<p>Assume that you succeed and earn your bachelor’s degree in math. The moment you cross the stage and get the degree, you will be in a dilemma. Will you continue for advanced math degrees, or will you continue on to advanced degrees outside of math? Following your new math degree with a non-math degree means that math programs will be done with you. So your fallback degree will cost you further training in mathematics. Whatever it is, it better be worth it.</p>
<p>Aeramis, Are you saying once you stop pursuing degrees in mathematics, you loose the option to continue you mathematics education? There is no room for working in between say a Masters and a Ph.D or a Bachelors and a Masters?</p>
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<p>I think it depends on how much the non-math M.S. program differs from the Math PhD and/or a 2nd Math M.S. degree. Its very possible for someone to obtain a M.S. in Industrial Engineering where the particuluar M.S.I.E. program is made up of a lot of operations research courses and then go on to a PhD math program at a school that offers O.R. courses as part of the math department.</p>
<p>The same path can be done with M.S. Computational Science/Engineering to PhD Math (where the PhD Math is more applied/computational math). Probably the same with Statistics.</p>
<p>There are some schools that have so many cross-listed math/CS courses that one could select 10 or 11 courses and obtain EITHER a M.S. in Math or M.S. in Computer Science with the same courses…depending on how one arranges them in distribution requirements.</p>
<p>U-Illinois, U-Wisconsin and NYU falls into this. I know this because I was considering all of them when I was looking into grad programs (I did pick U-Wisconsin but chose the M.S. Engineering program…not math or CS).</p>