Course Aims and Objectives

• To provide you with detailed and specialised knowledge and a critical understanding of best practice within the field of actuarial science.
• To enable you to apply your newly gained knowledge and skills into your workplace.
• To develop your independent learning skills and your transferable skills
• To help to extend and develop your career plan and pursue your own professional development.
• To provide you with a fully accredited qualification which provides exemptions from the professions current Core Technical (CT) 1-8 examinations.
• To provide you with a structured programme of study covering all CT1-8 content.

Course Outline

The course offers trainee actuaries, recent graduates looking to enter the industry and those looking for a career change, a head start within this rewarding career. The Postgraduate Diploma course is studied by distance learning and takes two years to complete consisting of eight compulsory modules. To obtain the Masters degree up to a further 12 months of study can be undertaken to complete a dissertation.

Course Structure

Start dates: May and October each year
Course duration: Postgraduate Diploma 24 months, MSc up to 36 months 

Each year is split into two teaching sessions, in each of which you’ll study two modules concurrently, completing four modules a year. At the end of each pair of modules you will be assessed by a final written examination before progressing into the next teaching session. Successful completion of four modules will allow progression to year two of your studies.

Course Modules

The course covers the current CT examination syllabus set by the Faculty and Institute of Actuaries and a small amount of additional financial mathematics that will better prepare you for some of the later professional examinations. The compulsory modules  are listed below and descriptions provided.

The table below provides the route of study you will follow depending on when you join the course. Progression into subsequent years will be dependant on completing all the modules for the year.

	MAY START	OCTOBER START	Award
YEAR ONE: teaching session one	Models and Mortality (CT4)	Financial Mathematics (CT1)
	Finance and Financial Reporting (CT2)	Statistics (CT3)
YEAR ONE: teaching session two	Financial Mathematics (CT1)	Models and Mortality(CT4)
	Statistics (CT3)	Finance and Financial Reporting (CT2)	PgCert*
YEAR TWO: teaching session three	Business Economics (CT7)	Statistical Methods (CT6)
	Contingencies (CT5)	Financial Economics (CT8)
YEAR TWO: teaching session four	Statistical Methods (CT6)	Business Economics (CT7)
	Financial Economics (CT8)	Contingencies (CT5)	PgDip
YEAR THREE	Dissertation	Dissertation	MSc

*The Postgraduate Certificate will only be awarded if you decide to exit the course after successfully completing the first 4 modules. However, please note that no exemptions from the Faculty and Institute’s CT examinations will be granted.

Read more about your learning experience

Careers

The programme offers you the opportunity to work towards your full fellowship of the FIA based on the completion of the first stage of the professional examinations and also progress your career. You will be able to demonstrate the skills, knowledge and expertise acquired through the programme in your place of work or at interview.

You will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to evaluate and interpret different forms data, analyse risk and present your results to a professional audience. You will acquire an understanding of how to apply this knowledge to real problems using the fundamental techniques required by an actuary.

As a Leicester student you will also be able to make use of the University Careers Service.

For full information on how to apply read our enquire and apply section.