RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STUDENTS CONSIDERING BECOMING ACTUARIES
Students considering becoming actuaries should consult information found on the web sites of national professional actuarial organizations (e.g., Be An Actuary, Society of Actuaries and Casualty Actuarial Society) and familiarize themselves with the preparation needed to enter the actuarial profession.
The Society of Actuaries (SOA) focuses on life insurance, health insurance, retirement plans, enterprise risk management (ERM), investments. The Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) focuses on auto insurance, homeowners insurance, commercial liability, and workers’ compensation. Both societies have a common set of initial exams and course work, and then tailor subsequent exams to their field of actuarial work.
Individuals show competence in required areas in two ways: by a series of exams and by taking certain courses while undergraduates in three specified areas, the “VEE” [Validation for Educational Experience] categories. The VEE categories allow students to get credit for the three requirements if they pass approved courses with a minimum grade of B-.
We are in the process of seeking approval for VEE credit for:
- the Accounting and Corporate Finance VEE requirement by taking ACTG 11, FNCE 121, FNCE 124, and FNCE 125; (Note: FNCE 121 has prerequisites of OMIS 40 (or MATH 122-123), and ACTG 11 (prerequisite: BUSN 70)).
- the Economics VEE requirement by taking ECON 1 and ECON 2.
- The Mathematical Statistics VEE requirement by taking MATH 122 and MATH 123.
Here is more information about VEE and exam pathways.
To prepare for the Probability exam (Exam P) and the Financial Mathematics Exam (Exam FM), students should take MATH 122 & 123 and MATH 125. Students can take these exams while still undergraduates.
Other actuarial exams depend on the specific type of actuarial work a person pursues.
Last revised: October 28 2025