Choosing between Statistics and Operations Research

[StatisticSteve]

I am currently an undergraduate student majoring in Mathematics and Industrial Engineering. I have been accepted to both Statistics and Operations Research PhD programs for this fall.  I am having a hard time choosing between programs because I enjoy classes in both areas, and since I am an undergraduate I have not taken many advanced classes in both areas. I really enjoy data analysis and I know both areas have some data analysis, but I don’t know how they differ. Topics I liked in my classes include Linear Algebra, Regression Modeling, ANOVA, Hypothesis Testing, Discrete Systems Modeling, and Linear Programming.

 

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for which direction I should go based on the classes I like. I have read that decision science is a topic that sort of combines both areas, but I am uncertain of exactly what this entails, so an explanation of what this is and how it differs from statistics would be helpful. What is the difference between data science and decision science? Finally, what is the main difference between Operations Research and Statistics at the PhD level? Thank you in advance for any advice!