MSc Applied Statistics at Oxford vs Part III Maths at Cambridge

Hi everyone, I am really confused as to which course I should take, so I would really appreciate it if you could give me some advice about this. Thanks in advance.

My interest: Areas of statistics, actuarial science in particular.
Career ambition: Teacher, then perhaps professor in statistics or go into actuary

As far as I understood the course handbooks,

MSc Applied Statistics at Oxford
12 mth course that includes a thesis in the last 3mths
All modules have compulsory classes
My college advisor happens to be a Royal Society Fellow (i'm not really sure if this would make a difference since they advise on general matters and do not really tutor you)
Qualifies for some exemptions from Actuarial Exams
Institute of Actuaries library is located in Oxford, easy access to reference books
Despite the narrow range of modules available, they cover most aspects of statistics that interest me.
I would not be inclined to participate in college life (such as pub crawl ever so often) since I will be a graduate student in a mainly undergraduate college.

MASt in Mathematics at Cambridge
9 mth course that includes an optional thesis during the 9mths
Modules may/may not have complementary classes, so you really have to take initiative for your own learning
Wide range of modules across pure,applied and applicable disciplines (i.e. physics, statistics, operations research, etc.)
The range of statistics courses available is decent but not as extensive as that at Oxford.
Due to the informal nature of my graduate college, I am expecting to have fun learning from the diverse interaction with collegemates.
I would have to pursue my interest in Actuary independently for the most part, and I can't obtain course material for free since the Actuary reference library is at Oxford.

Right now, I am worried that I might not survive Part III of Camb maths, since there seems to be less academic support in terms of compulsory complementary classes. At the same time, I feel that they might not be able to cater for my particular interest in applicable maths (esp actuary). Oxford has the advantage of having the Institute of Actuaries at their doorstep. On the other hand, I can see myself learning in a more diverse way at Camb due to greater interaction with collegemates of different fields, and the flexibility to choose from the wide range of options that they offer. (Options that might not interest me though)

Does it boil down to my career ambition then? If I wish to be an actuary, would MSc Applied Statistics at Oxford do me better than Part III Maths? If I want to do phD in Statistics, then I do think that Part III would be better.

I am sorry for the awfully long post but I've had this internal struggle for months, and peers my age don't seem to be in a good position to advise on the issue either. I will be grateful for any thoughts about this. Thank you very much.

Also, if I chose Camb, should I do the optional thesis? The answer seems to be a yes, but I am wondering why.

Reply 1

shiny

tbh if you like actuarial science you might want to consider one of the London institutions. Cambridge's main strengths are in probability and stochastic analysis whilst Oxford's expertise is in applied statistics and mathematical genetics.

Reply 2

longey

I also looked into this recently. The relevant modules available at Cam are very much oriented towards mathematical statistics and probability theory, while the Ox program (surprise surprise) focuses on applications. Two very, very different courses. If you are interested in statistics, as opposed to probability theory, then Part III is not for you. Also, Part III is notoriously difficult, Cam UGs have a distinct advantage, it's geared towards those that want to progress to doctoral level, and huge amounts of rote learning are required (unless you are a genius). The Ox course gives broad exposure to different areas of statistics without getting too bogged down in the theory.

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