2011-2012 University Catalog 
  
2011-2012 University Catalog

Actuarial Sciences Graduate Certificate


Banner Code:  SC-CERG-ACTS

The certificate in actuarial sciences is designed to serve students and professionals in the Washington, D.C., area who are interested in pursuing careers as actuaries. The course content provides students with specific training related to the Society of Actuaries (SOA) Exam FM (formerly Course 2), SOA Exam M (formerly Course 3), SOA Exam C (formerly Course 4), VEE for applied statistics (formerly part of Course 4), and Exam A-1 and EA-1A (for those pursuing EA designation from the U.S. Treasury). The courses also provide a solid foundation for the corresponding Casualty Actuary Society (CAS) exams. Preparation for the first exam is achieved in meeting the prerequisites for the certificate courses in the area of probability and statistics. Students enrolling in the actuarial sciences certificate program must complete the 6 course (18 credit) curriculum requirement described below.

This program of study is offered by the Department of Mathematical Sciences in the College of Science.

Admission Requirements

In addition to fulfilling admission requirements for graduate study, applicants must submit three letters of recommendation. GRE scores are not required.

Students intending to pursue a certificate in the actuarial sciences must have three semesters of calculus, a course in linear algebra (equivalent to MATH 203), a calculus-based course in probability (equivalent to MATH  351), and statistics (equivalent to MATH 352). Completion of the SOA Exam P is also sufficient preparation for the certificate program.

Certificate Requirements


Electives (6 credits from the following):


Total: 18 credits


Notes:


The graduate certificate course work provides preparation for SOA, CAS, and EA exams as follows. MATH 551 is the SOA VEE for Applied Statistics and is preparation for part of the CAS Exam 3. MATH 554 covers most of the SOA Exam FM material as well as CAS Exam 2 and much of the EA-1 exam. MATH 555 and 556 cover all of the Exam MLC material and most of the CAS Exam 3L as well as the remainder of the EA-1 exam. MATH 653 and 654 covers all of the SOA Exam C material as well as CAS Exam 4. MATH 655 covers all of the EA-2-A Exam material.

Counting Actuarial Courses for Other Mathematics Degrees


A student enrolled in the certificate program in actuarial sciences and another graduate degree program in mathematics can count actuarial mathematics courses toward that degree according to the following rules:

  • None of the actuarial mathematics courses MATH 551, 554, 555, 556, 653, 654, and 655 can count toward the PhD degree in mathematics.
  • None of the actuarial mathematics courses MATH 551, 554, and 655 can count toward the MS degree in mathematics.
  • Up to four of the actuarial mathematics courses MATH 555, 556, 653, and 654 can count toward the MS degree in mathematics provided that all other courses counted toward that degree are MATH courses. An exception can be made if the student wishes to count only one actuarial mathematics course from the list toward the MS degree. In this case, at most one other non-MATH course can be counted toward the degree with approval of the graduate coordinator.

Counting Actuarial Courses toward the Statistical Sciences MS Degree


A student enrolled in the certificate program in actuarial sciences and in the MS program in statistical science can count MATH 555 and 556 as approved non-STAT elective courses and can count MATH 653 and 654 as STAT electives when designing a curriculum for this degree. The full curriculum should be designed in consultation with the student’s Statistics Department advisor.