Course summary

Actuaries evaluate and manage financial risk. They make financial sense of the future for their clients by applying advanced mathematical and statistical techniques to solve complex financial problems. Qualifying as an actuary is a passport to a wide variety of careers in insurance companies, investments, pensions, health care and banking – not just in the UK, but throughout the world. Kent is one of a very few universities in the UK to teach the subject. Our MSc in Applied Actuarial Science with an Industrial Placement is fully accredited by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries; it also provides a fast-track route to qualifying as an actuary, because students who achieve a high enough overall mark in this programme can obtain exemptions from the professional examinations included within their studies. The MSc is only available as a full-time (one-year) programme plus placement (of varying lengths) extending the MSc programe to between 15 and 24 months. It is suitable for those who have completed a first degree or postgraduate diploma in Actuarial Science, or those who have studied the majority of the earlier subjects in the Core Technical Stage subjects. The start date and duration of the Industrial Placement depend on the employer. Students on a longer placement module (i.e. 6, 9 or 12 months) can transfer to a shorter module if the placement arrangement changes unavoidably once the student has embarked on it, but if a student cannot complete the minimum of three months placement he/she will be required to transfer to the MSc programme without a placement. Placements may be undertaken in the UK or overseas.