If you have a love of mathematics and business but want to work with them in a more applied field, Actuarial Science is a great choice. As well as becoming a professional Actuary, it opens up doors to broader fields including data science and risk management.  

Our multidisciplinary Actuarial Science degree course brings together UEA’s Schools of Mathematics, Computing Sciences and Economics, along with the expertise of practicing actuaries.  

You’ll spend the third year of this four-year degree in a commercial environment, working alongside professional actuaries, gaining a true understanding of the application of technical concepts in the workplace. So you’ll graduate not only with technical skills but with relevant work experience too, putting you one step ahead of other graduates. 

  A Year in Industry is strongly recommended by our industry contacts, who say it significantly enhances your employment prospects. It will also count towards the work-based skills required to become a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.  

You’ll gain first-hand knowledge of the mechanics of your chosen field, while greatly improving your chances of progressing within that sector as you secure valuable contacts and insight. What’s more, you’ll be able to put theory into practice in a context governed by real-world time and financial constraints.  

ACCREDITATION

This course is accredited by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA).  

Studying an accredited degree course means that you may be eligible for exemptions from some of the IFoA’s professional exams. This will depend on the modules you take and the grades you achieve. For a current list of exemptions please visit the IFoA’s website.  

PLACEMENT YEAR AND STUDY ABROAD

You’ll spend your third year on industrial placement in a commercial environment. Recent placement partners in the School have included Aviva, Lloyds Bank, NFU Mutual, Xafinity and LV.  

You will be expected to seek your own work placement. However, we will, of course, offer significant guidance and support to help you with to identify and secure your placement. During this year you’ll be supported by an industrial supervisor and a mentor from the University. You and your industrial supervisor will feed back during the placement to ensure that it is progressing well, and your UEA mentor will visit you during the year.  

Please note that we cannot guarantee any student a work placement as this decision rests with potential employers.  

If you are unable to secure a work placement by the end of your second year you will have the option to apply to be transferred onto the equivalent degree programme without a Year in Industry.

AFTER THE COURSE

On successful completion of our Actuarial Science degree, your academic performance could earn you exemptions to the professional actuarial examinations set by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. This means that on graduation, subject to reaching a certain level of academic performance, you will be entitled to exemptions from CM1&2, CS1&2 and CB1&2. If you achieve a good degree class, you can expect to be fully qualified within two or three years.  

Beyond becoming a professional actuary, you could choose to pursue a stimulating and influential career in a wide range of sectors, including business, insurance, pensions, banking, accounting and other financial services.

CAREER DESTINATIONS

Examples of careers that you could enter include:  

• Actuary  

• Banking and finance  

• Data scientist  

• Risk manager  

• Investment manager  

• Financial modeller