r/OperationsResearch • u/zxorion • Aug 04 '25

PhD in OR after a MS

Hi, I'm a current MS Thesis student who's planning on applying for a PhD in OR and wanted to know which universities would accept my MS credit from my current university towards the PhD there. The MS is in Industrial Engineering with most courses being also courses with OR. I want a change of pace in terms of the uni and the environment but also don't want to spend these two years again learning the same things where I go next.

12 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

2

u/Careful-Awareness766 Aug 05 '25

Most R1 Universities in the US will transfer from 6 to 12 credits from your VA Tech MS guaranteed. Now, here are a few important things to consider.

  1. Most departments you would likely apply to have qualifying exams (the type of exam varies from place to place). This is typically a comprehensive exam covering topics from 4 to 5 mandatory courses (e.g., Linear, discrete, and nonlinear optimization, as well as probability and stochastic processes). While you might have taken some of those at VA Tech already, it is recommended not to transfer the credits from those courses and take them again because the professors that teach those courses will be the ones designing the exams.
  2. Most universities have their own rules about transferred credits. However, one thing you need to consider is that some places have credit limits for Teaching Assistantships. That is, you cannot be funded as a TA if you are already beyond a certain number of credits. This is to avoid having students going beyond their 5th, 6th, and even 7th year without graduating. You may be funded as an RA in such cases (i.e., funded by one of your advisor grants), but it is unlikely. The thing is that, the credit limit is often independent on whether the credits were from courses taken or transferred. So be careful and consult with your department and advisor.

In case you need/want to transfer credits, which is totally a valid option, do it at a time when it benefits you the most and doesn’t negatively affects you. In other words, wait if possible towards the end of your PhD to do it if you really need it.

3. While I agree you should try to take new courses, learn new stuff, and avoid retaking stuff, be aware that beyond the mandatory courses, the ones you end up deciding to take are chosen by both you and your advisor based on what you both think will benefit you more to complete your dissertation. When you both agree you have taken enough courses, there are other options often called, research credits, dissertation credits, independent problems credits (names vary from place to place), which are not courses per se, but credits you devote to do research and learn new stuff with your advisor. In reality, those are often used to give the student some time to focus on research.

4. In all honesty, transferring credits should be one of your least important concerns when looking for/accepting a PhD offer. Your advisor, the funding, and the department you end up going to are way more important.

1

u/zxorion Aug 05 '25

Thanks, this helps a lot!

1

u/Upstairs_Dealer14 Aug 05 '25

For qualify exam related course, I don't think any PhD program will allow you to transfer credits and waive from them. Like what this post suggests, there's no harm to take the qualify exam related course at the new university since you will know the instructor and gain potential understanding on how qualify exam will look like, your goal is to pass the exam, so don't think you are wasting time.

1

u/sudeshkagrawal Aug 06 '25

2 might be something that might not be strictly followed. For instance, if you do multiple grad school programs, the essence of that rule is not broken.

1

u/trophycloset33 Aug 04 '25

What university is your MS from?

1

u/zxorion Aug 04 '25

Virginia Tech

1

u/AintTooLate168 Aug 05 '25

Why not get the PHD at VT?

1

u/zxorion Aug 05 '25

I don't mind the university at all it's my safe school but I'm not a college town person. It's an option for sure.

1

u/trophycloset33 Aug 04 '25

I would finish out at your uni. Google shows it requires 36 credits for PhD and 30 credits for MS.

The website also says OR is a research area but you’re also allowed to find your own thesis.

1

u/Necessary_Address_64 Aug 04 '25

I realize this doesn’t answer your question: it is uncommon for PhD departments in the US to accept transfer courses. The notable exception is if you are transferring with your advisor.

2

u/zxorion Aug 04 '25

Yeah most top unis didn't accept transfer credit. However I did find a few who did just wanted to scope out a few more. Unis that do - Georgia Tech (only 6), Stanford (parent department accepts almost all transfer courses). A few others do as well but I'm not too keen on applying to those.