The MSc in Actuarial Management gives you all the training you need to become an expert in actuarial business management, to be able to judge the right action to take, and to be able to persuade others of your ideas, in order to make the business successful.
The MSc in Actuarial Management is fully accredited with the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries in the UK for subjects: CP1, CP2, CP3, SP2, SP4, SP5, SP6, SP7, SP8 and SP9. In addition, studying subject SP9 leads to the internationally recognised Certified Enterprise Risk Actuary (CERA) qualification. It is also possible to "catch up" with some of the earlier subjects that you may have missed – such as CB1, CB2 or CM2.
These subjects cover a variety of areas including life insurance, risk management, investment, derivatives, pensions, communication and modelling. You choose the best combination for you.
Completing this degree gets you close to qualification as an actuary, with only one or two exams left to complete after leaving university. It typically speeds up your qualification by one or two years.
Studying in Edinburgh
Edinburgh is a wonderful city close to the sea in Scotland in the United Kingdom. Heriot-Watt Edinburgh campus is established just to the west of the city in a beautiful green space. Transport links into the city centre are regular and travel by bus takes thirty minutes – and so you can choose the mix of city and campus life that you like best.
Edinburgh is the financial heart of Scotland and many such companies are based there. It is also a centre of arts and culture, with the famous Edinburgh International Festival taking place in August each year.
It is built on seven hills, and views regularly emerge and surprise as you walk the cobbled streets in the old town, or explore the beautiful sandstone buildings in the new town. Edinburgh Castle rises high in the centre of Edinburgh and is a big attraction for tourists.
Access to all other cities in the UK is straightforward, with fast travel to London for instance taking only 4 hours.
Course Content
Students study a minimum of four courses in semester 1 and four courses in semester 2 must be completed. some students replace an 'SP' subject with courses that enable them to secure exemption from earlier subjects 'CB1' and 'CB2', or 'CM2', or ‘CS2’.
Our Expertise
Your learning will be informed by the expertise of our research-active academics whose work covers four key areas:
- Modelling techniques for quantifying risk and uncertainty
- Asset-liability management and investment strategies
- Enterprise risk management frameworks and applications
- Pension fund design, financing, and risk management
- Data analytics for insurance and financial risk assessment
Heriot-Watt University is the home of actuarial science in the UK. We were the first university in the UK to offer a degree in actuarial science. Now – each year – we help between 100 and 200 students gain the exemptions they need from actuarial Institute and Faculty of Actuaries' (IFoA) exemption subjects.
