"THE MATHEMATICAL DECISION SCIENCES (MDS)" is the undergraduate program of the Department of Statistics & Operations Research . The BS degree in MDS provides students with a strong undergraduate background in the areas of probability, statistics, data analysis, optimization, stochastic and deterministic modeling, and risk analysis. It prepares students for careers or for further graduate study in such technical fields as statistical analysis, operations research, management science, industrial engineering, biostatistics, strategic planning, systems analysis, financial analysis, and actuarial science. The demand for students with this type of training has been quite high in the past and should continue to be so. Students who have interests in any of these areas and who enjoy quantitative work should investigate the possibility of obtaining a major or minor in this program. A further description of the mathematical decision sciences can be found at Program. The requirements for the major can be found at Major Requirements and the requirements for a minor can be found at Minor Requirements. See Courses for a list of current and projected MDS courses and other courses of possible interest. The major and minor advisers for the program are listed together with their office locations at Faculty and Staff. Finally, information on the opportunities for post graduate careers in related areas can be found by clicking on "After Graduation". Merger Big corporations are not the only organizations that have mergers. Effective July 1, 2003 the formerly independent Departments of Statistics and Operations Research at UNC-CH combined to become the Department of Statistics & Operations Research. The MDS program will now be the official undergraduate program of the new department. While many details such as office location and course numbering will probably eventually be changed, the basic MDS program will not be affected by the merger. Carolina Actuarial Student Organization A student group for future actuaries was organized last year. A meeting of the club will be held soon after the start of this coming Fall semester. Interested students should watch this space or the organization web page for details. Actuarial science information and practice manuals for the examinations are available for check out in the MDS office in 102B Smith. Placement Service Now is the time for seniors to register with Career Services in order to get a good start on finding a job after graduation. To register, go to the UNC career site and click on Student Information. This is a free service which has all types of information about preparing for the job recruiting season. Once registered, you can also do career searches.  Honors Seniors who have a 3.25 or better GPA (for all of their coursework and for their major coursework) are strongly encouraged to consider working towards a degree with honors or high honors. Achievement of honors is designated on the transcript and on the dimploma and is recognized at graduation ceremonies. It can be an important factor in the consideration of job or graduate study applications. In addition to satisfying the GPA qualification, honors students are required to demonstrate their abilities through the completion of additional work in some area of the Mathematical Decision Sciences. This may involve one or more of the following: the completion of advanced courses, a written honors thesis, passing specified professional exams (for example, those given by the professional actuarial societies), and the participation in faculty-directed research. A senior who wants to investigate the possibility of honors should consult with his/her MDS adviser as early as possible this fall.  Graduate Study Seniors who plan to attend graduate school next should begin to plan their applications now; including scheduling the GREs, choosing schools to apply to, preparing vitas, and selecting faculty as references. The major advisers, who are all on graduate faculties, can be of significant help in these matters. For exceptionally well-qualified seniors (with GPAs over 3.6) there are many types of fellowships available (national as well as those given by individual schools). However, most of these fellowships have early deadlines for applications and many of them require nomination by faculty members. Therefore it is vital to get started as soon as possible.     A Special Message to New and Returning Students: Stop by the MDS office  to be sure you have been assigned an advisor. The Majors and Minors List is on the bulletin board just outside the 102-B office door.  If you do not find your name on the list, please see Rosalie Olsen between 8:00 AM and 12:00 noon Monday through Friday.  Check the other hallway bulletin boards for graduate school information, job offerings, internships, and other opportunities.   OFFICE The office for the MATHEMATICAL DECISION SCIENCES program is in 102B Smith Building. More information on the program can be obtained by visiting or contacting the program office.   Mrs. Rosalie Olsen 102B Smith Building (919) 843-6024 raolsen@email.unc.edu