About the MIT CDO Program

Program Information

Background

Intensive Computation for Design and Optimization has become an essential activity in such diverse areas as telecommunications, imaging, guidance/control, the Internet, aerospace design, micromachined devices, distribution networks, traffic management, air transport, web-based retailing, the electric power grid, and manufacturing scheduling. Effective computation produces shorter design cycle times, higher-quality products, and improved functionality.

CDO plays a vital role in today's global industrial economy. The National Academy of Sciences predicts that in the next decade, the demand for engineers who are literate in computational sciences will grow significantly. In both the near-term and long-term future, engineers, scientists, and managers will be expected to efficiently and reliably design and optimize the performance of complex systems. A recent report issued by the President's Information Technology Advisory Committee states that "Computational science – the use of advanced computing capabilities to understand and solve complex problems – has become critical to scientific leadership, economic competitiveness, and national security."

Why Study CDO?

The MIT CDO program offers a unified treatment of the computational aspects of complex engineered systems. Through hands-on projects and a master's thesis, students develop and apply advanced computational methods to a diverse range of applications, from aerospace to nanotechnology, from Internet protocols to telecommunications system design. Career opportunities for CDO graduates include companies and research centers where systems modeling, numerical simulation, design and optimization play a critical role.

The CDO program is aimed simultaneously at two related audiences:

• Students who seek a terminal professional Master's degree before entering the technology workforce
• Current or future doctoral students in engineering and/or science for whom the CDO curriculum is an important adjunct to their research program

The Program

Because computation is a key interdisciplinary domain relevant across the spectrum of MIT engineering and science departments, CDO is designed as an interdepartmental program. CDO affiliated faculty come from seven departments across MIT's engineering, science, and management schools. Please visit the People page for more information about faculty and their research areas of interest.

The CDO curriculum is comprised of core subjects and restricted electives. The four core subjects cover numerical solution of partial differential equations, optimization methods, and numerical linear algebra. The restricted electives currently include about 25 courses that have computational themes and related components. More elective courses will be added over time.

For details about CDO's academic requirements, please visit the Curriculum page.

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