MSc Management Science (Operational Research) MSc Management Science (Decision Sciences)

About the MSc programme

This programme (divided into two streams) is based in the Management Science Group (formerly known as Operational Research) and offers the following benefits:

• The chance to choose options that reflect your interests.
• Teaching which takes students up to the frontiers of research in management science.
• Preparation for employment in management consultancies, major companies and organisations in the public and voluntary sectors.
• An opportunity to learn about theory in action by engaging in an organisation based project.

You should normally have a good upper second class degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline, and should have taken first year university mathematics and statistics courses. If you do not meet all these criteria, but have relevant post-degree work experience and an enquiring mind, we would encourage you to apply.

This MSc will give you a firm grounding in management science techniques and enable you to develop interests in theoretical or applied areas of your choice. This includes the opportunity to study new developments in the area of your choice: operational research or decision sciences.

The programme involves completing the equivalent of three full units and a project report or dissertation. Contact hours for the taught elements of the programme (ie not Applied Management Science or Management Science Dissertation) will be approximately 200.

Graduates from the Group generally find ready employment in financial institutions, consultancies, government departments and software houses both here and overseas, while some go on to pursue academic careers.

Operational Research Stream

Compulsory courses

(* half unit)

• Techniques of Operational Research*
• Computer Modelling: Applied Statistics and Simulation*
• Model Building in Mathematical Programming* 
• Either Applied Management Science or Dissertation: MSc Management Science  

Options

Choose three from below:  

• Mathematical Programming: Theory and Algorithms*
• Advanced Behavioural Decision Making* 
• Combinatorial Optimisation* 
• Advanced Topics in Operational Research*
• Either Systems Thinking and Strategic Modelling* or System Dynamics Modelling*
• Principles of Decision Sciences*
• Advanced Decision Sciences*
• Operational Research and Decision Sciences in Practice* 
• Operations Management*
• Financial Accounting, Reporting and Disclosure*
• Organisational Behaviour*
• Organisational Change*
• Innovating Organisational Information Technology*
• Search Games*
• Principles and Methods of Statistical Practice* 
• Time Series*
• Global Business Management* 

At least one option must be chosen from the first eight listed.

Decision Sciences Stream

Compulsory courses

(* half unit)  

• Computer Modelling: Applied Statistics and Simulation* 
• Principles of Decision Sciences*
• Advanced Decision Sciences* 
• Either Applied Management Science or Dissertation: MSc Management Science † 

Options

Choose three from below:  

• Techniques of Operational Research*
• Advanced Behavioural Decision Making*
• Advanced Topics in Operational Research*
• Either Systems Thinking and Strategic Modelling* or System Dynamics Modelling* 
• Operational Research and Decision Sciences in Practice* 
• Operations Management*
• Organisational Behaviour*
• Organisational Change*  
• Game Theory I* 
• The Analysis of Strategy A*
• Global Business Management*

At least one option must be chosen from the first five listed

† Towards the end of the programme you can choose either to experience the practical world of operational research or decision sciences through a three month summer project where you apply theory to tackle a real problem in an organisation, presented as a written 'management report', or to undertake a dissertation on a research subject of your choice.

Note that not all options are available every year.

Additional specialist topics may also be available.

You can take other master's level options taught at the School with permission.