Courses

Concepts of operations research methodology including objective functions, constraints and optimization. An introduction to linear and integer programming emphasizing transportation and logistics applications and an optimization software tool such as OPL/CPLEX.  If time permits, elementary mathematical models of Markov decision processes and waiting-line (queuing) models with Poisson arrival and exponential service.

This course focuses on design, modeling and optimization of global supply chain networks. The course deals with modeling approaches and quantitative tools and techniques for design and optimization of global supply chain networks. The course also covers information systems and technologies for supply chain planning and coordination. The topics covered include: supply chain strategy formulation, performance metrics, new forecasting models applicable for supply chain contexts, newsvendor models for capacity and aggregate planning, models for location and design of supply and distribution entities, inter-organizational planning, advanced planning systems, multi-echelon inventory management techniques,  distribution requirements planning (DRP) systems, joint transportation-inventory models, and pricing and revenue management techniques. The course will be taught in a manner that will enable you to obtain APICS professional certification (CPIM / CFPIM) with minimum preparation after the course. 

As an example of a Complex Adaptive System (CAS), the behavior of transportation systems emerges as a result of the interactions among the many different components that make up the system.   This course will introduce students to the different transportation system components, and will then review some of the fundamental concepts regarding transportation systems and how they may be modeled.  The discussion will include both passenger transportation as well as freight transportation.

The purpose of this course is to provide students with a general background in the application of various statistical and econometric analysis techniques and to provide new ideas for analyzing data in their research. The course will focus in a number of model-estimation methods that are used in engineering data analysis. While examples will be drawn primarily from civil and transportation engineering, the methods presented have broad applications to a variety of data-analysis applications in engineering and beyond, and these will also be discussed in the course. The material covered goes well beyond the techniques typically covered in statistics courses. The underlying theory and limitations will be discussed to ensure that the methods are properly applied and understood. The NLOGIT/LIMDEP software will be used, but no prior knowledge necessary.

This course covers global logistics and distribution issues, dealing with the management of physical material flows, documentation, and information flows in cross-border supply chains. Logistics issues such as intermodal transportation, e-fulfillment, cross-border trade regulations, reverse logistics, and design of sustainable supply chains are dealt with. The optimum design of distribution systems, inventory positioning in distribution networks, selection of optimal transportation modes, inter-modal transport, etc. are also covered. Emerging technologies such as warehouse management systems (WMS), distribution requirements planning (DRP), radio frequency identification (RFID), geographical information systems (GIS), global positioning systems (GPS) applications are also covered. Both qualitative issues (such as regulatory issues, INCO terms and documentation) as well quantitative tools and techniques such as the use of Route Assist software will be covered. 

This course addresses the design, operation, control and management of transportation facilities. Topics covered in the course include geometric design of roadways, capacity analysis for freeway segments, signal timing and design, and intersection design and layout. Students are introduced to a number of traffic analysis and traffic simulation software, including SYNCHRO and SimTraffic. Students are required to undertake a comprehensive term project that involves detailed analysis and/or simulation of a transportation facility and write a survey-type paper on a topic of recent interest that is related to traffic operations and design. LEC. Prerequisite: Senior or graduate standing.

The focus of this course is on the theory and practice underlying the analysis and modeling of individual people's choice behavior with applications to transportation planning, travel demand forecasting, and travel behavior analysis. The course will provide students with an understanding of the theory, methods, application and interpretation of multinomial Logit (MNL), Nested Logit and other members of the Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) family of models. It will also include an introduction to Mixed Logit models. Meanwhile, the course will use a class project as an opportunity for students to explore their interest in analyzing discrete choice behavior.

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the principles of traffic safety with a focus on safety modeling, methods, and applications.  More specific topics include: safety audits; identification and prediction of hazardous locations; safety hot spots and countermeasures; traffic conflicts; accident frequency analysis; accident rate analysis; accident injury-severity analysis; selecting safety projects; intersection safety; human behavior in accident analysis.  NLOGIT (LIMDEP) software will be used in this course, but no prior knowledge is necessary.

This course is designed to provide students with the fundamentals of highway design including layout, horizontal and vertical alignment, earthwork requirements, intersection design, and safety considerations.  Students will be taught how to use existing computer software to generate and evaluate designs.  The course includes a significant project component.

