Who should study Actuarial Science?

You may already be employed as a trainee actuary within a firm, or be a recent graduate looking to get into the industry, it could be that a career change is your reason for studying this course. Whichever it is, the Actuarial Science programme at Leicester will provide you with a headstart within this lucrative career, whilst giving you the flexibility to fit studying around your current employment and lifestyle.

Benefits

A career as an Actuary is a highly rewarding one – both financially and intellectually. Actuaries are problem solvers, business analysts, consultants and financial risk assessors all rolled into one. Their skills are applied in the worlds of insurance, pensions, healthcare, banking, business management and risk assessment.

Actuaries use mathematical and statistical knowledge and problem solving skills to help businesses and institutions evaluate the long term financial implications of decisions that they make.

Why study at Leicester?

The Actuarial Science programme at Leicester is the only distance learning course accredited by the Faculty and the Institute of Actuaries. By studying this course you can gain the first accredited qualification in the step towards becoming a fully accredited Fellow of the Faculty and the Institute of Actuaries.

The University enjoys links with the financial industry including Mercer Ltd, ensuring that the course has been developed with the needs of key employers in mind. This means that graduates of the course will be highly employable.

Accreditation by the Faculty and the Institute of Actuaries

The University enjoys strong links with the Faculty and the Institute of Actuaries and has developed the programme working closely with them. The Faculty and the Institute of Actuaries has accredited the programme. This means that if you perform sufficiently well within the examinations you can gain exemption from taking the profession’s current CT 1-8 examinations - the first eight exams towards qualifying as a fellow of the Faculty and the Institute of Actuaries.

Course Content

Modules covered will include: Statistics, Financial Mathematics, Financial Engineering, Risk, Actuarial Mathematics, Contingencies, Finance and Financial Reporting, Economics.

Course Structure

The chart below shows an example of a recommended structure of study, however students are free to choose the order in which they study the subjects from year two, the only exception being that Actuarial Mathematics must be studied before Contingencies. (Subject to module availability)

Delivery of course

• The course will be delivered through supported distance learning. Materials will be made available both in paper form and electronically via the University’s virtual online learning environment Blackboard.
• The use of Blackboard will enable you to benefit from visualizations of key concepts through specialist software. Electronic forums and pod-casts will be used to support your learning.
• Students will also have the opportunity to attend summer schools allowing you the opportunity to meet other students on the course and to attend tutorials.

Support for distance learning students

Studying at a distance doesn't mean that we will leave you to it. The University of Leicester has been a provider of distance learning education for the past decade and therefore has vast experience in this kind of delivery, meaning that you can expect a strong network of support available to you. You can find out more about distance learning study here.

Entry requirements

• At least a 2:1 classification in a relevant first degree

We will also expect a certain prerequisite knowledge of probability and calculus. This means that students will typically be Mathematics, Statistics or Physics graduates, although we will consider graduates from other disciplines such as engineering and economics on an individual basis.

Next Step: Request an Information and Application pack

Once you have requested an information pack you may apply online using the link at the top right of the page. You will need to have available the following: A current email address, digital copy of your degree certificate, transcript, English Language qualification (if required) and referee contact details.