DRO

Key Differentiators

• Full funding for five years
• Freedom to choose an advisor
• Small student-faculty ratio
• Close mentorship of each student by the entire division
• Rigorous coursework
• Cutting-edge interdisciplinary research
• Unrivaled placements in top academic and industry positions

The Decision, Risk, and Operations (DRO) division at Columbia Business School is a world leader in research in quantitative, data-driven decision-making through the use of modeling, optimization and the management of uncertainty, and all the other aspects of the operations and analytics functions in firms. Application areas in which the division has strong expertise include revenue management; logistics, distribution and supply-chain management; resource networks and service systems; healthcare operations; marketplace design; quantitative finance, modern market microstructure, and risk management; econometrics; and business analytics. See our Research page for more information about our expertise and faculty's recent research talks.

The doctoral program in the DRO division at Columbia Business School is designed to lead a small group of outstanding students to successful research careers in academia and industry. Our students have the opportunity to work with faculty who are leaders in the field holding top editorial positions, and regularly honored with society awards and recognitions. Moreover, our weekly internal Brown Bag seminar gives students the opportunity to regularly present their research to the entire division and receive feedback. See Academics page for more information about our PhD program.

Admission to the DRO division at Columbia Business school is highly competitive. Superior academic performance is expected, and a strong background in and facility with mathematics are essential for successful completion of the program. Please refer to our Admissions page for more information, or access the application portal online (deadline: December 15th, 2023).

The DRO division at Columbia Business School has a track record of training scholars who go on to become academics or research scientists at many of the world’s most prestigious institutions and companies. Our placement success is due in part to the close working relationship that students develop with the faculty in the division. The School intentionally keeps the PhD program small making it easier for students to find faculty collaborators and thrive. See our Placement page for more information.

The Columbia Business School doctoral community consists of 125 students across six programs. The program attracts exceptional students from all over the world who are looking to develop research skills under the tutelage of faculty experts. Students come to the School for the exceptional training but also because they value the diversity, creativity, entrepreneurship and social tolerance that NYC offers.

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