Starting an Actuarial Science Major at a Liberal Arts College

Abstract

The article provides details of the process of starting an actuarial science major at a small, liberal arts college. Some critique of the major is included, as well as some challenges that may be faced by others wanting to start such a major at their institution.

Keywords:

• Actuarial science
• actuarial education

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author would like to thank Drs. Robert Buck and Thomas Wakefield who co-organized a session on actuarial education at the 2013 Joint Mathematics Meetings in San Diego. This paper is based on a talk that the author gave in that session. The author also thanks the three referees for the excellent comments and feedback they provided.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mark A. Mills

Mark A. Mills received his undergraduate education in mathematics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and he received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Mathematics from Iowa State University. He has taught mathematics at Central College since 1999, and his interests are currently in actuarial education and learning how to teach introductory statistics more effectively. He enjoys living in the small Dutch community that is Pella, Iowa, with his wife and two children. A couple of years ago, Mark took up running and he tries to run a 5K race each month during the Spring, Summer, and Fall. He recently completed his first 10K and half-marathon this Fall. He is also an avid (rabid?) fan of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers football team—and college football, in general.