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An actuary is a business professional who analyzes the financial consequences of risk and uncertainty. They interpret statistics to determine probabilities of accidents, sickness, death, and loss of property from theft and natural disasters. Actuaries use mathematics, statistics and financial theory to study uncertain future events, especially concerning risk management and insurance programs. Actuaries are considered the “financial architects” of the insurance world.​​​

We offer courses that will help you prepare for the actuarial exams offered by the Society of Actuaries and the Casualty Actuarial Society.  These courses include Probability and Statistics I & II (P Exam), Theory of Interest (FM Exam), Mathematics for Finance (IFM Exam), Loss Models I & II (STAM Exam), Life Contingencies I & II (LTAM Exam), and Applied Regression Analysis and Applied Time Series & Forecasting (SRM Exam).  We also offer courses that will allow you to satisfy other requirements in the actuarial credentialing process.

Program Requirements Quarter Hours
Liberal Studies Requirements 72
Major Requirements 96
Open Electives 24
Total hours required 192

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  • Describe the risk management process and explain how insurance is used to protect against risk.
  • Apply the laws of probability and statistics to problems encountered by actuaries.
  • Use the theory of interest to evaluate financial instruments and manage assets and liabilities.
  • Analyze financial derivatives contracts and identify their risk-mitigation features.

College Core Requirements

Modern Language Requirements

Students who intend to graduate with the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree will be required to demonstrate competence in a modern language equivalent to the proficiency attained from one year of college-level language study. Such competence may be demonstrated in one of several ways:

  • completing the last course in the fourth-year high school sequence of any language
  • completing the last course in the first-year college sequence of any language
  • completing a college course beyond the first-year level in any language
  • achieving a satisfactory score on any of the Modern Language placement examinations administered at DePaul
  • achieving a satisfactory rating in a proficiency examination accepted by DePaul
  • achieving a score of 3 or higher on the Advance Placement (AP) test for any language
  • achieving a score of 5 or higher in the Language B assessment from a Standard or Higher Level International Baccalaureate (IB) program
  • achieving a satisfactory score on the CLEP examination

Please note: Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Requirement.

For further information regarding satisfactory scores and possible credit from the DePaul placement, AP, CLEP, or IB examinations, please contact Student Records.

Students who complete an Inter-College Transfer (ICT) to the College of Science and Health will abide by the College of Science and Health Modern Language Requirement in place on the effective date of the ICT.

BA students who meet College requirements and wish to pursue further work in the language may elect the “Modern Language Option” of the Liberal Studies Program. While Bachelor of Science (BS) students are not required to demonstrate competency in a modern language, the “Modern Language Option” is available to them for language study at any level. Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Option.

Major Declaration Requirements

All students in the College are required to declare a major field prior to beginning their junior year. After researching College programs, the student should declare a major field by visiting Campus Connection and using the Declarations and Inter-College Transfer tool. The student will then be assigned a faculty advisor or staff advisor in the department or program and should make an appointment to see that advisor at his or her earliest convenience.

To change major fields, or to declare a minor or concentration, the student must use the Declarations and Inter-College Transfer tool described above. However, for the purpose of exploring the possibility of changing a major field, the student should consult an academic advisor in the College or an academic advisor in the Office for Academic Advising Support.

Liberal Studies Requirements

Honors program requirements can be found in the individual Colleges & Schools section of the University Catalog. Select the appropriate college or school, followed by Undergraduate Academics and scroll down.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year ProgramHours
Chicago Quarter
LSP 110
DISCOVER CHICAGO
or EXPLORE CHICAGO
4
Focal Point
LSP 112 FOCAL POINT SEMINAR 4
Writing
WRD 103 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I 1 4
WRD 104 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC II 1 4
Quantitative Reasoning
Not Required
Sophomore Year
Race, Power, and Resistance
LSP 200 SEMINAR ON RACE, POWER, AND RESISTANCE 4
Junior Year
Experiential Learning
Required 4
Senior Year
Capstone
BUS 392 SENIOR SEMINAR 1 4
1

Students must earn C- or better in this course.

