Quote:
Originally Posted by Wyman
It's a 2-semester program. When do you think he can do research?
Valid point. It is unlikely that he can really do any research until he's taken a year's worth of intro classes in any case. I assume if he applies to PhD programs it would be in fall 2014 (to start in 2015), and not in 2013? I think he will have a tough time putting together a strong app for 2013, but it is definitely doable for 2014 if he does well in courses and starts some research.
The Brandeis program description says: "We also offer a Master of Arts degree for students with a strong undergraduate background in mathematics, and a Post-Baccalaureate Program in Mathematics for students with a bachelor’s degree (in any field) who would like to expand or deepen their mathematical skills for use in the workplace or in preparation for graduate programs in mathematics, science or social science."
So it sounds like some graduates from the post-bac have gone on to graduate school in math. I would email the person in charge and ask for information on what prior post-bac graduates have done, and possibly contact some of the ones who went to grad school.
Ideally he could do some sort of 2-year program where the second year has a research component, but I'm not sure if such programs exist (maybe there is a good MS program). It looks like some British Universities have 1-year programs that focus on research, e.g.,
http://maths.york.ac.uk/www/GspMsc_by_thesis
So theoretically he could do Brandeis for a year, then something like that. Or the Brandeis M.S. might make more sense. Yeah MS programs cost a lot of money, but it sounds like he is ok in that regard, and the expense is pretty trivial in the scheme of things if it helps put him on a fulfilling career path.