Adding Actuarial Science to a J-School Major

College Majors Math/Computer Science Majors
1

<p>So, I'm a senior in high school right now, and I'll be attending the Mizzou J-School. And I've actually really wanted to double up and major in Actuarial Science as well. My question is, is this worth it? If I take summer school, how long can I expect to complete both of these in?</p>

2

<p>Em, I couldn’t find Acturial Science as a major at Mizzou at all… I might be looking in the wrong place.</p>

<p>If I’m right and it isn’t offered, I’d seriously be looking at colleges that do offer it, even if it requires taking a year off and reapplying again next year. </p>

<p>Hope I’m just being stupid.</p>

3

<p>[actuarial</a> science](<a href=“http://www.math.missouri.edu/degrees/undergraduate/actuary.html]actuarial”>http://www.math.missouri.edu/degrees/undergraduate/actuary.html) I found it here, which as it turns out, is something slightly different, maybe? Is this worth pursuing?</p>

4

<p>It seems like I would be able to get a job as an actuary and pass the first 3? exams going this route, and if I did, I could also take online classes to finish up more.</p>

5

<p>Actuarial jobs would be very different from journalism jobs (unless you find a niche very specialized job in journalism about finance, risk management, insurance, etc.). The journalism job market does not seem to be all that good these days, though.</p>

<p>[Be</a> an Actuary](<a href=“http://www.beanactuary.com%5DBe”>http://www.beanactuary.com) has more information about actuarial preparation.</p>

6

<p>I looked over the course requirements. An ActSci major will prepare you for the first 4 exams (the website is outdated. Exam M was split into two exams like 6 years ago). You only need two to get a job.</p>

<p>The physics/bio/chem classes are useless (but that stats and econ ones are essential). Computer science and the math classes, you’d take anyway as a math major - and don’t specifically teach ActSci stuff for the most part.</p>

<p>Get a math major, pass the tests on your free time, and become an actuary that way.</p>

<p>Here’s the reason I say it:</p>

<p>ActSci major is completely useless outside of the actuarial world. You are in high school, and I don’t think you know enough about the industry to pidgeonhole yourself into it.</p>

<p>These are the courses you absolutely should take:

  1. Stats 4870
  2. Stats 4510
  3. Econ 1041 and 1015
  4. Finance 3000 (Exam FM in a nutshell. (annuities, bonds, interest rates, perpetuities, duration, convexity)).
  5. Finance 4020
  6. Math 4320 (if this is bayes theorem, conditional probability, expectation, variance, poisson, exponential distributions, etc.)
  7. Math 4370 and 4371 (but by the time you take these courses, you’d probably have passed exam MLC anyway)
  8. Find a class on derivatives pricing and take that (Black&Scholes, Ito’s Lemma, PutCall Parity etc.) That’s exam MFE.</p>

<p>Somehow, squeeze those courses in addition to your math degree.</p>

<p>Keep in mind that an act science major means nothing outside of actuarial. In fact, some companies will see it and hold it against you (since it gives the impression of handholding and weak critical thinking throughout the exams).</p>

<p>ESPECIALLY don’t do an actsci major if it means summer school. THe most important thing you can do for your career (actuarial or otherwise for the most part) is find an internship over the summer.</p>