Graduate Minors

A Graduate Minor may be taken in one of the approved graduate degree programs offered at Penn State. A doctoral minor consists of no fewer than 15 graduate credits of integrated or articulated work in one field related to, but different from, that of the major with a preponderance of courses at the 500 level; however, at a minimum, 6 credits must be at the 500 level.

A student seeking a minor must have the approval of the student’s major program of study, the minor program, and the Graduate School. Official requests to add a minor to a doctoral candidate’s academic record must be submitted to Graduate Enrollment Services prior to establishing the doctoral committee and prior to scheduling the comprehensive examination.

Operations Research (OR) is the use of scientific methodology in the formulation, analysis, and solution of problems in decision making. It draws on techniques from economics, mathematics, and engineering. Graduate students with a strong interest in OR techniques can apply for a Dual or Minor Ph.D. degree in OR. Relevant information can be found at or.psu.edu.