<p>@ Malishka</p>
<p>In ideal circumstances, I would say take both 310’s and see what you like more, AMS 310 - Survey of Prob and Stats and MAT 310 - Linear Algebra (the real Linear Algebra). However, we all have different constraints and hence have to make different and sometimes more difficult decisions. </p>
<p>Said different, in my opinion, both programs are really damn good. I loved almost every class I took in both majors. They both have some excellent professors who will dedicate time to their students. It’s just they offer different things. In AMS 312 the mathematical statistics course, it was very hard and had lots of proofs. Then I had some courses where we didn’t prove much but assumed a few key facts and solved some really cool problems, like in AMS 345 - Computational Geometry with Joseph Mitchell. We worked on robotics motion planning, where to place cameras to catch art thieves, very cool *****.</p>
<p>I would say the real “test” of whether or not you like MAT is when you take MAT 310, 320 and 313. These are the basic foundational courses in MAT. They are all proof intensive and very abstract. In 320 you rigorously prove all the facts you used in differential and integral calculus. 310 you take about more linear vector spaces, matrices, rigorous definition of the determinant and trace, complex operators, spectral theorem, etc.</p>
<p>Another way to test the waters, instead of talking to some math professors, spend an hour or two looking at the 310, 320 textbooks in the library. The linear algebra book is “Linear Algebra Done Right” by Axler and the 320 textbook is “Introduction to Real Analysis” by Bartle and Sherbert. Both are available on reserve at the Math Physics library. Really look through them. You’ll see almost no applications. It’s very abstract. Compare that to my 345 course where we did some very applied, real world things. Combinatorics is used in computer science and computer algorithms, statistics is used to model tons of real world situations. I believe Nancy Mendell works in biostatistics. Everyone in the AMS major can place one of their feet in the theoretical world and but also firmly place the other foot in real world application, and hence industry.</p>
<p>MAT is very different. There is a site about jobs using MAT degrees.
Here is a math career profile by the MAA: [Career</a> Profiles](<a href=“http://www.maa.org/careers/index.html]Career”>Careers in Math Home | MAA Math Career Resource Center)</p>
<p>Notice most of those jobs are held by applied mathematicians, aside from the professorships. Stats, programming, analyst - these are applied mathematicians. Pure mathematicians CAN make the transition, but who would you hire? Somebody who has taken all the courses already or someone I need to train on the job?</p>
<p>With MAT, even if you really enjoy it, unless you want to work in academia, I wouldn’t major in just that. I would add a viable double major that would help me get a job.</p>
<p>This is all just my opinion, but just ask yourself, do I want to get a math PhD? Do I want to become a math professor? A pure math professor mind you. If not, I personally would double down with another more employable major.</p>
<p>Some double majors I recommend:
AMS/MAT - I did this one.
MAT/Accounting - Accountants will always have work, and get good pay and it’s stable.
MAT/Compsci - Computer science is up and down but they still get good jobs.
MAT/Finance - This is probably controversial now because of the economic meltdown, but it’s not a bad idea.</p>
<p>It’s not fair to say after 211 you can’t do MAT, it’s just a level 200. You can really only say that after you take 310. 310 will give you a good idea of what is what. One of the math professors told me Linear Algebra is the most important subject in pure math; this is a professor who is world famous and has taught some student who went on to become MIT and Harvard professors. </p>
<p>If you don’t like 211 it’s not fair to say you won’t like AMS. It’s tough for me to tell people what they like or won’t like, in reality I don’t have a clue, only you can find out. But 211 is an MAT course and the AMS courses have a different flavor to them. In stats you will do a lot of computations. A LOT. But you can see immediate applications. Most MAT students don’t even understand the applications of linear algebra (Linear Programming, they form the mathematical basis of QUANTUM MECHANICS, this is never mentioned in 211 or 310!!!). So I would say no, just because you don’t like 211 does not mean you won’t enjoy AMS.</p>
<p>**But I would like to make a disclaimer, like I said before, I have no clue if you’ll like 310 or 320, I’m solely judging on the fact that you don’t like 211 so much.</p>
<p>I hope this helps. I really liked both programs and I’m more than willing to help anyone else out.</p>