MBA Emphasis in Decision Sciences/Operations Research

Professor Susan Cholette in a classroom setting

Students in the Decision Sciences/Operations Research emphasis learn to apply analytical methods and computer-based tools to problems in a wide variety of settings.

Five courses are recommended for the emphasis:

Three 800-level DS courses, plus
Two adviser-approved 800-level electives

Core Courses

DS 852: Managerial Decision-Making (offered both fall & spring in the Quantitative Track) –Business decision-making through data driven analysis in the spreadsheet environment.

DS 816: Seminar in Business Forecasting (Spring only) - Quantitative and qualitative methods for short, medium, and long range forecasting.

DS 853: Seminar in Data Analysis (Fall only) - Sampling techniques and exploratory methods of data analysis; methods of multivariate data analysis applied to business problems.

DS 855: Supply Chain Management (Fall only) - Concepts of competitive strategy and sustainability; aggregate planning and managing the marketing/operations interface; inventory management and procurement strategy; design of supply chain networks; and the role of IT.

DS 856: Seminar in Project Management (Spring only) – The full range of issues faced by project managers including the project life cycle; technical, human, and organizational issues; planning, scheduling, and controlling the timing, resources, and costs of a project.

Suggested Electives

ECON 825: Applied Time Series Econometrics
FIN 820: Seminar in Financial Risk Management
FIN 825: Seminar in Investments
HTM 831: Service Operations Management
HTM 858: Principles of Yield & Revenue Management
ISYS 850: Seminar in Business Intelligence
ISYS 869: Business Process Management
MKTG 864: Seminar in Marketing Research

Faculty Advisers

Ramesh Bollapragada
Susan Cholette
Sada Soorapanth
Julia Miyaoka
Robert Saltzman

COVID-19 and Our Campus

Your health and safety is our paramount concern at SF State. During the COVD-19 pandemic, every member of our Gator community is expected to do their part in keeping fellow students, faculty, and staff safe and well. Feeling well and safe will support you in focusing on your academic success.

For the limited number of classes meeting face-to-face, in-person class attendance is an option but not a requirement. Students who do not wish to or are unable to comply with these requirements will be allowed to take the class virtually or provided with other remote options for course completion.

Please consult the campus plan website (https://news.sfsu.edu/campus-plan) for up-to-date information and explanation of requirements. For all students attending in-person, the following are required:

Wear a face covering when around other people outside of those in your household.
Stay at least 6 feet physically distant from people outside the members of your household.
Stay home if you have one or more symptoms of COVID-19 (Please check in with the SF DPH website for the most up-to-date symptoms & testing: https://www.sfcdcp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/GetTestedSF-Eng-052920.pdf
If you would like to discuss reasonable accommodations based on disability related to COVID- 19, please contact the Disability Programs & Resource Center: dprc@sfsu.edu

Information is changing rapidly, as our health professionals, scholars, and researchers are learning more about COVID-19, and as such, we encourage you, if you are a current student, to frequently check your San Francisco State University email account and https://news.sfsu.edu/campus-plan/students-families for the most current information.

You are encouraged to keep your emergency information updated on Campus Solutions in order to receive campus emergency alerts: https://upd.sfsu.edu/ENSFAQ
You are also encouraged to provide your contact information to receive city of SF emergency alerts, including COVID-19 updates and instructions for public safety: https://sfdem.org/get-city-alerts
If you have any questions regarding COVID-19 or your own health during this time, please reach out to Student Health Services: https://health.sfsu.edu
If you are feeling overwhelmed, you are encouraged to connect with our on-campus health professionals in Counseling & Psychological Services: https://caps.sfsu.edu
If you are looking for education on how to keep yourself and your loved ones healthy, then reach out to our Health Promotion & Wellness Team: https://wellness.sfsu.edu

AACSB Accredited

Accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International since 1964, the Lam Family College of Business at San Francisco State University provides a high quality business education to a diverse learning community through innovative teaching, research, and support. We are one of just five percent of all business schools worldwide that meet the rigorous standards for this accreditation.

University Updates