Teaches the analytical tools necessary to effectively tackle the problem of designing the layout of a productive facility. Both non-quantitative and quantitative, computer-based approaches are detailed. The course also discusses location problems, i.e., analytical methods to determine optimal locations of machines/workcenters in a manufacturing facility. Also, the course discusses warehouse storage policies, i.e., analytical methods for effective management of warehouse storage space. Finally, there is discussion of automated guided vehicles and their utility in a modern flexible manufacturing system.

This course covers the production management related problems in manufacturing systems. It blends quantitative and qualitative material, theoretical and practical perspectives, and thus, bears relevance for academic as well as industrial pursuits. The introduction consists of the production and operations management strategy. The topics covered include simple forecasting methods, workforce planning, inventory control, production planning, materials requirements planning, operations scheduling, and project management. Recent developments in production management such as just-in-time (JIT) inventory systems, and flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) are also discussed.

The course explains the principles of social influence, including the emergence of opinion cascades and tipping points, the uses of analytics in application to network data, and the ways to describe complex patterns in social networks and run statistical test with such data. It is a breadth-focused course that will enhance your understanding of science overall and of the phenomena that take place in online social communities - platforms, forums, Q&A communities, online game worlds. The course covers a diversity of topics highly relevant to modern quantitative analytics, and gives an introduction into specialized software for analyzing networks.

This is a first course in decision analysis that extends the domain of decision making problems from those considered in traditional statistical hypothesis testing scenarios. The course consists of three major sections: 1) modeling decisions, where the emphasis is on structuring decision problems using techniques such as influence diagrams and decision trees; 2) modeling uncertainty, which covers subjective probability assessment, the use of classical probability models, Bayesian analysis, and value of information; and 3) modeling preferences, which introduces the concepts of risk preference, expected utility, and multi-attribute value and utility models. This course is dual-listed with IE 412.

This course discusses the principles of green manufacturing including (1) lower usage of materials and energy (2) substitution of non-renewable with renewable input materials (3) reduce unwanted outputs/waste (4) close the loop (convert outputs to inputs through recycling, recovery, reuse) (5) re-engineering the structure of the systems through revised supply chain structure and changing the ownership concept in the system (introduction of product service systems).

This course focuses on the development of the fundamental programming skills required by today’s operations research (OR) professionals. In particular, Python will be the programming language employed by this course. The course will begin with an overview of general Python syntax and usage, and will then focus on the use of Python to solve a variety of classic/common problems encountered in the operations research and production systems domains.

A development of the mathematical theory of conflict, cooperation competition, and coercion among economic decision-makers. Classical n-person game theory and its relationship to linear programming. Dynamic cooperative games, their applications to decentralized control systems and the analysis of the behavior of decision-makers in organizations.

Solutions to graph theory and optimization problems on directed and undirected graphs. Shortest path, maximum flow, minimum weight flows, and matching problems. Also, the traveling salesman and Chinese postman problems.

This is an applied Operations Research course, where the focus is on the utilization of the analytical tools that students have learned in other Operations Research courses to study problems of urban significance. The course starts off with a review of basic probabilistic concepts. The first topic covered is that of geometrical probability, a powerful tool to approach urban problems. Then a discussion on queuing theory is presented. This is followed by a discussion of spatial queues that are used in modeling urban emergency service systems. The next topic is on network problems that are useful in an urban context. The final topic is on simulation modeling as applied to urban problems. All topics are reinforced with real-world examples and in-depth homework assignments.

This course is devoted to delivering, constructing, and implementing business forecasting analytical models and systems (with data) that are capable of enhancing decision making and providing decision support for managerial and policy decisions at the firm, industry, and country levels. It is emphasized that applications of predictive methodology and empirical analysis are an integral part of the course. Both methods and results provide solutions to problems and insights to decision makings.

This course focuses on production and inventory management problems in the entire supply chain, and the application of quantitative models and information systems and technologies for these problems. An enterprise resource planning (ERP) system platform is assumed and the course also covers the implementation aspects of ERP systems. The topics covered include supply chain strategy and coordination mechanisms, forecasting systems, aggregate planning, advanced planning systems (APS), master production scheduling, materials requirements planning (MRP) systems, inventory management for suppliers, manufacturers and distributors, cellular manufacturing, just-in-time (JIT) systems, lean manufacturing, optimized production technology (OPT), and flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) technologies. The completion of this course will enable students to take the certification examinations (CPIM/CFPIM) for American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS). Prerequisite: MGO 630.

