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Curriculum

Part-Time

  • 36 points (credits) for degree completion*
  • On-campus instruction**
  • Fall intake only
  • Up to three years 
  • Extensive professional development features.

Does not include points earned in ACTU PS5900 Proseminar in Actuarial Science or ACTU PS5995 Internship 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(link is external). 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 students are required to enroll in PS5900 unless they secure internships for the concurrent semester and enroll in PS5995 instead for the same semester.

Required courses related to actuarial organization examinations may be waived if the student has passed the corresponding SOA or CAS examinations listed below. Such students will substitute these courses with approved electives. Student may waive courses by providing a transcript from the SOA or CAS, proving successful completion.

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
SOA P CAS

1

Actuarial Science M.S. Program Courses

STAT GU4203 Probability Theory*

SOA VEE ‑ Math Stat CAS

MAS-I

Actuarial Science M.S. Program Courses

STAT GU4204 Statistical Inference*

SOA FM CAS

2

Actuarial Science M.S. Program Courses

ACTU PS5281 Theory of Interest

SOA FAM‑L CAS Actuarial Science M.S. Program Courses

ACTU PS5821 Actuarial Methods

SOA ALTAM CAS Actuarial Science M.S. Program Courses

ACTU PS5822 Advanced Actuarial Methods

SOA FAM‑S and ASTAM CAS Actuarial Science M.S. Program Courses

ACTU PS5823 Actuarial Models

SOA N/A CAS

MAS-I and MAS-II

Actuarial Science M.S. Program Courses

ACTU PS5824 Advanced Predictive Modeling Applications in Fin & Ins

SOA SRM and PA CAS

MAS-I and MAS-II

Actuarial Science M.S. Program Courses

ACTU 5840 Predictive Modeling in Finance and Insurance

SOA SRM and PA CAS

MAS-I

Actuarial Science M.S. Program Courses

ACTU 5841 Data Science in Finance and Insurance

SOA ATPA CAS

MAS-II

Actuarial Science M.S. Program Courses

ACTU PS5842 Advanced Data Science Applications in Fin & Ins

SOA N/A CAS

5 (part of)

Actuarial Science M.S. Program Courses

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.