Admissions
Deadlines
Deadline for fall admission to the Ph.D. Program is December 15 of the previous year. We do not process admissions for the spring semester.
Financial Aid
Substantial financial aid is available to outstanding Ph.D. applicants. Almost all students admitted to the ORIE Ph.D. program receive full financial aid in the form of a full tuition waiver, stipend, and health insurance, either from a fellowship, research assistantship, or teaching assistantship. Full stipends are given for nine months; additional summer support is usually available.
Admission to the Ph.D. program is based solely on academic merit. Financial need plays no role in the admission procedure. Completed applications and all accompanying online materials received by December 15 will be automatically considered for financial aid. A separate financial aid application is not needed.
Students interested in pursuing the Ph.D. in Operations Research and Information Engineering apply online through the Cornell University Graduate School. Admission is then determined by faculty members in the Field of Operations Research. The application fee is $95; in cases of extreme financial need, the Graduate School will consider a request for a fee waiver. A letter of request for a waiver and documentation of need must be submitted to the Cornell University Graduate School prior to applying.
A completed online application includes: statement of purpose, transcripts, 3 letters of recommendation, official GRE scores, and official TOEFL scores (if applicable). Resumes and additional attachments may be submitted within the supplementary information section of the application.
Please note that when you are filling out the application for Ph.D., the Proposed Degree Program is Operations Research (Ph.D.), and the Major Subjects or Concentrations for Ph.D. students are: Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Applied Probability and Statistics, or Mathematical Programming. We do not have an approved concentration in Financial Engineering for the Ph.D. program. However, we do have faculty specializing in that area that students can work with.
Statement of Purpose
This should describe your objectives in pursuing the Ph.D. degree program in ORIE.
Transcripts
Please upload within the online application a copy of a transcript from each college or university you have attended. Please do not send transcripts through the postal mail. Hard copies of official transcripts will be requested for admitted students only.
Letters of Recommendation
Three letters of recommendation are required for application to the Ph.D. Letters from academic contacts are preferred, but if necessary one letter can be from a business contact, specifically describing your accomplishments. Electronic recommendation requests are generated within the process of submitting the online application.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
GREs are required. We do not accept GMAT results. A subject test (preferably in mathematics, engineering, or computer science) is encouraged, but not required. Official scores from the testing service must be reported, and admission cannot be finalized until received. University Code is 2098 for score reporting.
Average GPA and GRE scores of recent admits to the Ph.D. program:
- Undergraduate overall GPA = 3.93/4.00
- GRE verbal = 536
- GRE quantitative = 793
- GRE analytical = 4.17
TOEFL
All applicants whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum score of 250 computer based, or the following minimum iBT scores are required for admission: Writing (20), Listening (15), Reading (20), Speaking (22). Admission is not possible if any score is below the minimum in each category as set by the Cornell Graduate School. However, in addition to these basic minimum scores in each category, ORIE requires a minimum total TOEFL score of 100 (iBT) for admission. We do not currently accept IELTS scores in place of the TOEFL.
TOEFL is not required of applicants who have studied full-time for two or more years in a college or university where English is the language of instruction and the college or university is located in a country where English is the native language. Applicants from Singapore are not exempt and must take the TOEFL. Cornell University score reporting code is 2098. Official reporting of TOEFL scores from the testing service is required, and admission cannot be finalized until scores are received. We do not accept copies of scores. TOEFL scores are good for two years.
