Actuarial Science Education and Training for Beginners

Find the right actuarial education to meet your professional goals

Actuarial science education and training is available at a number of colleges. To train for a career as an actuarial, you need to focus your studies on investments, insurance, higher level mathematics, finance and statistics, as well as actuarial courses. When you complete your actuarial science education and training you can expect to find a good job in the insurance industry, as a consultant or with the government.

In order to prepare for the Society of Actuaries (SOA) and Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) professional qualifying examinations, you need to have at least a Bachelors Degree in Actuarial Science. Courses toward actuarial science degrees are seldom available as online actuarial courses; however, it is possible to enroll in other undergraduate classes in an online setting. If you do find online actuarial training, make sure the college where you are getting your degree accepts the classes.

As you seek actuarial science education and training, you should look for the following in the actuarial degree program:

1. The cost of the actuarial courses.

2. The value of scholarships, if any, that are available to you.

3. The school’s success rate for students passing SOA and CAS professional qualifying examinations.

 

Find out more about actuarial education and where it can lead as a career

Begin this process as early as high school. There are classes you can take that can make your college requisite courses much easier. Take every math class you can, as well as business and accounting classes.
Try: There’s plenty of information about actuarial science education and training. For beginners seeking actuarial science training, job projections and pay expectations, a good place to start is the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Find out what courses you need to take in high school to get into actuarial schools by studying the information at BeAnActuary.

Find schools that offer undergraduate actuarial science courses and degrees

Some schools offer bachelor's degree programs in actuarial sciences, while other offer undergraduate courses as preparation for graduate school. Some undergraduate schools with full actuarial degree programs also offer training for the professional exams as part of the course of study.
Try: The Smeal College of Small Business at Pennsylvania State University lists the actuarial science education and training you would receive in its undergraduate actuarial science courses. You can also take actuarial classes towards a bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa.

Enroll in graduate actuarial schools

Earn your master's degree in actuarial sciences. As you take your graduate actuarial classes, you prepare for the professional exams. Completing a master of science degree in actuarial science and passing the professional exams puts you in a good spot to earn a good salary as soon as you complete your degree.
Try: Take actuarial courses toward a master's in actuarial science from Boston University. Columbia University also offers a master's program.

Copyright © 2011 Business.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

---