School of Engineering and Information Technology

Master of Science in Operations Research and Systems

• Operations Research
• For Civilian Students
• For Defence Students
• The OR Degrees on Offer at UNSW@ADFA
• Different Plans Descriptions
• Courses and Plans
• Course Availability in 2012
• Contact

Operations Research

In our teaching of Operations Research (OR), we take a balanced view of the evolution of the field and the different school of thoughts available. OR will prepare your mind with a methodological way to approach, structure and find answers to problems, regardless of their level of complexity. OR is a synonym for management "science". It focuses on putting rigour in any decision made on any level of an organization as simple as a small shop and as complex as the government.

In essence, OR education is about training our minds to be leaders and good managers. The traditional - and very limited - view of OR has been that it is a set of quantitative methods. This view has been challenged and was seen to be inappropriate because both quantitative and qualitative structured methods are needed to handle the complexity embedded in today's real world problems.

The soul of OR is how to structure, formulate, and model problems and how to seek solutions in a scientific manner. Mathematics can be one tool, but intuition, experience, and history are equivalently important.

We provide a list of courses, programs, and degrees that provide students with flexibility to choose the right mix of quantitative and qualitative subjects that suite their own needs. The subjects provide the breadth of different areas of OR, while the four special OR topics subjects provide students with the opportunity to explore the depth of four topics of their choice (subject to negotiation with the appropriate staff member) in OR.

For Civilian Students

If you are a civilian student, be it an engineer, a banker, or a salesman, OR will transform the way you think about and approach your daily as well as strategic problems. With applications covering a wide range of topics including production management, quality control, inventory and stock management, planning, and project management, OR will guide you in the dark of problem difficulty till you reach the light of efficient and effective solutions and/or strategies.

For Defence Students

Operations Research (OR) has its roots in the military. The flourishing of the field in the second world war paved the way for using OR in every significant military decision making process. Whether you are early in your military career or a senior officer, whether you are on the battlefield or in an office, OR will revolutionise your way of thinking. Our offerings include subjects that are designed specifically for defence (including civilian defence) personnel.

The OR degrees on offer at UNSW@ADFA

Suitable for someone with no background in Operations Research

• Graduate Certificate Science in Defence Operations Research
• Graduate Certificate Science in Operations Research and Statistics

Suitable for someone with some initial knowledge equivalent to the knowledge presented in the graduate certificate level

• Graduate Diploma Science in Defence Operations Research
• Graduate Diploma Science in Operations Research and Systems
• Graduate Diploma Science in Operations Research and Statistics

Suitable for someone with advanced knowledge equivalent to the knowledge presented in the graduate diploma level and who wishes to advance their knowledge to become an expert in the field

• Master of Defence Operations Research
• Master of Operations Research and Systems
• Master of Operations Research and Statistics

Different Plans Descriptions

Plan Description - Master of Operations Research and Systems

The MSc in Operations Research and Systems is designed for postgraduate scholars with appropriate undergraduate qualifications in a relevant science discipline and/or extensive professional experience who wish to develop a high level understanding of the principles and practice of the scientific approach for decision making. The program will strengthen their skills in system thinking, analysis, modelling, problem solving and decision making. Its consideration of a wide range of analytical techniques and systemic approaches to decision making, makes it suitable to both the professional working in the field as well as the student wishing to develop or employ those skills in higher level research.

Plan Description - Master of Operations Research and Statistics

The MSc in Operations Research and Statistics is designed for postgraduate scholars with appropriate undergraduate qualifications in a relevant science discipline and/or extensive professional experience who wish to develop a high level understanding of the principles and practice of operations research and statistical analysis and to strengthen their skills in analysis, problem solving and decision making. Its consideration of a wide range of analytical and quantitative techniques makes it suitable to both the professional analyst and to the student wishing to develop or employ those skills in higher level research.

Plan Description - Master of Defence Operations Research

The MSc in Defence Operations Research is only available to participants in DSTO's Continuing Education Initiative. It is designed for postgraduate scholars with undergraduate qualifications in a relevant science discipline and/or extensive professional experience, to provide a comprehensive understanding of decision making, analysis and operations research techniques relevant to researchers in the Defence sector.

Plan Description - Graduate Diploma Science in Operations Research and Systems

The GradDipSc in Operations Research and Systems is designed for postgraduate scholars with undergraduate qualifications in a relevant discipline and/or appropriate professional experience who wish to develop an enhanced understanding of the principles and practice of the scientific approach for decision making. They develop their skills in system thinking, analysis, modelling, problem solving and decision making. The diploma provides an advanced qualification for professionals working in these areas as well as the foundations for students wishing to proceed to higher levels of study in the discipline.

Plan Description - Graduate Diploma Science in Operations Research and Statistics

The GradDipSc in Operations Research and Statistics is designed for postgraduate scholars with undergraduate qualifications in a relevant discipline and/or appropriate professional experience who wish to develop an enhanced understanding of the principles and practice of operations research and statistical analysis and to develop their skills in analysis, problem solving and decision making. The diploma provides an advanced qualification for professional analysts, modellers and statisticians and the foundations for students wishing to proceed to higher levels of study in the discipline.

Plan Description - Graduate Diploma Science in Defence Operations Research

The plan is designed for postgraduate scholars with undergraduate qualifications in a relevant science discipline and/or extensive professional experience, to provide a comprehensive understanding of decision making, analysis and operations research techniques relevant to researchers in the Defence sector.

Plan Description - Graduate Certificate Science in Operations Research and Statistics

The GradCertScience in Operations Research and Statistics is designed for students with an undergraduate degree or established profession in another field who wish to gain an understanding of the principles and practice of operations research and statistical analysis and to develop skills in analysis, problem solving and decision making. The certificate assists professionals to understand and be able to employ operations research and statistical analysis skills in their own environment.

The GradCertScience in Operations Research and Statistics forms the first step in a sequence of study to Graduate Diploma and Masters qualifications in the discipline. The certificate also allows students with the relevant academic or professional background to acquire a qualification for advanced study in a more specialised aspect of the program without the need to complete all the requirements of a Graduate Diploma or Masters degree.

Plan Description - Graduate Certificate Science in Defence Operations Research

The plan is designed for students with an undergraduate degree or established profession in another field who wish to gain an understanding of decision making, analysis and operations research techniques relevant to researchers in the Defence sector.

The GradCertScience in Defence Operations Research forms the first step in a sequence of study to Graduate Diploma and Masters qualifications in the discipline.

Courses and plans

Contact

For inquiries about the OR program, please email the school at: seit@adfa.edu.au