Courses & Seminars

In addition to individual requirements from the areas of study, known as major field requirements, all Ph.D. students are required to take 13 quarter courses from outside the major field of study.
School Year Summer Fall Winter Spring
YEAR June - August September - December January - March April - June
1st
Linear Programming
-
Applied Probability
-
Mathematical Methods in Economics
Convex Optimization
-
Stochastic Processes
-
Queueing Theory
Large-scale Optimization
-
Operations Management I
-
Real Analysis
2nd
Research Assistant Microeconomics
-
Econometrics
-
Network Flows & Integer Programming
Multivariate Statistics
-
Dynamic Programming
-
Operations Management II
Decision Theory
3rd
Research Assistant Electives Electives Electives
4th
Research Assistant Dissertation Dissertation Dissertation
5th
Research Assistant Dissertation Dissertation Dissertation

1st YEAR

Fall

September – December
 

Linear Programming
-
Applied Probability
-
Mathematical Methods in Economics

Winter

January – March
 

Convex Optimization
-
Stochastic Processes
-
Queueing Theory

Spring

April – June
 

Large-scale Optimization
-
Operations Management I
-
Real Analysis

2nd YEAR

Summer

June – August
 

Research Assistant

Fall

September – December
 

Microeconomics
-
Econometrics
-
Network Flows & Integer Programming

Winter

January – March
 

Multivariate Statistics
-
Dynamic Programming
-
Operations Management II

Spring

April – June
 

Decision Theory

3rd YEAR

Summer

June – August
 

Research Assistant

Fall

September – December
 

Electives

Winter

January – March
 

Electives

Spring

April – June
 

Electives

4th YEAR

Summer

June – August
 

Research Assistant

Fall

September – December
 

Dissertation

Winter

January – March
 

Dissertation

Spring

April – June
 

Dissertation

5th YEAR

Summer

June – August
 

Research Assistant

Fall

September – December
 

Dissertation

Winter

January – March
 

Dissertation

Spring

April – June
 

Dissertation

Core Course

MGMT PHD 201A,B,C

MGMTPHD 201A Probability, Statistics, and Computational Methods for Econometrics
Introduction to probabilistic, statistical, and computational tools needed for applied researchers in business fields. Probability theory, modes of convergence, hypothesis testing, Bayesian inference, R programming, linear algebra, numerical optimization, simulation methods, numerical integration

MGMTPHD 201B Theory and Application of Regression Analysis
Introduction to general regression analysis. Linear model, maximum likelihood and asymptotic tests, endogeneity, instrumental variables, differences-in-differences, regression-discontinuity design, propensity score matching, limited dependent variable models, introduction to panel data.

MGMTPHD 201C Time-Series Analysis
Introduction to time-series methods in analysis of business data. Basics of time series, optimal prediction, multiple equation time-series models, generalized method-of-moments, volatility modeling and nonnormalities, dynamic factor models.

Close

Decision Theory

MGMT PHD 258

Basics of single-person decision theory and introduction to non-cooperative game theory. Examination in some detail of von Neumann/Morgenstern expected utility theory. Other topics in decision theory include subjective expected utility theory and departures from expected utility behavior.

Close

Network Flows & Integer Programming

MGMT PHD 231

Survey course to (1) lay foundations for more advanced study of graphs, network flow models, and integer programming models and their applications, (2) establish connections between these technical foundations and real problems drawn from many areas of management, and (3) build professional skills needed to apply these tools

Close

Models for Operations Planning, Scheduling and Control

MGMT PHD 241A

Foundations of operations planning, scheduling, and control, with emphasis on formal models and their applications. Aggregate planning, work force scheduling, inventory management, and detailed operations scheduling and control.

Close

Dynamic Programming

MGMT PHD 257

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to dynamic programming (DP) as a general solution approach for problems that have an inter-temporal nature or lend themselves to being solved sequentially. The course will cover the DP recursion or Bellman equation mostly for discrete time problems. That includes finite and infinite horizon as well as deterministic and stochastic transitions. The continuous time case will only be covered for deterministic or Semi-Markovian settings.

