	3
ORIE 6580	Simulation	3
ORIE 6590	Approximate Dynamic Programming and Reinforcement Learning	3
ORIE 6620	Mathematics of Financial Systems	3
ORIE 6630	Risk Measures	2
ORIE 6700	Statistical Principles	4
ORIE 6731	LLMs for Better Decision-Making	3
ORIE 6741	Bayesian Machine Learning	3
ORIE 6745	Causality and Learning for Intelligent Decision Making	4
ORIE 6746	Theory of Causal Inference and Decision- Making	1 to 3
ORIE 6750	Optimal Learning	3
ORIE 6751	Data-Driven Optimization Under Uncertainty: Theory, Methods, and Current Trends	3
ORIE 6780	Bayesian Statistics and Data Analysis	3

Some recent Ph.D.-level course offerings.

Internships

Internships typically take place during the summer, and no Leave of Absence or In Absentia forms are required for summer internships.

If your internship occurs during the Fall or Spring semester, you must complete either a Leave of Absence or In Absentia form, depending on the nature and location of your internship. Graduate School Forms

Before starting an internship, you are required to notify both the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) and the Graduate Field Assistant (GFA) to discuss regulatory requirements. You are required to submit your Leave of Absence or In Absentia form at least two months before your internship begins.

International students must schedule an appointment with the Office of Global Learning – International Services to review Curricular Practical Training (CPT) requirements and complete any necessary paperwork. F-1 CPT Information

University Resources

Cornell students are encouraged to make the most of their time with the University, and many resources are made available for students.

A. Unionization

Cornell Graduate Student Workers United – United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (CGSU-UE) is the exclusive representative of graduate student workers for the purposes of collective bargaining. Union information.