MSc Operations Research and Analytics

London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London

With study in practice and theory, you'll gain insight into analytics problems faced by businesses, governments, and nonprofits. On the practical side, you'll learn how to model a range of real-world problems using optimisation, stochastic simulation, and machine learning, using specialist software taught in tutorial sessions. On the theoretical side, you'll learn to recognise canonical underlying mathematical problems, and how to solve them with state-of-the-art methods. Courses are taught by faculty members with world-leading research profiles, who can provide insights that will give you a deeper understanding and a competitive edge. In the first term, you'll learn the fundamentals of operations research and machine learning. In the second term, you can choose from a range of courses in mathematics, statistics, finance, and management. Course topics include algorithms and computation, optimisation, game theory, and further topics in machine learning and AI. You'll undertake a final project where, working in a consultancy role and using the tools you have learned in the degree, you'll tackle a real problem faced by a partner organisation. Past and present partners include Amazon, BT, British Airways, Emirates Airlines, FICO, Ford Motor Company, Just Eat, Legal and General, the National Audit Office, and Transport for London. As an alternative to the project, more theoretically minded students can write a dissertation supervised by a faculty member.