This course deals with design, control, and operation of supply chains for competing effectively in the context of global operations management. Both manufacturing and service (such as health care) industry supply chains are covered. The topics covered include: state-of-the-art qualitative and quantitative techniques for optimum configuration of in-bound and outbound logistics, principles of postponement in design, processes and logistics, mass customization, global location factors for offices, plants and distribution centers, collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) systems, countering bullwhip effects in supply chains, vendor managed inventory (VMI), strategic alliances and partnering, global purchasing and buyer-supplier relationships, and the complexities of the material, information, and cash flows across international borders. This course supplements MGS 616, which covers e-commerce integration aspects of supply chains. 

This course focuses on purchasing and supply management principles and practices in the context of global supply chains. The importance of purchasing is primarily due to the fact that the value of materials procured in manufacturing, and service supply chains such as retail can be more than 65% of the cost of the goods sold. Given the globalization of supply sources, it has become increasingly necessary to understand the complexities of global supply markets, cross-border legal aspects of purchasing, global vendor development, systematic reduction of supply risk, strategic alliances and supply network building, vendor managed inventory (VMI) contracts, and new forms of negotiation strategies with suppliers. Purchasing practices to support lean organizations to ensure just-in-time delivery on a global basis are also covered. In addition, given the growth of internet technology, e-commerce technologies to support purchasing, and supplier relationship management (SRM) systems are also be covered. 

In this course, we will focus on the environmental impact of business operations, by taking a cradle to cradle approach that includes raw material acquisition through manufacturing use, end of life disposal (reuse/recycling/re-manufacturing).  The topics covered include tools and techniques needed to quantify environmental impact in supply chains such as life cycle assessment and carbon foot printing, environmental legislation, design for the environment, recycling and re-manufacturing, energy efficiency, energy efficiency, eco-certification, responsible sourcing and managing supply of renewable resources. The formulation of business and supply chain strategies that lead to actionable, proactive agenda for sustainability that not only ensures profitability for the firm but also social and environmental responsibility will be the central theme of this course. This course is dual listed with MGO 439.

The Transportation issues are at the top of national news as part of what is described as a "transportation revolution." Autonomous vehicles, electric fleets, flying cars, and hyper-loops are but a few examples of large-scale impending impacts in mobility, city planning, financial structures, and consumer behavior. Students will be immersed in a wide range of current topics through discussion and analyses of the changing face of transportation. Guest speakers, news articles and team projects all will be elements of the course.

Examines goals of strategic urban transportation planning to develop sustainable transportation systems for an urban area to promote desirable patterns of human activities. Using case studies, introduces methods for the sustainable development of urban transportation system through a strategic perspective. Investigates how technology is used to produce estimates of future travel demand and utilization of urban transportation facilities. Considers how strategic urban transportation planning evolves in response to changes in environmental sustainability, energy, development patterns, and intergovernmental coordination at the state, local, and federal levels. Includes lectures, discussions, site visits, and fieldwork. May be offered on an intermittent basis.

Evolution of the U.S. transportation system; contemporary transportation problems: provision of transportation, transport networks, transport flows, urban transportation, logistics, information technologies; transport and urban forms.

This course will provide students with a final integrative experience. Students will use the skills acquired during the other classes in executing project goals. Students will provide short reports to supervising faculty to ensure that learning objectives are being met. Project must be approved by the advisor.

This course is 3 credit hours. Students opting for the Master's Project only need to take 4, 3-credit electives in addition to this course to fulfill degree requirements.

This course will provide students with a final integrative experience. Through the thesis students will design, implement, complete and report on significant and original, independent research related to the content learned in the Sustainable Transportation and Logistics, Students will conduct their research under the supervision of their major advisor and a thesis committee.

This courses is 6 credit hours. Students opting for the Master's Thesis as their culminating experience only need to take 3, 3-credit electives in addition to this course to fulfill degree requirements.