Close

Stochastic Modeling with Applications to Telecommunication Systems

EE 232A

Stochastic processes as applied to study of telecommunication systems, traffic engineering, business, and management. Discrete-time and continuous-time Markov chain processes. Renewal processes, regenerative processes, Markov-renewal, semi-Markov and semiregenerative stochastic processes. Decision and reward processes. Applications to traffic and queueing analysis of basic telecommunications and computer communication networks, Internet, and management systems.

Close

Telecommunication Switching and Queueing Systems

EE 232B

Modeling, analysis, and design of queueing systems with applications to switching systems, communications networks, wireless systems and networks, and business and management systems. Modeling, analysis, and design of Markovian and non-Markovian queueing systems. Priority service systems. Queueing networks with applications to computer communications, Internet, and management networks.

Close

Linear Programming

EE 236A

Basic graduate course in linear optimization. Geometry of linear programming. Duality. Simplex method. Interior-point methods. Decomposition and large-scale linear programming. Quadratic programming and complementary pivot theory. Engineering applications. Introduction to integer linear programming and computational complexity theory.

Close

Convex Optimization

EE 236B

Introduction to convex optimization and its applications. Convex sets, functions, and basics of convex analysis. Convex optimization problems (linear and quadratic programming, second-order cone and semidefinite programming, geometric programming). Lagrange duality and optimality conditions. Applications of convex optimization. Unconstrained minimization methods. Interior-point and cutting-plane algorithms. Introduction to nonlinear programming.

Close

Optimization Methods for Large-scale Systems

EE 236C

First-order algorithms for convex optimization: subgradient method, conjugate gradient method, proximal gradient and accelerated proximal gradient methods, block coordinate descent. Decomposition of large-scale optimization problems. Augmented Lagrangian method and alternating direction method of multipliers. Monotone operators and operator-splitting algorithms. Second-order algorithms: inexact Newton methods, interior-point algorithms for conic optimization.

Close

Mathematical Methods in Economics

ECON 200

Examination of mathematical methods used in graduate-level courses in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and quantitative methods. Topics include real analysis, linear algebra and matrices, calculus of many variables, static optimization, convex analysis, and dynamics and dynamic optimization.

Close

Microeconomics: Theory of Firm and Consumer

ECON 201A

Two input/two output model. Walrasian equilibrium and Pareto efficiency. Choice over time -- consumer savings and firm investment decisions. Choice under uncertainty -- state claims model, asset pricing.

Close

Seminars

 
Three different seminar series provide a collegial forum for accessing the intellectual capital you need to succeed. These seminars further prepare our Ph.D. students for research, presentation and job market success.

Faculty Seminars

These seminars are hosted by your Area of study and closed to the public; distinguished faculty from other universities present their latest papers and findings.

On June 6, 2014, Professor Georgia Perakis of MIT’s Sloan School of Management presented her paper “The Role of Optimization in Promotion Planning for Supermarkets.” The paper and talk centered on the Promotion Optimization Problem (POP), a challenging problem as the retailer needs to decide which products to promote, what is the depth of price discounts and finally, when to schedule the promotions. Introduced and discussed was an optimization formulation that captures several important business requirements as constraints. The formulation proposed solves fast in practice using actual data from a grocery retailer and that the accuracy is high. Research included calibrating the models using actual data and determined that retailers can improve profits by 3% just by optimizing the promotion schedule and up to 5% by slightly modifying some business requirements.

Recently, DOTM was also pleased to host Professor Francis de Vericourt from INSEAD. He presented his paper “Financing Capacity Investment Under Demand Uncertainty.” The paper studies the interplay between the operational and financial facets of capacity investment, and findings include that when higher demand realizations are more indicative of high effort, debt financing is optimal for any given capacity level. In this case, the optimal capacity is never below the efficient capacity level but sometimes strictly above that level.