Omega Rho

The recognition of significant accomplishments and the promotion of scholarship through honor societies is a long-standing tradition in modern universities. Membership in an honor society bestows honor, recognition and a lifetime distinction. For students of operations research, management science, or a closely-related area, Omega Rho® is your International Honor Society.

What Is Omega Rho®?

Omega Rho® was founded in the spring of 1976 at a joint national meeting of the Operations Research Society of America and The Institute of Management Sciences (ORSA/TIMS). It is a Member Society of the Association of College Honor Societies for maintaining high standards for the recognition and promotion of academic excellence in higher education.

Omega Rho® is a society of collegiate chapters and members for promoting and recognizing superior scholarship and leadership and formally became part of INFORMS (Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences) in 1998. Membership is prestigious with only approximately 6,000 student and faculty inductees qualified at 38 Chapters. Additionally, through June 2009, 42 select individuals have been bestowed Honorary Membership in Omega Rho®.

Omega Rho® gives students something to strive for academically. The honor society rewards the academic achievements of those chosen to join, and it serves to better unite students and faculty to organize and carry out a variety of activities such as career panels, lectures and social activities that benefit all students.

Omega Rho® membership is open to undergraduate and graduate students with the following qualifications:

• Undergraduate students majoring or minoring in Business Intelligence and Analytics with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50, who have completed at least four qualifying courses towards the major or minor, and with a minimum GPA of 3.50 in their best four qualifying courses.
• Graduate students enrolled in an MBA or Master of Science in Business Intelligence and Analytics (MSBIA) program with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50, who have completed at least four qualifying courses towards the major or minor, and with a minimum GPA of 3.50 in their best four qualifying courses.

Members of the faculty and research or administration staff who have distinguished themselves in the field and/or at Saint Joseph’s University may also be inducted. Industry professionals with outstanding accomplishments in the decision sciences and/or information systems are also eligible for induction as honorary members of the chapter.

There are numerous advantages to becoming an Omega Rho® member including:

• Receiving academic excellence recognition and being able to display this on your resume to enhance potential employment opportunities
• Receiving a handsome certificate.
• Receiving an Omega Rho® pin or button
• The opportunity to interact with other students and faculty through your local Omega Rho® Chapter meetings and activities
• Being prepared to establish an Omega Rho® Chapter at any future university at which you are on the faculty or attending classes
• Attendance to Distinguished Lecture at INFORMS Annual Meetings and select INFORMS International Meetings, sponsored Omega Rho®

The Omega Rho® Distinguished Lecture on Operations Research and Management Science is among the most prestigious series of lectures in the world. The series has been presented as a plenary at ORSA/TIMS and INFORMS Meetings since 1983.

Meanwhile, the Omega Rho® International Distinguished Lecture on Operations Research and Management Science has been presented as a plenary at select INFORMS International Meetings since 2001.