I don't get what this means

Haftbefehl · January 5, 2012, 10:14am

Master of Arts (AM)

The Department of Statistics welcomes applicants for the terminal AM degree. Typical AM candidates are PhD candidates in another field at Harvard for whom a statistics minor is appropriate, well-prepared undergraduates eligible for the AB/AM program, and candidates with appropriate mathematics backgrounds (linear algebra and multivariate calculus) who can demonstrate motivation for pursuing a terminal AM degree. As the Department of Statistics cannot provide tuition fellowships for terminal AM candidates, candidates seeking only the AM degree must be financially self-supporting. Teaching fellowships may be available for partial financial support.

The AM degree requires the satisfactory completion of eight half-courses approved by the department, normally requiring two terms of residence and study at Harvard. The courses must include at least six letter-graded half-courses at the level of Statistics 110 and above taken within the Department of Statistics. The actual course of study will vary according to the students interest and preparation and will be determined in consultation with the students advisor. Statistics 110 or 210 and Statistics 111 or 211 or equivalent are required. AM students must earn a B average in Statistics courses and no more than one C in all courses. Terminal AM students can take at most one 300-level course, which ordinarily cannot be used to meet the minimum requirement for letter-graded statistics courses.

The remaining two half-courses may include courses in related areas (such as economics, psychology, and biostatistics) that develop statistical methodology and are judged to be at an equivalent level to Statistics 110 or above. They may also include upper-level mathematics courses, computer science courses, or, in some cases, other courses that broaden the students ability to apply statistical methods. The department maintains a list of approved related courses. Generally, the department encourages a coherent theme connecting the related courses.

So how long does it take to earn this degree?
Can someone who is bright get it in a year?

etondad · January 5, 2012, 12:29pm

Yes–but it seems that with rare exceptions one can’t apply from the outside for the AM in Stats. Think of it as a secondary field certificate for Harvard PhD students-- or really bright and well prepared Harvard undergrads. If you are applying to Harvard for the AB, there is a concentration in Applied Mathematics which will provide the courses you might wish to take. Applied Math is in the Engineering School rather than FAS where Mathematics resides.

Haftbefehl · January 5, 2012, 12:43pm

I am more thinking about IB. Thank you so much etondad for your detailed answer!
Happy new year.

JHS · January 5, 2012, 2:35pm

OP: If you look at what recent Stats AMs are doing, it looks actually more like the sort of thing you want than most of your other half-baked ideas. [Harvard</a> Statistics AM Alumni](<a href=“http://www.stat.harvard.edu/alumni/AM.html]Harvard”>http://www.stat.harvard.edu/alumni/AM.html)

It’s not clear to me at all that most of these students weren’t terminal masters students coming from outside Harvard, vs. undergraduate joint degree candidates and Harvard PhD candidates in related fields. Some of them have gone on to PhD programs or are pursuing other graduate degrees, but an awful lot of them are working for large, well-known finance industry firms.

The program is designed to be a one-year, two-semester program, assuming you are doing it full time and have adequate math preparation going in.

Haftbefehl · January 5, 2012, 3:50pm

JHS you always seem pretty angry in response to most of my threads, but I thank your advice.
No need to call my threads “half-baked”. I am only a first year undergraduate.
Thank you for the link, that was exactly what I was searching for.

The AM degree requires the satisfactory completion of eight half-courses approved by the department, normally requiring two terms of residence and study at Harvard. The courses must include at least six letter-graded half-courses at the level of Statistics 110 and above taken within the Department of Statistics. The actual course of study will vary according to the student’s interest and preparation and will be determined in consultation with the student’s advisor. Statistics 110 or 210 and Statistics 111 or 211 or equivalent are required. AM students must earn a B average in Statistics courses and no more than one C in all courses. Terminal AM students can take at most one 300-level course, which ordinarily cannot be used to meet the minimum requirement for letter-graded statistics courses.

But it states “two terms of residence”. I am not so good with the jargon here. Two terms of residence as in Stanford terms? Did you go to Harvard yourself, JHS? If you could clarify a bit on how the terms work at Harvard that will be great. Once again, I love your contributions. If I sometimes make a ludicrous remark, please acknowledge the fact that I recently started university. Thank you again :)

cltdad · January 5, 2012, 5:32pm

By two terms they mean two semesters which is one academic year. This is different from Stanford which is on the quarter system rather than semesters. At Stanford you would attend three quarters per academic year.

Haftbefehl · January 5, 2012, 5:42pm

I am literally crying of joy. This was the exact response that I was looking for. I didn’t want to bother my parents with the tuition again for a master’s degree Columbia and Stanford usually had one year master programs but Harvard didn’t. (They did, I was just not familiar with the jargon.)

Thanks a LOT cltdad once again, and JHS.

I don't get what this means

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