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B.A. ORMS

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Application Opens:
August 1, 2022

Deadline to Apply:
November 30, 2022

What is IEOR?

In this award-winning video, IEOR students explain what industrial engineering & operations research is, how their skills can improve the world, and discuss exciting careers in IEOR.

  • IEOR is the process of inventing and designing ways to analyze and improve complex systems.
  • IEOR improves processes to create a better world.
  • IEOR utilizes math and statistics to understand and quantify the world around us.
  • IEOR leverages computing to better manage the massive amounts of information available today.
  • IEOR informs business strategy and operations to help leaders of industry and government make better decisions that save time and resources.

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Arts in Operations Research and Management Science (B.A. ORMS) program has four possible concentrations:

  • Decision Making in Economic Systems
  • Decision Making in Industrial and Service Systems
  • Decision Making in Societal Systems
  • Algorithmic Decision Making

The ORMS major in the IEOR Department has four general objectives for the Bachelor of Arts degree program. We aim for our BA degree graduates to become skilled in:

  • Quantitative modeling and analysis of a broad array of systems-level decision problems concerned with economic efficiency, productivity, and quality
  • Development and creative use of analytical and computational methods for solving these problems
  • Collection and analysis of data and the use of database and decision-support tools
  • Comprehension and analysis of risk and uncertainty

In addition, we expect our graduates will obtain the broader skills, background, and knowledge necessary to be effective life-long professionals who understand the impact of systems in a societal context in a rapidly changing global economy.

How to Apply

Thank you for your interest in becoming an ORMS Major. ORMS is a capped major.
All applicants must review the information below prior to submitting the application. We recommend that students apply during the semester that they are completing their final prerequisite courses. For most students, this is during their sophomore year. For transfer students, you must apply at the end of your first semester on the UC Berkeley campus.

You must be invited by IEOR to apply to the ORMS Major. 

Please submit your name on the waitlist and we will notify you when the application is available. To sign up for the waitlist, please follow the directions below. The online application will open before the start of a new semester. Until then the application will be closed.

Application Invitation Waitlist:

  1. Login to your berkeley.edu google account
  2. Visit here
  3. After you click "Save" on the google group, you are added to the list and will receive an invitation to apply during the next application cycle

Contact:

If you have any questions please email our Student Affairs Officer for ORMS Ginnie Sadil to schedule a meeting or to ask questions.

Email: orms@berkeley.edu
4145 Etcheverry Hall

To schedule a meeting: https://ieorugrad.youcanbook.me

Application Requirements

Spring '20, Fall '20, and Spring '21 admissions update for ORMS:

Students applying with prerequisite coursework taken in Spring '20, Fall '20, and Spring '21 for P/NP will be able to count "passed" coursework towards the ORMS admissions requirements.  However, no more than two prerequisite courses may be taken for a passing grade.  We STRONGLY encourage students to take their math prerequisites for a letter grade, as they are foundational for advanced classes.

In calculating the admission GPA for Spring '20, Fall '20, and Spring '21 courses, "P" grades will be considered an earned "B" and will be calculated accordingly.  If students earn a grade better than a "B" in the course but have chosen to take the course P/NP, they can petition for an exception if a memo can be provided with the earned grade noted.

GPA Requirement

Maintaining a 3.2 (at Berkeley) GPA in Math 53 and 54, Econ 1, 2, or 3, and UGBA 10 is required.

Unit Cap/Semester Cap

Students who entered Berkeley as a freshman must apply for admission by the end of their fifth semester (does not include summers or withdrawn semesters) or prior to the accumulation of 80 units (does not include units earned in high school, but does include units in-progress at the time of application); whichever comes second. For most students, this is the fifth semester.

Transfer students must apply for admission by the end of their first semester. Summer session prior to the academic year does not count as the first semester.

Prerequisite Coursework

Math 53, Math 54, Econ 1, 2 or 3, and UGBA 10 must be completed prior to acceptance to the major and all must be taken for a letter grade (see the Admissions Update for spring '20, fall '20, and spring '21 exceptions). Students should apply to the major during the semester in which they are enrolled in their final prerequisites. Students should have a minimum of a 3.2 Berkeley GPA in the four prerequisite courses.

Course Equivalency

Equivalency of courses taken at other colleges and universities should be determined early in the application process. Articulation agreements with the California Community Colleges define specific course equivalencies. You can also look to see what classes at your CA Community College satisfy requirements through ASSIST: http://www.assist.org/web-assist/welcome.html

Major Requirements

ORMS Program Requirements

ORMS Degree Checklist prior to Fall 2019

ORMS Degree Checklist from Fall 2019

For examples of concentration, clusters visit the Berkeley guide.

View the tentative schedule of courses here.

Frequently Asked Questions