Hi, I'm an engineering undergraduate who very fortunately received an offer for a funded math PhD. This came as a surprise -- most of my graduate applications were in engineering-adjacent fields like scientific computing (i.e., simulation at continuum and atomic scales).
I'm posting to hear some thoughts on pursuing the math PhD - what upsides/downsides come to your mind? These are my thoughts right now:
Pros:
- I loved mathematics during my undergraduate, and the PhD will allow me to freely explore a subject I enjoy.
- I also tend to believe the math PhD, when paired with my engineering background, could qualify me for highly technical and research-heavy jobs in the future.
Cons:
- I worry about whether I can do well in the PhD, since I did not do a mathematics undergraduate so the breadth of my mathematical training may trail behind my peers.
- A math PhD would be a PhD not spent on becoming an expert in scientific computing, which I'm interested in. Though I sense that a math PhD could open other doors instead and lead to a different career trajectory.