What can I do with a degree in Actuarial Science?

Find out where the range of skills you develop studying actuarial science can take you. Here we list potential careers and tell you how you can find a job in this sector.

Actuarial Science Careers

The occupations listed below are a selection of those which may interest students and graduates from the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science.

Actuaries apply mathematical and statistical techniques to business problems. They work out the degree of risk on life assurance policies, pensions and employee benefits and investments.
 
Tasks include: Calculating and advising on life assurance policies, pensions and employee benefits and investments; applying mathematical and statistical techniques to business problems by: computer work; writing letters, reports; filing; spreadsheets.

Employers: Actuaries work in life assurance, general insurance, actuarial consultancies, investment banks and for the Government Actuaries Department. Some Chartered Accountancy firms are now setting up actuarial departments.

Satisfactions include: Passing exams, able to achieve things, (i. e. valuation results), travel and working with people from other companies.

Skills required include: Analysing, Investigating, Numeracy, Communication, Cooperating, Advising

Degree subjects: Actuarial science, mathematics, statistics, economics, operational research - mathematics based degrees. Need to show good communication and interpersonal skills as well as numeracy.

Please note that some of these careers may require further study.

For further information on these careers, see also:

People in some actuarial roles may be self-employed.

Destinations of Kent Actuarial Science Graduates

Destinations of Kent Actuarial Science Graduates

Other careers

An actuarial science degree may be useful in the following career areas:

Actuarial Science graduates from Kent have also entered careers in

Business Analyst: Mercer, Aviva,  Lloyds Bank
Pensions Analyst: Deloitte,
Economic Analyst: Somerset County Council
Pricing Analyst: LV Insurance
Investment Analyst: Financial Ombudsman Service
Information Analyst
Data Analyst
New Business Administrator: Mellon European Fund Services
Tax Assistant: Coutts Bank
Statistician: Govt. Statistical Service
Trainee Chartered Accountant: PWC, PKF, Hughes Allen
Finance Analyst: Arcadia Group
Trainee Banker: HSBC, Lloyds TSB, Union Bank of Switzerland
Graduate Finance Trainee: Marconi
Mortgage Advisor: London and Country Mortgages, Flexible-mortgage.net
Teaching Assistant- School
Police Officer

You may be interested in graduate roles outside of actuarial science. There are many employers who are looking for graduates with good degrees but that don’t have a preference for the subject studied. To explore different career options see:

Skills gained

As well as subject-specific knowledge and skills, a graduate in actuarial science will typically have gained:

  • Employers will consider problem solving, thinking logically and high level quantitative and numerical skills as obvious acquisitions on an actuarial degree.
  • Other skills gained include Analysing, Investigating, Numeracy, Communication, Cooperating and Advising
  • You will also gather specific knowledge such as statistical methods, applied mathematics and actuarial technical skills such as Prophet.

This is not an exhaustive list of skills – you will develop many skills from your course, extra-curricular activities and work experience. You can find out more about the skills employers look for and how you can develop them.

Find a job

The Careers and Employability Service provides information and advice on job searching to University of Kent students and recent graduates. This includes a vacancy database advertising a range of graduate jobs, sandwich placements and vacation work/internships. These websites may be useful in job searching and for providing further information on jobs and careers specifically related to Accounting and Finance.

Links

Some major Actuarial Employers

More websites offering graduate jobs, internships and placement years

You may also find useful reviews and application/interview tips for specific organisations on the following websites:
Glassdoor
The Job Crowd

Further study

Graduates could continue to an MSc in Applied Actuarial Science at Kent or other universities, an MSc in Mathematics and its applications or an MSc in Statistics

Actuarial Science graduates from Kent have in the past entered MSc Applied Actuarial Science at Kent, MSc Statistics - Kent (5), MSc Mathematics at LSE, MSc Risk and Statistics at LSE, MSc Management Science - Kent, MSc Investment Banking - Reading, MSc Finance - Oxford, MA Finance - Exeter, MSc Actuarial Management - CASS Business School ,
Pg Diploma Actuarial Science - Kent
Teacher Training: PGCE Mathematics at Christ Church and also at South Essex SCITT Training

More information on postgraduate study

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