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The University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NZ, T +44 (0)1227 764000
Actuarial Science BSc (Hons)
This is a full-time single honours programme within the Actuarial Science subject area.
Key facts
- Subject area: Actuarial Science
- Award: BSc (Hons)
- Code: N323
- Location: Canterbury
- Honours: Single
- Mode of study: Full-time
- Duration: 3 years
- Start: 2013
- Year in industry: No
- Year abroad: No
- Institution(s): University of Kent
Overview
Actuaries evaluate and manage financial risks, particularly in the financial services industry. They form a small yet well-respected, influential and relatively well-paid profession. If you are good at mathematics and you are curious about financial matters, you should enjoy studying actuarial science.
Our degree gives you the opportunity to gain exemptions from eight of the professional examinations set by the UK actuarial profession, and is one of the few programmes to achieve full accreditation from the profession. Once you qualify, employment prospects are good, and students from this course have also gone on to successful careers in other areas such as accountancy, banking or operational research. The core actuarial modules are taught by professionally qualified actuaries with many years' industry experience.
The course offers an optional year in industry and we run the Invicta Actuarial Society, which provides good links with industry.Our School is friendly and we make a point of getting to know our students on a one-to-one basis.
Modules
Stage 1
You take four core modules of 15 credits and two of 30 credits (Financial Mathematics and Calculus and Mathematical Modelling).
Core modules- Proofs and Numbers
- Calculus and Mathematical Modelling
- Business Economics
- Financial Mathematics
- Matrices and Computing
- Probability and Statistics for Actuarial Science
Stage 2
You take six core modules of 15 credits and one of 30 credits (Finance and Financial Reporting).
Core modules- Analysis
- Contingencies 1
- Finance and Financial Reporting
- Linear Algebra
- Probability and Statistics for Actuarial Science 2
- Statistics for Insurance
- Time Series Modelling and Simulation
Stage 3
You take six core modules of 15 credits and one of 30 credits (Actuarial Practice)
- Contingencies 2
- Financial Modelling
- Mathematics of Financial Derivatives
- Actuarial Practice
- Portfolio Theory and Asset Pricing Models
- Stochastic Processes
- Survival Models
We are fully committed to continually developing and improving our programmes, and the course details above may change.
Foundation
If, for whatever reason, your grades do not qualify you for direct entry, you may be able to take a four-year degree with a foundation year (with an initial year of mathematics).
Teaching and assessment
Most of the teaching is by lectures and examples classes. At Stage 1, you can go to regular supervised classes where you can get help and advice on the way you approach problems. Modules which include programming or working with computer software packages usually involve practical sessions.
Each year, there are a number of special lectures by visiting actuaries from external organisations, to which all students are invited. These lectures help to bridge the gap between actuarial theory and its practical applications.
The course provides practical experience of working with PROPHET, a market-leading actuarial software package used by commercial companies worldwide for profit testing, valuation and model office work. This market-leading actuarial system is provided by SunGard, a global leader in integrated software and processing solutions primarily for financial services.
The final mark for almost all Stage 1, 2 and 3 modules is assessed by end-of-year examinations, with 10% or 20% awarded for coursework or a project.
Careers
Our programme is fully accredited by the Actuarial profession. The degree gives you the opportunity to gain exemption from the core technical subjects (CT1 to CT8) of the professional examinations set by the UK actuarial profession, and gives a firm foundation for the later specialist technical subjects. Graduates may also get exemption from some of the examinations set by the Chartered Insurance Institute.
Programmes at Kent involve more than 'just' an academic qualification – we are explicitly committed to helping students develop the essential broader skills that contribute towards employability. For example, we run a series of seminars helping students to understand the different types of work that actuaries undertake, and we provide expert coaching in key careers-related skills, such as interview skills, and developing a strong CV.
For more information on the services Kent provides to improve your employment prospects, visit www.kent.ac.uk/employability.
Entry requirements
Offer levels
AAA at A level, IB Diploma 33 points inc 6 in HL Mathematics or IB Diploma with 17 points at Higher inc 6 in HL Mathematics.
Required subjects
A level Mathematics grade A including the core syllabus of Pure Mathematics. (Use of Maths is not accepted.)
Further information
School
Enquiries:
The programme is based in The Centre for Actuarial Science, Risk and Investment (CASRI).
Find out more about the programme and CASRI on their web pages.
T: +44 (0)1227 827272
Key Information Sets
The Key Information Set (KIS) data (right) is compiled by UNISTATS and draws from a variety of sources which includes the National Student Survey and the Higher Education Statistical Agency. The data for assessment and contact hours is compiled from the most populous modules (to the total of 120 credits for an academic session) for this particular degree programme. Depending on module selection, there may be some variation between the KIS data and an individual's experience. For further information on how the KIS data is compiled please see the UNISTATS website.
If you have any queries about a particular programme, please contact information@kent.ac.uk