Actuarial & Financial Studies

If you enjoy studying Higher Level Mathematics for the Leaving Certificate or at A-Level and you have strong analytical and problem-solving skills, Actuarial & Financial Studies could be for you. An actuary is a professional who uses numbers to make judgements about the future. This course will prepare you for a professional career in the actuarial or financial professions, but it has also been designed to be broader and more diverse than most traditional courses in actuarial science.

A good actuary requires a multidisciplinary education in fields such as mathematics, economics, finance, statistics, risk management and professionalism. It takes a combination of strong analytical skills, business knowledge and understanding of human behaviour to design and manage programmes that control risk and guarantee sufficient funds for the insurance and pension sectors. Actuaries have traditionally worked mostly in the insurance and pensions industries but are increasingly moving into wider fields, where they can employ their range of skills.

The course also opens up options to work in finance, investment and trading.

Information on all our courses including pathways, internships and career information is available in the UCD Science Undergraduate Courses Entry 2025 Brochure (PDF).

This is a sample set of modules that an Actuarial & Financial Studies student could study each year in UCD.

First Year

Introduction to Programming • Foundations of Finance • Numbers & Functions • Linear Algebra with Applications to Economics • Introduction to Analysis • Introduction Actuarial & Financial Studies • Financial Accounting • Differential Equations • Advanced Calculus • Statistical Modelling Fundamentals of Actuarial Business Theory • Elective Module

Second Year

Corporate Financial Management • Fundamentals of Actuarial Mathematics • Introduction to Probability • Professional Ethics • Modern Regression Analysis • Economic History • Inferential Statistics • Introduction to Bayesian Analysis • Elective Modules

Third Year

Information Management for Actuaries • Time Series Analysis • Models - Survival • Stochastic Models • Workplace Skills for Actuarial & Financial Studies • Investment & Trading Six month professional placement in an insurance and financial institution in Ireland (or in some cases abroad)

Fourth Year

International Financial Management • Actuarial Statistics • Financial Mathematics • Actuarial Mathematics • Core Actuarial Principles • Statistical Machine Learning

Assessment varies across modules but typically comprises of written exams, individual and group assignments, and mid-term tests.

Most graduates take positions as actuarial trainees in life insurance, pensions, health insurance, general insurance or investment. The

Actuarial & Financial Studies degree at UCD offers potential exemptions from the core subjects CS1, CS2, CM1, CM2, CB1, CB2 and CP1 of the professional examinations of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, UK.

Some graduates also work in banking or finance as business or financial analysts. As an Actuarial & Financial Studies graduate, you are also eligible to pursue graduate study in statistics, computer science, economics, mathematics, management science, finance and other specialist business subjects.

Students complete an internship in the Spring Trimester of Third Year. There is a wide choice of placements that last for 6-8 months, and these are secured through a competitive process.

Students have completed their work placement in a variety of companies and locations. The companies include Allianz, Aon, Deloitte, Irish Life, Mercer, Susquehanna (SIG) and Zurich. The locations include Dublin, London, Boston and New York.

The internships listed are examples of past placements and are subject to change each year.

More information about the internship module and application process.

• Level 5/6 QQI-FET
• Open Learning Entry Route
• Mature Entry Route
• DARE Entry Route
• HEAR Entry Route
• University Access

Dr Adrian O’Hagan
UCD School of Mathematics and Statistics
askscience@ucd.ie

"I really enjoyed maths in school and problem solving has always been fun for me. However, I did not know exactly what type of career I wanted. This course is great as it covers a range of topics from actuarial to financial to data science using a hands-on approach, applying what you learn in class to real world scenarios. What I enjoyed the most was my work placement in third year. While the majority of students work in insurance companies, I took a different route and did my placement in an investment bank. First-hand industry experience is so important, and I plan on following this path after I graduate. The Actuarial and Financial Society in UCD is also great as they sponsor events throughout the year such as the Actuary Pub Quiz and the Actuary Ball."

Hugh Quigley, Student

Non-EU Undergraduate Fee information can be found here.

UCD offers a number of competitive undergraduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD undergraduate degree programme. For information on Undergraduate Scholarships, please see the UCD International Scholarships webpage.