Math major looking for advice on phd programs

Graduate School
1

<p>Hi guys,</p>

<p>I just finished my junior year at Emory, and I'm really interested in a Phd in a quantitative field, but I'm not really sure which programs to apply to.
I'll give my background and interests and I would really appreciate it if you guys can steer me in the right direction.</p>

<p>I'm a Pure math major with a 3.95 GPA. I think I have also completed the Applied Math BS and a minor in CS</p>

<p>I'm doing the school's 4 year BS/MS program, so I'll finish with a Math MS next year.</p>

<p>I've taken the analysis, algebra, prob stats sequences, complex vars, numerical analysis and all the basics like calc3 diffeq vector spaces etc</p>

<p>Doing an REU this summer. Topic is Options Pricing</p>

<p>So I've done really well in all of my Math classes, and I really love learning math and taking math classes. I want to keep learning and really develop an expertise and a deep fundamental understanding of a field and learn research skills.</p>

<p>BUT I don't see myself doing "math for math's sake" long term.
I want to apply math to model real world things and optimize systems.
So I'm not sure about applying to Pure Math PhD's. And it seems that at most schools (correct me if I'm wrong) there is little separation between Applied Math and Math departments.</p>

<p>I have always been interested in quant finance and computers. Algorithms in general interest me--developing them and optimizing them.
I like doing coding, especially when its implementing a math model.
Scientific computing seems really cool to me.</p>

<p>Real Analysis is a class that I absolutely crushed my junior year. I set the curve far and away on every exam. It just really clicks for me. I'm taking Grad Analysis and Grad Numerical Analysis next year.
So if I were to do anything in pure math it would certainly be in analysis.</p>

<p>Coding theory also interest me. I didn't really enjoy abstract algebra, however finite fields in algebraic coding theory seem pretty cool. Could maybe see myself getting into some silicon valley type things</p>

<p>I haven't had time for econometrics or econ forecasting but those are also things I'm interested in</p>

<p>I took an Artificial Intelligence class this spring and loved it.</p>

<p>Markov Decision Processes and policy/value iteration are really cool</p>

<p>So all of these interests have given me these possible Phd programs:</p>

<p>Math or Applied Math</p>

<p>Stats Phd's? I don't really understand what they do there.</p>

<p>Computer Science--focused on AI; not sure if i have enough of a CS background though</p>

<p>Computational Math Phd's--Sound really cool, Emory has one, but few other schools do.</p>

<p>Operations Research and Industrial Engineering-- this sounds like a really cool interdisciplinary thing that would include all of the things I'm interested in. programming, algorithms, finance, econ, etc. But I don't really know much about OR. And is it too light on the math? Like I really want to learn as much math as I can reasonably apply to real-world phenomena, but I could maybe see myself doing research in complex analysis later in life, post-industry maybe.</p>

<p>So i just wrote a bunch here, but basically can someone give me some direction?
Is my best bet to just apply to math phd programs, and just focus my thesis on the fields I'm interested in?</p>

<p>Also are OR and IE funded as well as math programs are?</p>

<p>Is math the most challenging and rigorous out of all of these? And does a math phd garner the most respect out of any of these?--Not that that's a major factor, but if I think I can handle the most rigorous type of program I might as well--I like a challenge in school
Is an OR phd "softer" than a pure math program?</p>

<p>Thanks for reading</p>

2

<p>Why don’t you check out the IEOR at Columbia University. I took some courses there for a Master Degree. I think it’s in the top 3 for IEOR.</p>

3

<p>Well, I guess I’m curious about why you want to get a graduate degree. Or another one, I suppose.</p>

<p>My default response is that if you can’t figure out what graduate degree to get yet, go work for a couple of years. Once you work, it may become more clear to you what - if any - further education you need. Especially in the case of getting a PhD. You say that you just really love learning math and taking math classes, and that you want to keep learning and learn research skills. Well, that’s not…really what a PhD program is about. In a sense, it kind of us - but the coursework is secondary to the research. Is there an area of research that you have a deep, abiding interest in? Do you really want to do scholarship in an area of math (applied math or statistics or operations research counts)?</p>

<p>On the other hand, you don’t need to get a PhD in order to do any of that stuff. You can register for classes as a non-degree student for the evenings if you still wanted to take classes. Learning doesn’t just have to happen in the classroom, either - you can learn research skills on the job or learn new algorithms (and develop them) there, too. You get a PhD because you want to do something that requires a PhD, not just because. Typically, that something is becoming a professor. Sometimes you can use a PhD to do research in industry. But next year you’ll have an applied math MS. You can already use that to apply mathematical modeling to real-world problems.</p>

<p>To that end, if you do decide to do a PhD (because you want to be a researcher) I don’t think you should pick based upon which is more “challenging” or rigorous. (That’s going to differ depending on your strengths.) You should pick the field based upon 1) your research interests and 2) your future goals. If you want to teach math in a math department, getting a PhD in math (either pure or applied) is the way to go. If you want to do research within analysis, then math or pure math is probably the way to go. If you want to do research in statistics, then get a stats PhD - stats PhDs can teach in statistics departments, but some of them teach in math departments, and others with the expertise necessary can teach in comp sci departments or operations research/industrial engineering departments. Many go into industry in a variety of ways - there’s a huge demand for statisticians right now.</p>

<p>If you want to go into industry, applied math, stats/biostats, OR or IE may be the way to go for you.</p>

<p>I think what you really need to do (again, if you need a PhD to do the career you want) is to find out where people are doing research that sounds cool and interesting to you, and apply to those programs. If you don’t already have research experience, perhaps you should get some to see if you are cut out for a career as a researcher. I’ve heard that in pure math expereince is not necessarily expected, but in stats and engineering it would be.</p>

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<p>This describes my kid perfectly as well. Her research interest is in it, too, without realizing it. She would like to go to a grad school to further her study. What are good graduate math programs in analysis? She doesn’t know what type of analysis would interest her yet.</p>