Irvine vs Minnesota

[TwistedCubic]

I will try to make this brief, looking for any insight you may have. I currently live and work in Minnesota and trying to decide if I should leave the state for somewhere else and experience an adventure or decide on a program that is more suited to my background but with less funding.

 

Irvine 

-Statistics Ph.D. with funding

-Adventure and location (warm state without Minnesota winters), I know this is silly factor, but after living 25 years in Minnesota you would think the same.

-A doctoral program is a benefit, since I want to get my Ph.D. eventually.

- My background is in Math, not Statistics, So I would need to ramp up on the subject, but I think I would like it.

 

Minnesota

Masters in Mathematics w/ Emphasis in Education with partial funding

My background is in Math and I want to teach (college eventually), so the program more closely aligns, but its half funded. 

Don't have to move or sell my house or uproot.

 

I welcome any insight on the schools, or whatever to help me make a decision.

[wabisabi]

Adventure + funding + sun = Irvine is the obvious choice. To me, anyway! I was considering UCI for a while, and it seemed like a good place to be. My brother lives in Irvine and likes everything about it other than the high cost of living. The other consideration is that if you're getting a PhD eventually, you might as well do it all at once rather than pay for a Masters program now. 

 

If I were you (instead of being a random internet stranger!) I would go for the adventure because I think I would be much more likely to regret NOT choosing it, if that makes sense. 

[TwistedCubic]

Hey Caffeinated, Thanks for the information. My only concern is that my background is in Mathematics and not Statistics. 

[pumpkinspiced latte]

Hi, one of my deciding factors is also the location, so here are some things to think about/my two cents:

 

1. Do you need a PhD to teach? If so, then UCI is the no-brainer... Why pay for an MS when you are eventually going the PhD route? It's not impossible to get a faculty appointment in a math department if you do a PhD in Statistics. In fact, it is quite common.

 

2. I stand by the viewpoint (and some may disagree) that it's not too hard to switch into Statistics from pure Mathematics training. In fact many doctorate candidates in stats departments come from pure math backgrounds. How theoretical is UCI's program? If it is theoretical I don't think you should worry too much - you WILL pick up what's necessary.

 

Funding is also important here. If I were you I would just take the funded offer and adventure... unless you have a family to worry about (aging parents that need care/working SO who cannot relocate). In my friend's words "the world is just too small to remain in one place"!

 

Good luck deciding and I hope you have an easier time than I do...

[wabisabi]

 My only concern is that my background is in Mathematics and not Statistics. 

I wouldn't be worried. If UCI thought you didn't have enough statistics background, they wouldn't have admitted you! Also, pumpkinspiced latte, who sounds like they know more about it than I do, doesn't think it will be hard to make the switch.

[TwistedCubic]

Thanks pumpkinspiced! Your information was very helpful. The master program would allow for community college teaching in two years. I am not sure which one I would prefer, community versus a four year. I also have reservations since I have been out of academia for 5 years in the business world, my math skills are probably a little rusty, not to mention what my non-existant stat schools would look like I appreciate getting your input!

 

1. Do you need a PhD to teach? If so, then UCI is the no-brainer... Why pay for an MS when you are eventually going the PhD route? It's not impossible to get a faculty appointment in a math department if you do a PhD in Statistics. In fact, it is quite common.

[Darth.Vegan]

Thanks pumpkinspiced! Your information was very helpful. The master program would allow for community college teaching in two years. I am not sure which one I would prefer, community versus a four year. I also have reservations since I have been out of academia for 5 years in the business world, my math skills are probably a little rusty, not to mention what my non-existant stat schools would look like I appreciate getting your input!

 

Just remember that community colleges have very few full-time faculty positions. If you go to Irvine and get a PhD you have much greater likelihood of getting a full-time/tenure track faculty appointment somewhere.  

[pumpkinspiced latte]

Thanks pumpkinspiced! Your information was very helpful. The master program would allow for community college teaching in two years. I am not sure which one I would prefer, community versus a four year. I also have reservations since I have been out of academia for 5 years in the business world, my math skills are probably a little rusty, not to mention what my non-existant stat schools would look like I appreciate getting your input!

 

No problem TwistedCubic (nice username btw). If you're not sure if you prefer community v.s. four year, it's definitely nice to have both options. Since you're out of academia for 5 years, going to stats won't be terribly different than going back to math Even straight from undergrad, many students take Linear Algebra their sophomore year and often forget the material by the time they become a first-year grad student.

 

I'd say unless you have strong reasons to stay in Minnesota, definitely take the funded offer. Here's how I see it: how many times in life would you get the opportunity to "randomly" move to sunny Irvine? Yea well, life's a stochastic model but still