About the Degree
- A flexible program which prepares students for the first two exams of the Society of Actuaries and Casualty Actuarial Society
- Experienced faculty with both academic and professional credentials
- An external professional advisory board of local actuaries
- Assistance finding internships and preparing for actuarial careers.
- Validation by Educational Experience (VEE) credit for all three required courses
- Opportunities to study abroad at some of the top universities around the world
Arcadia has a long history of programs in actuarial science: originally we offered a concentration in actuarial science as part of our mathematics major and since 2013 we have a major. Our program has many graduates in local and regional insurance companies, consulting firms, and government agencies. Our major is administered by Dr. Edward Wolff, a statistician with many years of experience preparing students for actuarial careers. Other faculty include Dr. Carlos Ortiz, whose publications include several in mathematical finance, Dr Zaneta Chapman, who has a doctorate in Risk Management and several years’ experience as an actuary, and Ms. Irina Pogrebivsky, who is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and Professor Emeritus Dr. Louis Friedler, who is an Associate of the Society of Actuaries.
Actuaries are the highly paid business professionals who use probability and mathematical finance to quantitatively assess risk. To advance within the field of actuarial science, individuals must pass a series of exams administered by the Society of Actuaries or the Casualty Actuarial Society. These exams reflect the importance of both mathematics and business to this career; our major combines these two areas of actuarial science. Our major offers courses covering the material for the first two of these exams.
- Exam P: Probability
- Exam FM: Financial Mathematics
Our major also offers Validation by Education Experience (VEE) actuarial credit in Applied Statistics, Finance, and Economics in cooperation with Arcadia’s School of Global Business. Details are available on the Department’s Web page.
The Society of Actuaries has announced changes to its requirements for Associateship beginning Fall 2018: our program will adjust to these new requirements.
One of the strengths of our program is the individual attention we give students. We work with students to prepare them for the exams, to assist in writing resumes and applying for positions, and to offer advice on interviewing.
Our Advisory Board includes: Stuart Alden, FSA, Senior VP and Actuary, Aon Risk Solutions: Jeffrey Fratantaro, ACAS, Senior VP, The Westchester (Chubb) and Andrew Martin, FSA, VP Product Management, Penn Mutual Insurance Co. Both Jeffrey Fratantaro and Andrew Martin are graduates of Beaver College/Arcadia University.
We are pleased that the Actuaries Club of Philadelphia supports our program with financial help to partially reimburse students for the expense of taking actuarial exams.
