Decision Sciences (DESC)

Related Catalog Entry: School of Management

Related Mason Website: School of Management (http://www.som.gmu.edu/index.htm)

If a student takes noncore, upper-level business courses before acceptance to the School of Management, those courses will not count on an undergraduate degree application for any major in the School of Management (except as general elective credit). A grade of C or higher must be presented on the graduation application for each upper-level course in the major. Prerequisites are strictly enforced. Degree status is defined as formal admission to the School of Management.

210 Statistical Analysis for Management (4:4:0). Prerequisites: MATH 108 or 113. Corequisite: MIS 102. Introduction to the application of statistical methods to support quantitative decision analysis in resolving business problems.

301 Decision Models in Business and Operations Management (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Completion of at least 48 credits including MATH 108 and DESC 210. Examination of the principal functions of operations managers in various settings. Analytic models are used to describe key planning and control activities in both product and service industries. Linear programming, service systems, network analysis, simulation, inventory models, quality control, forecasting, work measurement, and layout models are introduced as tools for effective management. Extensive use of computers in problem solving.

352 Methods and Models of Management Science (3:3:0). Prerequisites: DESC 301; degree status. Operation research for general management. Emphasis on effective application of math programming and stochastic process analysis. Topics include linear programming, integer programming, goal programming, decision theory, networks, simulation Markov processes, inventory theory, and queuing theory. Extensive use of microcomputer software in problem solving.

452 Business Forecasting (3:3:0). Prerequisites: DESC 210; degree status. Introduction to forecasting that examines alternative models and their application to a variety of business operations. Topics include trend analysis, moving averages, exponential smoothing, adaptive models, multiple regression and correlation, and time series analysis.

499 Independent Study in Decision Sciences (1-3:0:0). Prerequisites: DESC 352; degree status. Investigation of a business problem according to individual interest that uses state-of-the-art decision science methodology. By special arrangement with an instructor and approval from the associate dean for undergraduate programs.