Financial Mathematics and Actuarial Science

Graduates of this course will have a broad range of quantitative numerical and computational skills that are of use in many fields. Graduates who wish to pursue an actuarial career may qualify for exemptions from some of the professional actuarial examinations, depending on performance and choice of electives, and will have the necessary preparation to undertake the remaining examinations.

A number of degree courses in the UK and Ireland correspond to some or all of the core principle exams of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries - the first stage of the professional education of an actuary.

The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) has approved programme-level exemption status for the Financial Mathematics and Actuarial science programme at UCC in respect of their first 6 Core Principles in the new 2019 IFoA curriculum (equivalent to 8 Core Technical subjects in the pre-2019 curriculum). Students may be recommended for all of these exemptions by performing sufficiently well in the corresponding examinations of the UCC programme. The IFoA exemptions covered are CM1, CM2, CB1, CB2, CS1 & CS2. UCC is one of the very few universities in Ireland which can offer students the potential to receive this level of exemption from the professional actuarial examinations.

Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA)

In order to become a qualified actuary, it is necessary to satisfy the professional education and work experience requirements of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA).

A number of degree courses in the UK and Ireland correspond to some or all of the eight core technical subjects in the first stage of the professional education of an actuary. This degree provides a thorough education in the mathematical sciences, as well as the preparation for a career with a financial focus.

In addition to opportunities in the financial and insurance areas, and in the mathematical sciences, our graduates will have acquired analytical, computing, communication, and problem-solving skills that will open the way for a wide range of careers.

Non-EU applicants are expected to have educational qualifications of a standard equivalent to the Irish Leaving Certificate. In addition, where such applicants are non-native speakers of the English language they must satisfy the university of their competency in the English language.

To verify if you meet the minimum academic and language requirements visit our qualification comparison page and refer to our International Office page for more information.

Graduates in Financial Mathematics and Actuarial Science can look forward to careers offering intellectual challenge, professional status, job satisfaction and high earnings.

Designing solutions to mathematical problems involving financial risk or future uncertainty places the graduate among the most highly valued professionals in the financial world.

The recent past has seen enormous growth in the financial services industry worldwide. This, together with the increasing sophistication of modern financial products, has led to increasing demand for graduates in Financial Mathematics and Actuarial Science.

"As an Actuarial Recruitment agency for actuaries in Ireland, Acumen Resources have been proudly providing advice to students on the BSc Financial Mathematics & Actuarial Science course. A key advantage of this course is that it is a broader course than just Actuarial Science. It has a large computer practical component and the feedback from delighted employers has been that their students are very technical and have excellent computer skills. The course also offers a consultancy based module where students work on real data sets and problems, they carry out statistical analysis on these data sets and then present their findings to the real-world client. A valuable experience which adds tremendous value to any CV."  - Paul Walsh FIA (CEO of Acumen Resources)