Should a Pure Mathematics Ph.D student take one advanced stats course?

[tgc]

Hello,

First, I'm new to this site.  I'm a 3rd year Ph.D candidate in the pure mathematics program at a university in Ohio.  Although not required, the department recommends taking a Ph.D level statistics course in order to improve one's marketability.  I'm debating whether to do this since my schedule is full.  I'm also a teaching assistant and do not want to exceed the free 9 credit hours paid for by the university.  I would like some input.  Thanks.

[cyberwulf]

How is a single theoretical stats course going to improve your marketability?

[rising_star]

Why not wait and take a stats class in a future semester? At some point, you won't be required to take courses but you'll still have a tuition waiver, so that might be a better time to take a stats course.

As for improving marketability, many government jobs want at least 2-3 semesters of statistics so I'm also not sure how or if a single stats course is going to be enough to make yourself more marketable.

[tgc]

How is a single theoretical stats course going to improve your marketability?

We'll, the idea is many schools may require some math faculty to teach some statistics courses, and so taking a stats courses may improve your odds of getting a position in a currently tough job market.

Why not wait and take a stats class in a future semester? At some point, you won't be required to take courses but you'll still have a tuition waiver, so that might be a better time to take a stats course.

As for improving marketability, many government jobs want at least 2-3 semesters of statistics so I'm also not sure how or if a single stats course is going to be enough to make yourself more marketable.

Good idea.  I'm taking dissertation credits and I still have 2 course requirements to fulfill.  However, in the fall of 2016 and spring of 2017 (my projected graduation date) I'll have 3 credit hours free each semester.  I'm primarily focused on getting a teaching and or research position, so the stats course may improve my marketability as a teacher.  See my comment above.

[TakeruK]

I think you misunderstood cyberwulf's question/post. Yes, we all agree that having broad knowledge allowing you to teach more courses will improve your marketability. But how is one single graduate level stats course going to help with this? 

For example, in my field, training in computer science can really improve our marketability in data science type positions. However, we are often told that this takes more than just one single elective course in computer science. Many of my colleagues who want to go this route are choosing to take a graduate-level minor in computer science, which is about 4-5 courses in a coherent program. 

[cyberwulf]

Sorry for being a bit prickly, but the idea that someone with one or two courses under their belt is qualified to teach statistics is at the heart of what is wrong with the way that statistics is taught at many institutions. Mathematicians would (rightly) think that it was ludicrous for someone who had taken (say) a semester of introductory graduate-level real analysis to teach it at the university level, and yet many see no problem with promoting that exact logic when it comes to statistics.

Of course, this is an issue far above your (and my) pay grade, and if you're looking for something that will increase your appeal to employers then a sprinkling of courses in statistics may do the trick, even if I'd prefer it didn't.

Edited September 10, 2015 by cyberwulf
fix a typo