Graduate classes in Actuarial Science will be offered, beginning in Spring 2006. Act Sci majors who will be seniors in Fall 2005 will have the option of either entering the graduate program or completing the program in four years and earning a Bachelor of Science degree.

“FFourth-year students will be able to take four courses that will count toward both their undergraduate and graduate degrees,?said Dr. Dan Sparling, dean, School of Liberal Arts and Professional Programs. That would leave eight courses to be taken during the fifth, and final, year of the program, Sparling said.

Actuaries are business executives professionally trained in the mathematical sciences who specialize in evaluating financial risk. Insurance companies are a primary employer of actuaries.

Establishing a graduate-level Actuarial Science program is a classic example of building on strength, Sparling said. Maryville’s Act Sci program is consistently ranked among the top such programs in the country because of the impressive record of Maryville students passing the Society of Actuaries exams, and because of the 100 percent job placement rate for Maryville graduates.

“OOur program has the distinction of attracting students of extraordinary talent and ability, with the potential for outstanding careers and leadership,?Sparling said.

Students must pass a lengthy series of exams to become a member of the Society of Actuaries or the Casualty Actuarial Society, the two main professional Actuarial Science organizations. Students generally take the first few exams while in school and continue working on more advanced exams while they are working and gaining experience.

Sparling expects that the graduate program will attract both working professionals preparing for SOA exams and professionals from other fields, including mathematics and accounting.

“IIt was relatively easy to build the master’s program because our undergraduate program is already recognized as an advanced program by the Society of Actuaries,?he said.

There is also potential to attract students from other countries. Program Director Dr. Min Deng is preparing marketing plans for students in China, where there is a high demand for actuaries, Sparling said.

For more information on the new Master of Science program in Actuarial Science, contact Dr. Dan Sparling at (314) 529-9638 or at: dsparling@maryville.edu.