Future Illini Actuaries

Are you a high school student considering a career as an actuary?

Are you in the process of determining which post-secondary you wish to attend?

If that is the case, you’ve come to the right place! The actuarial science program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) has everything to offer a student pursuing a career in actuarial science.

As you may know, the actuarial program at UIUC has a long and distinguished history, with over 2,700 alumni worldwide. In addition, our program brings additional value with the flowing program features:

UEC Program Accreditation

As a prospective actuarial student, you are aware of the path towards the attainment of actuarial credentials, through either the Society of Actuaries (SOA) or the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS). Recently, the SOA has implemented an exam accreditation program for UEC eligible programs whereby students can obtain credit towards the SOA exam sequence by obtaining a minimum grade on a UEC eligible course at UIUC. Our program has applied for, and received approval for 6 of the 7 exams eligible for UEC accreditation. Learn more about the UEC program: https://www.soa.org/education/resources/uec/uec-program/

Center of Actuarial Excellence

The actuarial science program at UIUC has also been designated a Center of Actuarial Excellence (CAE) by the SOA. A CAE have attained the highest level of recognition the SOA offers universities. They must maintain eight specific requirements related to degree, curriculum, graduate count, faculty composition, graduate quality, appropriate academic integration, connection to industry, and research/scholarship.

Co-operative Education and Internships

Through our many close relationships with corporate partners in the industry, the UIUC program has achieved considerable success in placing students with employers for valuable internship opportunities that allow students to gain work experience in the industry.

Starting in Fall 2022, UIUC will be implementing a co-operative education component to the program. While there are a number of similarities between internships and co-op work placements, internships are usually undertaken during breaks (summer), whereas co-op programs run along with the studies or take place during a full term in place of a term of study. A co-op program allows students to work with a company for a longer period, including full-time or for a longer period (e.g., six months to a year). Students can even earn academic credits for a co-op program or a co-op placement.

Milliman Mentorship Program

Made possible through a generous partnership with Milliman, recipients are paired with a practicing actuary at Milliman that will serve as a mentor as the students prepare for a career in the actuarial science field. Recipients are also offered financial aid in order to help cover the costs of studying for and taking their first actuarial exam. This program is currently targeted towards students of color, early in their college career, who may be interested in a STEM-oriented career.

A Vibrant Actuarial Student Community at UIUC

With over 300 students enrolled in the program, our actuarial student body is a diverse, dynamic, and collegial group. The student experience is also enhanced by the efforts of the Actuarial Science Club, a student-run organization that fosters growth and development of the actuarial student body through various engagements at UIUC, from career fairs to social events. Find out more about the Actuarial Science Club at the following link: www.asc-illinois.com