Learning Domains

Arts and Literature (AL)

  • 3 Courses Required

Historical Inquiry (HI)

  • 2 Courses Required 

Math and Computing (MC)

  • Not Required

Philosophical Inquiry (PI)

  • 2 Courses Required1

Religious Dimensions (RD)

  • 2 Courses Required1

Scientific Inquiry (SI)

  • 1 Lab Course Required

Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry (SCBI)

  • 1 Course Required (must not be an ECO course)
1

PHL 248MGT 248 is required in PI or REL 228 / MGT 228 is required in RD

Specified required courses within Liberal Studies may have grade minimums (e.g. C- or better). Please consult your advisor or your college and major requirements.​

We offer courses that will help you prepare for the actuarial exams offered by the Society of Actuaries and the Casualty Actuarial Society.  These courses include Probability and Statistics I & II (P Exam), Theory of Interest (FM Exam), Mathematics for Finance (IFM Exam), Loss Models I & II (STAM Exam), Life Contingencies I & II (LTAM Exam), and Applied Regression Analysis and Applied Time Series & Forecasting (SRM Exam).  We also offer courses that will allow you to satisfy other requirements in the actuarial credentialing process.

Students are advised to talk with their advisor before double majoring, because some major combinations are prohibited. No more than 50% of the credits that apply to one major may be drawn from another major.

Major Requirements

Course Requirements

Course Title Quarter Hours
Core Courses
Select one of the following Calculus sequences:12
Sequence One
CALCULUS I
CALCULUS II
CALCULUS III
Sequence Two
CALCULUS WITH INTEGRATED PRECALCULUS I
CALCULUS WITH INTEGRATED PRECALCULUS II
CALCULUS WITH INTEGRATED PRECALCULUS III
Sequence Three 1
SUMMER CALCULUS I
SUMMER CALCULUS II
ACC 101INTRODUCTION TO ACCOUNTING I4
ACC 102INTRODUCTION TO ACCOUNTING II4
BLW 201LEGAL & ETHICAL ASPECTS IN THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT4
BUS 392SENIOR SEMINAR (Liberal Studies Program Capstone)4
ECO 105PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS4
ECO 106PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS4
MAT 260MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS I4
MAT 262LINEAR ALGEBRA4
MAT 351PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS I4
MAT 352PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS II (Covers topics relevant to the P Exam)4
MAT 353PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS III4
MAT 361THEORY OF INTEREST4
MAT 368MATHEMATICS FOR FINANCE4
or MAT 369 ACTUARIAL SCIENCE SEMINAR
FIN 251CAREER MANAGEMENT IN ACTUARIAL SCIENCE
FIN 310INTRODUCTION TO FINANCE4
FIN 365PRINCIPLES OF RISK & INSURANCE4
Data Analysis Requirements
CSC 241INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE I4
MAT 341STATISTICAL METHODS USING SAS4
or MAT 348 APPLIED STATISTICAL METHODS
​Actuarial Mathematics Major Electives
Select one of the following two-course sequences:8
LIFE CONTINGENCIES I
and LIFE CONTINGENCIES II
LIFE CONTINGENCIES I
and LOSS MODELS I
LOSS MODELS I
and LOSS MODELS II
Actuarial Statistics Major Electives
Select three of the following:12
BAYESIAN STATISTICS
STOCHASTIC PROCESSES
APPLIED REGRESSION ANALYSIS
APPLIED TIME SERIES AND FORECASTING
SIMULATION MODELS AND MONTE CARLO METHOD
GENERALIZED LINEAR MODELS
DATA ANALYSIS AND REGRESSION
ADVANCED DATA ANALYSIS
FOUNDATIONS OF DATA SCIENCE
 
 
1

This Calculus sequence is offered only during the summer, in two 6-credit hour courses. Students successfully completing MAT 131, MAT 147, MAT 150 or MAT 160 should enroll in MAT 155; students who successfully complete MAT 148, MAT 151 or MAT 161 should enroll in MAT 156. Students who successfully complete MAT 155 may enroll in either MAT 151 or MAT 156.

Open Electives

Open elective credit also is required to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours.