Curriculum

Full-Time

  • 36 points (credits) for degree completion*
  • On-campus instruction**
  • Fall intake only
  • Three semesters to complete 
  • Extensive professional development features.

* Does not include credits earned in ACTU PS5900 Proseminar in Actuarial Science.
** Select courses are available online.

International students are responsible for ensuring they have read and understand the University’s student visa application eligibility and requirements. Please note that it is not permissible to enroll while in B-1/B-2 status. In addition, if studying on a student visa, you must enroll full-time (12 credits per term) and study on campus.

Curriculum Overview

The curriculum is designed on three pillars: Fundamental Knowledge, Specialized Knowledge, and Fostering Leaders.

Courses are taught by leading experts in subjects that include:

  • Insurance and Risk Management, Life Insurance, Property & Casualty Insurance, Pensions, and Risk Management
  • Finance, Financial and Capital Market, Financial Management, and Investment
  • Data Science and Predictive Modeling

The program’s core (or required) courses place an emphasis on fundamental knowledge and specialized knowledge. Those core courses also help students prepare for actuarial science exams. For more details, see the Mapping of SOA/CAS Exams to Core Courses table below.

Degree Requirements

Students must complete 36 points (credits) (including eight core courses) for degree completion. Their GPA must be 3.0 or higher, and a specific grade level applies to required courses:

  • Must have a Grade of B- or higher for Probability Theory GU4203 and Statistics Inference GU4204
  • Must have a Grade of C- or higher for other required courses

Course Requirements and Waivers

Each semester, all full-time students are required to enroll in PS5900.

Students who passed some SOA or CAS examinations may be able to waive certain required courses subject to program approval.  In these cases, students should provide transcripts from SOA or CAS.  Such students should substitute these courses with approved elective courses.

Waiver rules applied if a student has passed SOA/CAS exams; for more details, see the Mapping of SOA/CAS Exams to Core Courses table below.

Mapping of SOA/CAS Exams to Courses
SOA CAS Actuarial Science M.S. Program Courses
P

1

STAT GU4203 Probability Theory*
VEE ‑ Math Stat

MAS-I

STAT GU4204 Statistical Inference*
FM

2

ACTU PS5281 Theory of Interest
FAM‑L

ACTU PS5821 Actuarial Methods
ALTAM

ACTU PS5822 Advanced Actuarial Methods
FAM‑S and ASTAM

ACTU PS5823 Actuarial Models
N/A

MAS-I and MAS-II

ACTU PS5824 Advanced Predictive Modeling Applications in Fin & Ins
SRM and PA

MAS-I and MAS-II

ACTU 5840 Predictive Modeling in Finance and Insurance
SRM and PA

MAS-I

ACTU 5841 Data Science in Finance and Insurance
ATPA

MAS-II

ACTU PS5842 Advanced Data Science Applications in Fin & Ins
N/A

5 (part of)

ACTU PS5630 Property & Casualty (online)

*STAT GU4203 and STAT GU4204 cannot be waived in any circumstance unless students took those courses from the Statistics Department at Columbia University.