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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

General FAQ

An M.S. degree is not required for an application to the Ph.D. program.

The M.S. degree is designed to be completed in four semesters. Students may finish earlier or later depending on their course enrollment and research workload.

The research interest of the School of ISE are represented with six areas of concentration: Computational Optimization, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Human Factors, Manufacturing, Simulation and Stochastic Modeling, and Engineering Education. Our faculty actively seek funding, advise students, and publish in thses areas. Learn more about our areas of research concentration and which faculty participate in each area. More specific information can be found on individual faculty webpages.

Definitely. Like other engineering disciplines, research in industrial and systems engineering typically relies heavily on mathematics, and students with technical backgrounds tend to excel in an understanding of mathematics. Additional coursework may be advised to elevate a student's skill level in certain areas of industrial engineering in preparation for research.

Potentially. This question is best answered on a case-by-case basis. A lack of technical background will almost certainly require additional coursework to elevate the student's skill in technical areas (e.g., mathematics, statistics, engineering principles).

Yes. If we feel that a student is not prepared for Ph.D. study, we also consider that individual for admission to the School as an M.S. student. The student must then decide whether to join our program as an M.S. student.

If a potential applicant has questions about the specific research interests of individual faculty members or would like to discuss your own reserach interests with faculty members, they are encouraged to contact them directly by email at any time.

Admission

There is one submission required for both the Graduate College at the University of Oklahoma and the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering. To find out more about this and other application requirements, visit the Office of Graduate Admissions.

The University of Oklahoma’s application fee for U.S. citizens and permanent residents is $50. For international students, the application fee is $100.

We review applications for the graduate program throughout the year and do not have a specific deadline by which applications must be received for consideration. However, applications from international students require additional time for processing. International applicants for the Fall semester must apply for admission by April 1 and international applicants for the following Spring semester must apply by September 1. Applicants should apply earlier than these deadlines when possible.

The School of ISE tries to review graduate applications within two weeks of receipt of the application from the Graduate College. The School only receives applications from the Graduate College once prospective students have provided all necessary documentation to the Admissions Office. As soon as we confer a decision regarding your admission status, we will communicate with you via e-mail regarding our recommendation to the Graduate College. All decisions are finalized by and official notification is from the Graduate College.

No particular minimum score is defined. A competitive GRE score is typically considered to be one that is above 310 on combined Verbal and Quantitative portions and above 3.5 on the Analytical portion of the examination, with higher expectations for Ph.D. applicants and more flexibility for M.S. applicants. Though the School takes GRE scores very seriously in the admissions process, all of a student’s qualifications from the entire application submitted are considered, and the GRE score is only one component of the application.

Yes. We can provide initial review with an unofficial copy but an offiical copy from ETS is required for full admission. If students wish, they may submit an unofficial score. If our review of the application is favorable, we would offer conditional admission due to incomplete credentials. The condition would be lifted after receipt of the official GRE score from ETS.

The institution code for Univ Oklahoma Norman is 6879. To send a copy to the School of Industrial Engineering, use department code 1301.

The institution code for Univ Oklahoma Norman is 6879. The Industrial Engineering department code is 67.

We want our admissions process to be competitive, and we want exceptional students to learn and perform research with us. We carefully examine all of the components of the admissions application, including GPA, GRE, TOEFL, resume, recommendation letters, and statement of purpose. While we encourage all prospective students to apply to our department, we seek students who are competitive in the above areas of the admissions application.

It is normally the case that applicants to the doctoral program have a master's degree, but it is not mandatory. However, such an applicant should show strong evidence of the capability to conduct doctoral research in order to be successful. Even if such an applicant applies to the doctoral program, it is possible that he or she would be accepted to the M.S. program rather than the Ph.D. program if the admissions committee feels that is the best placement for the student.

Financial Assistance

The cost of attending the University of Oklahoma includes tuition, fees, books, housing (including room and board), transportation and miscellaneous living expenses. The actual cost of attending the University will vary depending on a student’s resident status, academic level, course load, housing arrangements, personal needs and spending habits.

For the most up to date Tuition and Fee please visit the Bursar's Office website.

Also, keep in mind that Norman, Oklahoma, the city in which OU is located, has a low cost of living. For more about the cost of living in Norman, visit the webpage of the Norman Chamber of Commerce.

Funding in the School of ISE is in the form of graduate research assistantships and graduate teaching assistantships. Graduate RAs are selected by individual School faculty with active research grants and students should contact faculty in their area of interest. Graduate TAs are selected by the department and entering students can apply for one of these limited positions.

RA and TA assignments are made based on the qualifications and ability of the student and the requirements of the position.

Research Assistantships are awarded by individual faculty to students with a strong research aptitude and who have the necessary skills to perform the specific research tasks. Often these are students who are working towards a Ph.D. degree, however an M.S. student with specific skills needed by a project (e.g., strong programming abilities) will be considered very favorably.

Typically a new incoming M.S. student does not receive financial aid from the School of ISE. Although we tend to not provide funding to incoming M.S. students, an M.S. student can apply for funding after completing his/her first semester. The likelihood of receiving a research assistantship depends upon many factors, including the ability and initiative of the student, the match between skills/interests of the student and the current research conducted by a faculty member, and, last but not least, the availability of funds for specific research projects. M.S. students who possess exceptional research capability and demonstrate a strong work ethic are more likely to be funded than others.

The School of ISE does not typically provide funding to incoming students. However, we do give priority to current Ph.D. students when making RA and TA assignments. It is our goal to support all of our full-time PhD students, and currently a sizable majority of Ph.D. students are supported.

The likelihood of receiving a research assistantship depends upon many factors, including the ability and initiative of the student, the match between skills/interests of the student and the current research conducted by a faculty member, and, last but not least, the availability of funds for specific research projects.

Research Assistantships are awarded to students with a strong research aptitude and who have the necessary skills to perform the specific research tasks. A Ph.D. student is typically supported by his/her advisor as an RA or TA for at least some of his/er time as a Ph.D. With regard to timing, the point when funding is awarded depends upon the ability and initiative of the student, the match between skills/interest of the student and the current research conducted by a faculty member, and the availability of funds for specific research projects.

Students with specific skills needed by a project (e.g., strong programming abilities), exceptional research capability, and/or at least reasonable written fluency in English are the first to be considered.