This fall, UNCW will begin offering students the opportunity to earn an additional credential while working towards their undergraduate degree.
 
The Actuarial Science Certificate Program, the first of its kind in North Carolina, is an interdisciplinary program with courses in multiple departments across the College of Arts and Sciences and the Cameron School of Business.
 
The 21 to 22 credit hour program will prepare students to take the actuarial science exam series by providing them with comprehensive training in economics, finance, mathematics and statistics. Core courses emphasize probability, modeling and econometrics. Upon earning the certificate, students should be able to pass the first two exams in the series (exams P and FM) and meet all the Validation by Educational Experience (VEE) requirements for the Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA) designation.
 
The demand for graduates with actuarial science experience is high across the nation.  The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) projects employment of actuaries to grow 22 percent from 2016 to 2026, “much faster than the average for all occupations.” Annually, actuaries earn a median salary of over $100,000, according to data collected by BLS in 2017.

This new program reflects UNCW’s deep commitment to ensuring students’ post-graduate success in today’s marketplace and to meeting the workforce needs of our region. Additional certifications and credentials add value to students’ degrees and broaden their career prospects.
 
“Students with majors in economics, finance, mathematics and statistics will benefit from this program the most,” said Yishi Wang, program director and professor in UNCW’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics. “The program recognizes students’ efforts towards becoming an actuary and the certificate is a great plus for their resume.”

Graduates of the program will be prepared to enter the workforce with a unique and specialized skill set sought-after by the insurance, finance and health care industries, among others. For students who elect not to pursue an advanced degree, this credential enables them to begin working immediately in a high-wage, high-growth occupation.  
 
For more information about the Actuarial Science Certificate Program, contact Yishi Wang.

Aswani Volety, Ph.D., is dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and a professor in the Department of Biology and Marine Biology. Volety earned a Ph.D. in marine science from the College of William & Mary, and a master’s and a bachelor’s degree in zoology from Andhra University. The College of Arts and Sciences is UNCW’s largest academic unit, employing over 450 full-time and 150 part-time faculty members and awarding approximately three quarters of the university’s academic credits. Volety serves as the chief academic, fiscal and administrative officer of the college, which is responsible for educating students across the arts, sciences, humanities and social sciences, and includes the UNCW Center for Marine Science. Volety is also past president of the Southern Association of Marine Labs.To learn more about the UNCW College of Arts and Sciences, visit www.uncw.edu/cas. Questions and comments can be sent to [email protected].