Build Core Skills for a Career in Actuarial Science
The Graduate Certificate in Actuarial Foundations at Boston University Metropolitan College (MET) provides essential coursework designed to help you develop the skills to “think like an actuary.” This program introduces foundational topics such as interest theory and probability, which are key to success in actuarial science and related fields.
Completing this graduate certificate in Actuarial Foundations equips you to work with fundamental actuarial models, preparing you for roles in insurance companies, consulting firms, and financial sectors. It also serves as a stepping stone to the Graduate Certificate in Actuarial Science, where you build upon these core concepts.
BU MET’s Actuarial Foundations courses are carefully structured to support your preparation for key Society of Actuaries (SoA) and Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) professional exams—specifically Exam P (Probability) and Exam FM (Financial Mathematics). Successful completion of related courses such as Financial Mathematics (MET AT 521) and Economics and Management Decisions (MET AT 511), or approved equivalents, positions you well to earn the “Pre-Actuarial Foundations” micro-credential from the SoA/CAS. Demand for these skills continues to grow across insurance and associated industries, making this certificate a valuable asset for your career. The Graduate Certificate in Actuarial Foundations is also available on campus in Boston.
Curriculum
A total of 16 units is required.
Credits earned from this online certificate may be applied toward the Master of Science in Actuarial Science.
Courses
Dates & Deadlines
View BU MET’s academic calendar for online programs, including important dates and deadlines.
Application Requirements
Learn about application requirements for BU MET graduate degree and certificate programs.
How You Benefit from a
Boston University Education
A BU credential can help lay the foundation for career advancement and personal success.
- Benefit from a 24:1 average student-to-instructor ratio.
- Work closely with SoA- and CAS-credentialed faculty—many of whom are currently actuaries in the industry—and gain practical skills solving real problems.
- Courses in the Actuarial Foundations graduate certificate program are geared to prepare students for success in passing the following SoA exams: P and FM.
- Benefit from faculty members’ connections to the industry and successful, practicing alumni who work for organizations such as Willis Towers Watson, Blue Cross Blue Shield, John Hancock, Liberty Mutual, the Massachusetts Department of Insurance, and more.
- Learn from the best—BU MET’s master’s degree program in Actuarial Science has been graduating successful actuarial students for over 25 years.
Rankings & Accreditations
#12 Best Online Master’s in Business Programs (Excluding MBA)
MET’s business and management graduate certificates share curriculum with MET’s online master’s degrees in management, which are ranked #12 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
CAS University Recognition Program: Bronze Level
BU has Bronze Level recognition from the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) University Recognition Program.
Society of Actuaries’ “UCAP-AC” Designation
BU is the only university in New England that offers a Master of Science degree in Actuarial Science, recognized on the Society of Actuaries’ list of Universities and Colleges with Actuarial Programs—Advanced Curriculum (UCAP-AC). Learn more.
Graduate with a Solid Actuarial Framework
Students who complete the Graduate Certificate in Actuarial Foundations will be able to demonstrate:
- An understanding of the basic “building blocks” of actuarial work: probability and the time value of money.
- The ability to apply elements from a variety of mathematical, accounting, and economic concepts to real-world issues.
- The skills to synthesize knowledge from certificate topics to understand and solve complex actuarial and non-actuarial problems.
- The expertise to pass actuarial exams on the topics of probability and financial mathematics, and the background to achieve the VEE credentials in economics and accounting and finance.
“Boston University’s Actuarial Science program has given me the opportunity to pursue my dream job… this program is structured for students to be able to work actuarial co-ops, internships, and even entry level roles while completing their degree; this is a significant competitive advantage for students seeking co-ops and internships, and I have taken full advantage of the opportunity.”
Michael Pace (MET ’23)
Actuarial Assistant, John Hancock
MS, Actuarial Science
Advance Your Career
BU’s Actuarial Science program has the Society of Actuaries’ “UCAP-AC” designation and BU has Bronze Level recognition from the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) University Recognition Program for demonstrated commitment to preparing future property and casualty actuaries through its educational offerings. You can take courses to receive “Validation by Educational Experience (VEE)” credit from the SoA and CAS. By taking VEE courses, you have an advantage when seeking employment.
Along with preparing you for further master’s level study, the graduate certificate program in Actuarial Foundations provides foundational knowledge that can qualify you for several entry-level or support roles in actuarial science and related fields. Typical job titles might include actuarial assistant, junior actuarial analyst, risk analyst (entry-level), insurance analyst, data analyst (with a focus on insurance or risk), pricing analyst (entry-level), financial analyst (support role), underwriting assistant, loss reserving analyst (entry-level), claims analyst (support role), business analyst (insurance sector), and reporting analyst (insurance or finance), among others.
