Mathematics degree - excluding Statistics?

Smythe

The six modules for the 1st year of a Mathematics BSc consist of four compulsory and two optional modules.

The four compulsory are:

applied:
1. Vector Algebra and Dynamics
2. Waves and Vector Fields

pure:
3. Numbers, Sets and Sequences
4. Analysis and Linear Algebra



The two optional choices are either:

1. Introduction to Probability and Operational Research
2. Statistical Methods

or

1. Foundation Physics 1
2. Foundation Physics 2

or

1. Fundamentals of Programming
2. Programming Challenges


The two statistics modules above are only prerequisites for taking statistics modules in subsequent years, and I’m sure I do not want to take any statistics modules in subsequent years.

So if I took either the two programming or the two physics modules do you think this would have a negative impact of my mathematical knowledge/ability for taking pure or applied modules in subsequent years?

Thank you

Fremen

No they're all fairly solid choices. Stats would be by far the most useful if you want to do research some day. A huge chunk of computer science and a good deal of applied maths consist of probability theory mixed with some other topic.

Programming is probably most useful for the "real world". Someone who can code well and do maths has a lot of options.

Physics is the least immediately useful, but has potential to get pretty interesting later on (think quantum mechanics, relativity, cosmology etc...).

It's probably easier to teach yourself to program than to learn a load of statistical theory, but there's no single obvious choice here. I should mention that I work in probability theory, so my advice might be a little biased in that direction. Having said that, I only learned probability as a grad student, so it's never too late.

Smythe

Thanks Fremen.

Fremen wrote: »

No they're all fairly solid choices. Stats would be by far the most useful if you want to do research some day. A huge chunk of computer science and a good deal of applied maths consist of probability theory mixed with some other topic.

Apologies for my lack of knowledge, do you mean university research? i.e. doing a PhD? Do you mean statistics would be best for doing research in many topics e.g. mathematics, computer science. I'm completely unfamiliar with the world of post-grad opportunities so wasn't sure exactly what areas you meant by 'research'.

Fremen wrote: »

Programming is probably most useful for the "real world". Someone who can code well and do maths has a lot of options.

It's probably easier to teach yourself to program than to learn a load of statistical theory, but there's no single obvious choice here.

I think my reasoning was if I were to choose the two programming modules then that leaves open the option to choose more computer science modules in subsequent years. I don't know if I would do this, but it allows this option. If CS modules were chosen in later years the degree would then be a Mathematics with Computer Science BSc.

I was also thinking (rightly or wrongly?) perhaps there's a lot more work available in computing than in statistics. It certainly seems to be the case when looking at recruitment websites.

Fremen wrote: »

Physics is the least immediately useful, but has potential to get pretty interesting later on (think quantum mechanics, relativity, cosmology etc...).

Yes, physics certainly gets very interesting later on. The topics you mention are fascinating. The modules early on though are not particularly interesting and I would be concerned that I would not do well because of this. Many applied maths modules covered later on have many aspects of these same physics topics which you mention.

I think my first thought is that choosing mathematics with either programming or statistics modules would be more beneficial ‘employment-wise’ than physics. I read the comments of a long-time poster on another forum who had done a Physics PhD who said employers don’t always look on the subject as well as one might think, and that he recommended doing a university subject with computing in it as that's what employers want.

Certainly when you look at the employment statistics for graduates, computer science grads do seem to fair better than physics grads. I think this has been putting me off choosing physics modules.

Fremen

I meant PhD study when I said research, yeah. The fact thet you have a maths degree doesn't mean you have to do a PhD in pure maths. Lots of people branch out into more applied stuff. In my (limited) experience, a huge amount of CS and some applied maths uses stats/probability at least to some extent.

I agree with your thoughts about computing versus stats/physics. It's probably the most practical of the three.

The way many employers would see a maths degree is that it demonstrates that the person in question is smart and numerate. You're unlikely to actually use much of what you learn outside of academia. Much the same applies to physics, and in that sense physics doesn't add value to a maths degree.

Whatever you decide, it's never too late to pick this stuff up on your own. One of the nice things about being comfortable with maths is that you can read through work in other fields without the maths "getting in the way". Dealing with the maths would be the biggest hurdle for a humanities graduate trying to teach themselves stats, but it probably won't be an issue for you.

xRodge

I remember thinking the exact same way as the OP way back when I did my Maths degree. The tutors encouraged me to pick the two stats modules, but I really didn't want to do them (they sounded fairly dull). I opted to do the computer science modules instead.

Based on my experience at QUB, the 4 maths modules alone will allow you to do any of the pure or applied modules in year 2. If you pick the right modules in year 2, there are no 3rd year modules you can't take either (some will have 2nd year pre-requisites though).

For postgrad maths, taking either the physics or stats modules will give you a better start but it wouldn't be required. If you needed stats knowledge for your phd/msc, you'd get provided it in a crash course module. For my Msc, we got given a 2 week computers module that had as much learning as the 2 1st year modules together - they do kinda assume as a postgrad that you will pick things up quicker and you'll spend more time than a 1st year student would! We were mixed in with a physics phd group and a lot of the class had little to no programming experience. So really, don't think you'll mess up your future prospects as regards postgrad study with your 1st year optional subject choices - any of them will be fine

However, if you take the two computer modules - that can possibly allow you to switch your degree to computer science in year 2. Same as taking the two physics modules may allow you to switch to a physics degree, if you were interested in either option. Stats really isn't a degree in it's own right, and usually gets paired in 3rd year as "Maths with stats".

graduate

A maths graduate would be expected to be capable of working with quant data, even if they didn't cover the particular stats etc. Programming is a distinct skill, much in demand for employment purposes. Make sure to do some programming. Stats is much in commercial demand too, google "Business Analytics", as business people need to do fairly simple data mining etc before using more advanced maths.

Smythe

graduate wrote: »

A maths graduate would be expected to be capable of working with quant data, even if they didn't cover the particular stats etc.

Since a maths graduate would be expected to be capable of working with quant data, what specific topics should I look out for in uni maths modules that would provide knowledge of this?

Or what specific applied/pure modules?

I know there's an applied maths module, 'Financial Mathematics', in the final year.