Management Science seeks to improve a problem situation by supplying decision makers with information and insights gained through problem analysis, often involving mathematical models and computers. A fundamental part of Management Science is the ‘systems approach’ to problem solving which takes into account both the context and the details of the problem. Defining a problem, collecting data, consulting with people involved in the solution and implementing change are all part of a systems approach to problem solving.

Every organisation, whether a company or a not-for-profit organisation, has some operations function to it, so the skills learnt in Management Science courses are widely applicable. Graduates are usually employed by manufacturing companies, management consultancies, transport companies, telecommunications service providers, the energy sector and state-owned enterprises and many rise to senior management levels. Students in other disciplines often find it valuable to include some Management Science courses in their degree programme, as exposure to Management Science has become an assumed part of the training of quantitative social scientists as well as computer specialists and engineers.