Actuarial Science

Department of Risk, Insurance & Healthcare Management

Bonnie Averbach, Associate Professor, Program Director
Office: Ritter Annex 475
(215) 204-8153
bonnie.averbach@temple.edu
http://www.sbm.temple.edu/~rmidept/actsci.htm

Krupa S. Viswanathan, Assistant Professor
Office: Ritter Annex 471
(215) 204-6183
krupa.viswanathan@temple.edu

Actuaries are highly educated business executives who specialize in the evaluation of insurance and financial risks. They hold positions of responsibility with insurance companies, consulting firms, investment banks, self-insurers, government regulators, and government insurance programs. Because of their valuable talents and expertise, actuaries are generally well compensated, and often rise to the highest levels of management. While undergraduates, students prepare for and take some of the professional examinations given by the Society of Actuaries and the Casualty Actuarial Society. These examinations cover topics such as calculus and linear algebra, mathematical probability and statistics, compound interest theory, life contingencies, risk management and insurance, accounting, economics, finance, and law.

Students should meet with the program director as soon as they enter the actuarial science program. In addition to their course work and professional examinations, students are strongly encouraged to become active in the Sigma chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma, Temple's national award-winning professional student organization in Risk Management, Insurance, and Actuarial Science. The organization hosts numerous guest speakers from the industry, sponsors a variety of career development seminars, and maintains a widely distributed resume book. For more information, please contact Noelle Salamone, the GIS President, at (215) 204-9368 or visit the website at http://www.temple.edu/gis.

SUMMARY OF REQUIREMENTS

As part of the requirements for each major course, actuarial science students must attend problem-solving sessions held outside of class time. Students are required to sit for the Society of Actuaries/Casualty Actuarial Society Course 1 exam immediately after taking Actuarial Science 0061. If a student does not pass the Course 1 exam, he/she must take Actuarial Science 0262 in the following semester. If a student does pass the Course 1 exam, he/she is exempt from Actuarial Science 0262.

The academic record of students will be examined after the spring semester of their sophomore year to determine their eligibility to remain in the actuarial science major. This decision will be based on GPA, course work completed, exams passed, and participation in Gamma Iota Sigma. Students must attain a 2.75 cumulative GPA and 2.75 in the major to graduate with the actuarial science major.

Requirements of Actuarial Science Major