2008-2009 Bulletin – PDF - SEAS Bulletin - Columbia University

152
Operations Research
The operations research program is one
of several applied science programs
offered at the School. At the undergraduate
level, it offers basic courses in
probability, statistics, applied mathematics,
simulation, and optimization as well
as more professionally oriented operations
research courses. The curriculum
is well suited for students with an aptitude
for mathematics applications.
It prepares graduates for professional
employment as operations research
analysts, e.g., with management consultant
and financial service organizations,
as well as for graduate studies in
operations research or business. It is
flexible enough to be adapted to the
needs of future medical and law students.
Operations Research: Engineering
Management Systems
This operations research option is
designed to provide students with an
understanding of contemporary technology
and management. It is for students
who are interested in a technical-management
background rather than one in
a traditional engineering field. It consists
of required courses in industrial engineering
and operations research, economics,
business, and computer science,
intended to provide a foundation for
dealing with engineering and management
systems problems. Elective courses
are generally intended to provide a substantive
core in at least one technology
area and at least one management area.
Due to the flexibility of this option, it
can incorporate the varied educational
needs of preprofessional students interested
in law, medicine, business, and
finance. In addition, most students are
encouraged to add a minor in economics
or computer science to their standard
course schedules.
Operations Research: Financial
Engineering
In the fall of 2006, the Industrial Engineering
and Operations Research
Department launched a new concentration
in financial engineering. Financial
engineering is a multidisciplinary field
integrating financial theory with economics,
methods of engineering, tools of
mathematics, and practice of programming.
The concentration is designed to
provide training in the application of
engineering methodologies and quantitative
methods to finance.
Students graduating with this concentration
are prepared to enter careers
in securities, banking, financial management,
and consulting industries, and fill
quantitative roles in corporate treasury
and finance departments of general
manufacturing and service firms.
Students who are interested in
pursuing the rigorous concentration in
financial engineering must demonstrate
proficiency in calculus, computer programming,
linear algebra, ordinary
differential equations, probability, and
statistics. This option is available to the
class of 2008 and later. Applications to
the concentration will be accepted during
the fall semester of the sophomore
year, and students will be notified of the
departmental decision by the end of that
spring semester. The department is seeking
students who demonstrate strength
and consistency in all the above-mentioned
areas. Application to this concentration
is available online: www.ieor.columbia.
edu/bsfe_application.html.
Undergraduate Advanced Track
The undergraduate advanced track is
designed for advanced undergraduate
students with the desire to pursue further
higher education after graduation.
Students with a minimum cumulative
GPA of 3.4 and faculty approval have
the opportunity to participate. Students
are invited to apply to the track upon
the completion of their sophomore year.
Advanced track students are required to
take higher-level IEOR courses, including
the following:
IEOR E4004 instead of IEOR E3608
IEOR E4106 instead of IEOR E3106
IEOR E4403 instead of IEOR E4003
and MATH V2500.
Students successfully completing
the requirements of the undergraduate
advanced track will receive recognition
on their academic record.
Minors
A number of minors are available for
students wishing to add them to their
programs. These minors are described
starting on page 186 of this bulletin.
IEOR program students may want
to consider minors in economics or
computer science. In addition, operations
research and engineering and
management systems majors may elect
to minor in industrial engineering, and
industrial engineering majors may elect
to minor in operations research.
The department does not offer a
minor in engineering management
systems or financial engineering.
Major in Economics—
Operations Research
Students in Columbia College and the
School of General Studies may register
for a major in economics and operations
research. This degree provides a student
with a foundation in economic theory
comparable to that provided by the general
economics major while at the same
time introducing the student to the field
of operations research. The program is
recommended for students with strong
quantitative skills who are contemplating
graduate studies in economics, operations
research, or business.
For more information on the major
in economics and operations research,
students should contact the departmental
advisers: In Economics, Professor
Susan Elmes, 1018 International Affairs
Building, 212-854-3680, and in IEOR,
Professor Donald Goldfarb, 313 S. W.
Mudd, 212-854-8011.
Required courses
This program requires a total of 50.5
points: 23 points in economics, 11
points in mathematics, 13.5 points in
industrial engineering and operations
research, and 3 points in computer
science.
ECONOMICS
W1105: Principles of economics
W3211: Intermediate microeconomics
W3213: Intermediate macroeconomics
W3412: Introduction to econometrics
one seminar and two electives (one must
be above the 2000 level). At least one of the
electives must have W3211 or W3213 as a
prerequisite.
IEOR
E3106: Introduction to operations research:
stochastic models
E3600: Introduction to probability and statistics
E3608: Introduction to mathematical programming
and
SEAS 2008–2009