<p>What are the main differences between a Mathematics major w/ a concentration in Economics vs. a Statistics major?</p>
<p>Besides courseload differences, I mean in terms of employability and future. What can one expect if they graduate with one over the other. What are some pros and cons to each? What are some job outlook differences? Are grad school options more broad for math majors instead of stat majors? Are there any other differences/similarities?</p>
<p>Most of the job postings I see pretty much lump Math and Statistics degrees together.</p>
<p>For quantitative government jobs, they want at least 15 hours in math & statistics - so both degrees get the job done there.</p>
<p>As for grad school, most of the math/stats/economics programs (or anything else on a quantitative nature) want to see a minimum level of mathematics courses from your undergrad level. These usually include a full Calc sequence (through multivariate Calc), linear algebra, and probability. Some may also require additional courses like Analysis and DiffEq. </p>
<p>I’m not sure if math majors have more opportunity than stats majors when it comes to grad school. Of course math majors probably have an inside track when it comes to pure Math grad programs. They probably also have the inside track for taking the Math GRE subject test. Stats majors can be desirable for grad departments, though. Stats, after all, is the compilation of samples and data. The core of many research projects done at the grad level is compilation of data. Stats majors can be great at that…just need to sell yourself to the Grad school as being fully capable of handling that type of job. I think a PhD professor would love to have a Stats major with full working knowledge of SAS, R, SPSS, JMP, etc.</p>
<p>As a pure math major who has recently started looking for summer internships, I think your prospects will be much better a stats major. I haven’t taken any stats classes and am not required to as a part of my major. A lot of the positions I see for math majors really want someone with stats experience. </p>
<p>I unfortunately dropped the stats class I was in last semester to do a reading course in differential topology, which although may help me in the long run in terms of getting into grad school, isn’t helping me find a summer internship…</p>
<p>broken_symlink’s experiences actually just show that you should take stats courses regardless of which major you choose.</p>
<p>Seems like Math / Economics or Statistics / Economics are the kind of majors / double majors / major + minor for someone intending to go into quantitative finance or actuarial work.</p>
<p>What UC Berkeley graduates in the following majors are doing:</p>
<p>[Applied</a> Mathematics](<a href=“https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/AppMath.stm]Applied”>https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/AppMath.stm)
[Economics[/url</a>]
[url=<a href=“https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Math.stm]Mathematics[/url”>https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Math.stm]Mathematics[/url</a>]
[url=<a href=“https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Statistics.stm]Statistics[/url”>https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Statistics.stm]Statistics[/url</a>]</p>
<p>If you are considering actuarial work, take a look at [url=<a href=“http://www.beanactuary.com%5DBe”>http://www.beanactuary.com]Be</a> An Actuary](<a href=“https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Econ.stm]Economics[/url”>https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Econ.stm) .</p>
<p>At UC Berkeley, none of the three majors has a particularly large number of courses required, so doing a double major while still leaving room for free elective courses (whether in or out of the major(s)) is certainly possible. If that is the case at the university you attend, then you may be able to take both career-enhancing courses and grad-school-enhancing courses or courses you are just interested in within a Math or Statistics major or double major.</p>
<p>I can’t believe how much fun I’m having in my stats class. There’s something about statistical analysis, like finding some hidden truth and then it being your responsibility to communicate that truth to the world in the clearest way possible.</p>
<p>My dad says statistics is a much more employable career. Pay is also higher (on average). Disclaimer: he is a stats prof and is therefore biased, but I’m sure he’s basing this off his own experience as well.</p>
<p>Some statistics courses steer you into engineering and engineering-like positions like Design of Experiments (D.O.E.), Statistical Quality Control and Taguchi Methods (another way of D.O.E.). Some areas like Stochastic Processes may fall into the Stats department as well as “quality assurance” type courses.</p>
<p>@sumzup: Ask your dad where that stats are =P</p>
<p>Thanks everyone! Once I go to college, I will ask the advisor people how difficult the double major would be and such. Hopefully I can figure out a way to do both! It seems pretty clear that Statistics has a great advantage, regardless of major. That’s a good piece of information to know.</p>
<p>If you enter university as a freshman with calculus (from AP Calculus BC or community college courses) and sophomore level math (multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations from community college courses), then you will have freed up from your schedule a significant (four semester courses or six quarter courses) prerequisite chain for math, statistics, and economics majors, which would make doing a double major in two of these (plus perhaps a minor or courses in the third) much more possible.</p>