Actuarial Mathematics BSc (Hons)

A programme aimed at those students who see themselves working in the world of insurance, financial or governmental services, where actuarial mathematics plays a key role.

We have accreditation from the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, the professional body for actuaries in the UK. Currently, our students can receive exemptions for CT1, CT2, CT3, CT4, CT5, CT6, CT7 and CT8 of the professional actuarial exams.

Programme in detail

In Year Three, you will cover some specialised work in advanced actuarial and financial mathematics. Subsequently, you start to study more advanced ideas in both life and non-life insurance mathematics as well as stochastic modelling, econometrics and finance. This programme is designed to prepare you for a career as an actuary, combining financial and actuarial mathematics with statistical techniques and business topics. Actuarial mathematics prepares students to be professionals who use mathematical models to analyse and solve financial problems under uncertainty. Actuaries are experts in the design, financing and operation of insurance plans, annuities, and pension or other employee benefit plans.

Department Key Facts

Number of first year students

196 Year One undergraduates in 2016

Graduate prospects

88% are employed or in further study within six months of graduating (Unistats 2015)

National Student Survey

84% of our students said staff are good at explaining things (NSS 2016)

Why this subject?

Take the first steps towards a brilliant career

Employers tell us that, alongside key problem solving skills, they want strong communication skills and the ability to work in a team – so we have ensured that these are integral to our Mathematics programmes. As a result, we have an excellent graduate employment record. About a third of graduates become business and finance professionals; but there is a whole host of other careers which our graduates have found success in – management training, information technology, further education or training (including teacher training), scientific research and development, and many more.

Shape your own degree from our wide range of study options

Our modules range from financial mathematics to fluid mechanics, from chaos to combinatorics. In the final year, many of our degree programmes offer the opportunity to undertake an in-depth project on a topic of your choice, supervised by a leading expert in the field so whatever element of mathematics you are passionate about, you will be able to explore it in full.

Fulfil your potential in a supported environment

We take students from a wide variety of educational backgrounds and we work hard to give everyone the opportunity to shine. Features such as the peer-assisted study scheme – where Year Two and upwards students assist first years with maths problems – as well as small first-year tutorial groups, a department common room and a lively maths society help to foster a friendly and supportive environment. We are also proud of our record on teaching quality, with five members of the Department having received the prestigious Sir Alastair Pilkington Award for Teaching, the University’s top accolade for teaching quality.

Put maths into practice through our innovative outreach programme

We encourage all our students to get involved in our extensive outreach programme with schools in the Merseyside area and beyond. This is a particularly valuable experience for those interested in a career in teaching, but for all students it is a brilliant opportunity to build transferable skills. Activities include joining a visit to a local school to help out with an interactive learning session, or giving a presentation at the University’s Maths Club. Further details can be found at www.mathsoutreach.com.