Modeling and Simulation
Coordinator: Kurt Taylor Gaubatz
For the certificate in modeling & simulation, click here
Description
The modeling and simulation (or "M&S") concentration provides students access to some of the most innovative research in international studies. M&S arose as a field of study in response to three complementary trends over the last twenty years. First, the various economic, demographic, cultural and technological processes of globalization have given rise to a range of transnational phenomena that increasingly occur outside the territorial confines of nation-states. The growth of such transnational phenomena has given rise to an important second trend: the growing recognition among scholars of international studies of the inadequacy of traditional levels and methods of analysis predicated upon the territorial logic of sovereign states. Scholars today increasingly seek to develop new methods of analysis. The third trend--the explosive growth of affordable and powerful microcomputing--has equipped researchers with a range of new technologies and methods to understand contemporary international and global phenomena. Together, these three trends have synthesize the field of M&S in international studies.
The M&S in international studies concentration provides GPIS students with an education in the most innovative methods in the field. Students can choose to specialize in methods as diverse as statistics, game theory, agent-based modeling, geographic information sciences, and network analysis. These fields reflect the Hampton Roads area's emergence as a global leader in the modeling and simulation industry. Local M&S firms, government and military employers in the region, and the proximity of Washington, DC (just three hours away) all provide internship and job opportunities for students who specialize in M&S.
At Old Dominion University, graduate study in modeling & simulation is a campus-wide initiative. Each of the University's six colleges offers M&S courses in fields as diverse as mathematics, engineering, health sciences and education. With the approval of the track coordinator, a GPIS M&S student may take courses outside of GPIS and the College of Arts & Letters and receive credit toward his or her M&S field requirements.
Requirements
Students selecting this field as their major or minor field must complete MSIM 611-612 Modeling & Simulation Fundamentals sequence. With the approval of the GPIS track director, students with a sufficient technical background may choose to substitute MSIM 601 (an accelerated one semester version of MSIM 612 and MSIM 612) for the two core courses.
Ph.D. students pursuing M&S as the major field will complete five courses from the following list, including the two MSIM fundamentals courses.
Ph.D. students pursuing M&S as the minor field and M.A. students choosing M&S as the field of concentration will complete four courses, including the two MSIM fundamentals courses.
Field seminars
| MSIM 611* |
M&S Fundamentals I |
| MSIM 612* |
M&S Fundamentals II |
| MSIM 601** |
M&S Fundamentals (advanced) |
| IS 795/895 |
Topic: M&S in the Social Sciences |
| IS 795/895 |
Topic: Statistical Modeling in International Studies |
| IS 795/895 |
Topic: Modeling and Game Theory in International Studies |
| IS 795/895 |
Topic: Simulation Modeling in International Studies |
| IS 795/895 |
Topic: Geographic Information Science for International Studies |
| IS 795/895 |
Topic: Network Models in International Studies |
| ID&T 795/895 |
Special Topic: Instructional Simulations |
| ENMA 712/812 |
Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis & Support |
| ENMA 724/824 |
Risk Analysis |
