What can I do with a degree in maths or actuarial science

What can I do with a degree in Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science?

Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science graduates are highly valued across a wide range of industries for their logical thinking, quantitative analysis, and problem-solving abilities. These skills are in high demand in finance, technology, data science, government, education, research, and consultancy. Your technical training, supported by analytical reasoning and computing skills, will enable you to pursue roles that involve managing risk, making data-driven decisions, and solving real-world problems. Get ideas and inspiration here before booking a one-to-one appointment with a Careers Adviser.

Careers in Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science

The following are examples of the types of roles available to graduates, based on graduate outcomes and current industry trends.

Actuary-(Life, Pensions, Insurance, Health) Assess financial risk and uncertainty, often for insurance, pension or consulting firms. Work involves pricing, modelling, and projections.

Risk Analyst-Analyse credit, market, or operational risks to help organisations understand exposure and build risk mitigation strategies.

Data Scientist-Use programming (e.g. Python, R, SQL) and statistics to analyse data trends, build predictive models, and inform decision-making across many sectors.

Quantitative Analyst-(Quant) Develop complex financial and statistical models to support investment, trading, or risk analysis within banks and hedge funds.

Business Analyst-Translate business data into insights using tools such as Power BI, Tableau or Excel to support organisational strategy and operations.

Statistician-Design experiments and surveys, analyse data, and interpret results in areas such as healthcare, government, education, or market research.

Alternative career paths

Investment Analyst-Quantify risks in portfolios, stress testing, scenario modelling.

Underwriter-(Insurance) Analyse risk for individual insurance contracts.

Management Consultant-Many consulting firms (e.g., Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, EY) hire actuarial science grads for roles in pensions, insurance, or risk advisory.

Machine Learning Engineer-Build and deploys algorithms that allow systems to learn from data and automate decision-making.

SEO Specialist-Optimise website content using data analysis to improve search engine rankings and drive web traffic.

Where do University of Kent graduates work?

Organisations that have employed University of Kent graduates in the past include:

Technology and IT: Google, Microsoft, IBM, Amazon Web Services, Meta
Finance and banking: Barclays, HSBC, J.P Morgan, PwC, EY
Government and public services: Civil service, NHS Digital, Office for National Statistics

There are many more possible employers in these and other industries. 

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 Uni Kent Careers Hub, advertising a range of graduate jobs, placement year and vacation work/internships.

Tips to stand out

Gain practical experience: Engage in internships, volunteer work, or part-time roles related to areas of interest.

Participate in competitions: Join university-led challenges, hackathons, or contests to demonstrate your skills and maths and statistics abilities.

Stay informed: Keep up-to-date with trends in data, analytics, economics and more through relevant articles, commercial awareness and online courses.

Research: Prove you understand the organisations you want to apply to - what they do, what makes them unique, the challenges they are facing, and any new strategic directions.

Prepare for assessments: Practice numerical, analytical or coding tests, and use any sample resources provided. Utilise the University of Kents subscription to Graduates First practice exercises.

Year in industry

A year in industry can have a big impact on your employability. By gaining real-world experience and learning key skills in the workplace, and pairing these with the knowledge you gain on your degree, you can become a highly employable candidate in the labour market. The year can be based in the UK or abroad, including your home country if you're an international student, and contribute to your final degree. At The University of Kent, many courses include an optional year in industry between your second and final year, where you undertake graduate-level work related to your studies.

Work experience

Further study

Some Actuarial Science graduates pursue further study to specialise or move into research roles. There are also professional qualifications that you will need to take if you decide to pursue becoming an Actuary.

Route to becoming an actuary

Postgraduate Courses at Kent

Prospects – Postgraduate Study

Find a Masters