An actuary is a business professional who uses math and data to assess and manage risk. To learn more, please visit Clemson’s Actuarial page, and watch this video from the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries’ YouTube page.

In terms of your degree, you have lots of flexibility to decide what you want to study.  Clemson offers a Financial Math and Actuarial Science emphasis for Mathematical Sciences majors; however, many with degrees in Economics, Finance, Accounting, Computer Science, and more are highly successful in pursuing the field as well!  Your degree is great for laying the foundations of your learning and study habits, but to become an actuary, you must receive credentials from a professional organization by fulfilling their mandated requirements.  Usually this involves passing a series of exams, completing online modules, and taking courses through an organization-approved educator.  The two primary professional actuarial organizations in the US are the Society of Actuaries (SOA) and the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS).  Please visit their websites for more info!

Clemson offers many courses to help you get a head start on you actuarial journey!  Above is a graphic that shows the new 2022 ASA pathway laid out by the SOA.  Everywhere there is a number, Clemson has designated classes to either prepare you for a specific exam, or satisfy a Validation by Educational Experience (VEE).  These classes are as follows:

1: MATH 4310/4320

2: MATH 4000/4300

3: ECON 2110/2120

4: ACCT 2010/FIN 3060

5: MATH TBD/TBD

6: MATH 4030

Please visit Clemson’s Actuarial page and reach out to your advisor for more info!