Why Actuarial Science Matters
Actuaries help to predict our unpredictable world, and that skill has become extremely valuable in a number of different industries. There is expected to be a 24% growth in job numbers this decade and there's already an incredibly high median salary.
This program differs from those at other schools in order to provide more industry-aligned skills like data science and a basic computer science background.
Experts & Contributors
Dr. Darren Mason, Albion College | Michigan State University - Dr. Mason holds a BS in Mathematics as well as a PhD in Mechanics with a doctoral minor in Mathematics from the University of Minnesota. In addition, Dr. Mason completed his postdoctoral work in the mathematical sciences department at Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Mason has worked closely with us to build out the Actuarial Science Major.
Dr. Charles Severance, University of Michigan - Dr. Charles Severance holds a PhD in Computer Science from Michigan State University. He is the former Executive Director of the Sakai Foundation, and one of the world’s leading online CS educators. His contributions and curriculum form the basis of our programming curriculum
Chad Glenn - Chad Glenn is the Chief Actuary at Central Mutual Insurance Company, and has almost 15 years of experience working as an Actuary. Mr. Glenn also sits on the Advisory Board of the Actuarial Science program at Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne, and graduated with a BS in Actuarial Science from the University of Illinois. Mr. Glenn was instrumental in helping us determine the most relevant skills for Actuarial work at the undergraduate level.
On-Campus Faculty
- Dr. Dorin Dumitrascu
- Prof. Jo Lynne Hall
- Dr. Elizabeth Lamprecht
- Dr. Matthew Zeckner
Industry Alignment
Actuaries graduating today often lack the computer science and data science skills necessary to perform on day one of the job. We've addressed this with feedback from our corporate partners and designed a curriculum that provides real-world skills and alignment to post-graduation professional exams.
This program fully prepares students to take two Society of Actuaries exams - the "P" and "FM" exams - as well as their Casualty Actuarial Society equivalents.
Career Outlook
A degree in Actuarial Science leads to some of the highest-paying paths available today, for the next decade, and beyond. Most of these careers are quantitative, or numbers-focused, and include roles like Actuary, Budget Analyst, Quantitative Analyst, and Healthcare Actuary.
Besides actuary, potential job titles for someone with a background in mathematics or computational sciences can include teacher, mathematician, statistician, software developer, financial analyst, and data analyst.
There's expected to be 24% job growth from 2020 to 2030 in this field.
Curriculum Highlights
- Math Required: Calculus 1, 2, and 3; Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, and Mathematical Statistics.
- Other Courses: Economics, Accounting, and Intro to Programming
- Hardest Class: Math classes beyond Calculus II are rigorous.
