A Mathematical Programming Approach to Applicant Selection for a Degree Program Based on Affirmative Action

In 2007, the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Chile allied with a major Chilean mining company to inaugurate a master’s degree program in globalization management. The program’s objective is to address the challenges Chile faces in its development of human and social capital by training young professionals. This paper describes the use of mathematical programming models in the program’s applicant selection procedure for the first three entering classes, subject to equity criteria on gender, regional origin, and socioeconomic background. The models generated robust solutions in minutes, an achievement practically impossible using manual methods. The application’s success demonstrates how mathematical programming and operations research can contribute to social policy.