Industrial Engineering & Operations Research

How many fast passes should an amusement park distribute? How can a newspaper vendor balance fixed costs against uncertain demand? Why do you wait “forever” for a bus, only to see two or three arrive at the same time? If you’ve ever thought about these kinds of problems, you’ll like it here. Industrial Engineering & Operations Research combines two disciplines focused on the operation of complex systems. Students learn statistically rooted frameworks to model and solve systems-level engineering problems. Industrial Engineering is about making people and processes safer, more efficient and more effective. Operational researchers use their analytical and creative skills to develop better systems and operational procedures. There’s work in this field across a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, communications, transportation, entertainment, finance, military, healthcare and pharmaceuticals.

Why choose Berkeley?

Because our department is considered one of the finest schools of industrial engineering and operations research in the world. Because our department is ranked second in the U.S. by the National Research Council and has received millions of dollars of industry and government funding to support research projects. Because our faculty author the textbooks used to teach these subjects at institutions worldwide. The many awards they’ve won include the Franz Edelman Award for Management Science Achievement, the Nicholson Award, the ACM Turing Award, the Lanchester Prize and the Fulkerson Prize.

Our faculty members are globally renowned in their application areas, from semiconductor manufacturing and the design and deregulation of energy markets to supply-chain management, robotics and discrete event simulation. And they’ve made major advancements in the theory of operations research, including algorithm design, integer programming, non-linear programming and stochastic modeling.

Need more details? Learn about the Department of Industrial Engineering & Operations Research and its programs.