Actuarial Studies (Extension) - 8416
Program Summary
Faculty: UNSW Business School
Contact: UNSW Business School Student Centre
Campus: Sydney
Career: Postgraduate
Typical Duration: 2 Years 
Typical UOC Per Semester: 24
Min UOC Per Semester: 6
Max UOC Per Semester: 24
Min UOC For Award: 96
Award(s):
Master of Actuarial Studies (Specialisation)
View program information for previous years
Program Description
If you are a prospective student researching your study options, please visit UNSW Business School website for more information.
The Master of Actuarial (Extension) is suitable if you have a strong background in actuarial studies, econometrics mathematics or statistics. You can study courses to prepare yourself for for an actuarial career.
The Master of Actuarial Studies (Extension) lengthens the Master of Actuarial Studies degree program, allowing you to include an additional 4 courses (24UOC) from the more advanced postgraduate Actuarial Studies courses or to include course options from related disciplines within the Business School such as economics, finance, or statistics.
If you have an undergraduate degree in Actuarial Studies, the Master of Actuarial Studies allows you to complete courses equivalent to the Part I professional courses that you have yet to complete. You can also complete the Part II courses of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia and include optional courses to assist you with the later professional Fellowship examinations. You can also broaden your actuarial training by including relevant courses in the Faculty at postgraduate level in other disciplines through selection of electives.
Career Outcomes:
The Master of Actuarial (Extension) allows you to obtain and develop the required competencies to enter an actuarial career and provides quantitative risk management training for entry into the financial services industry. The program covers the professional actuarial subjects and includes options in actuarial studies, quantitative risk management, and other related disciplines.
Program Objectives and Graduate Attributes
Learning goals and associated learning outcomes for the Master of Actuarial Studies (Extension):
- Knowledge: Graduates will have current Actuarial knowledge applicable in local and global contexts.
- Critical thinking and problem solving: Graduates will have critical thinking and problem solving skills applicable to business and/or management practice or issues.
- Communication: Graduates will be effective communicators in professional contexts.
- Teamwork: Graduates will be effective team participants.
- Ethical, social and environmental responsibility: Graduates will be aware of ethical, social, cultural and environmental implications of business issues and practice.
Program Structure
The Master of Actuarial Studies (Extension) program consists of 16 courses (96 UOC): 4 core courses and 12 electives selected from the courses offered in actuarial studies.
The typical duration is 2 years full-time or 4 years part-time.
The typical duration is 2 years full-time or 4 years part-time.
Core courses
- ACTL5101 Prob.& Statis. for Actuaries (6 UOC)
- ACTL5102 Financial Mathematics (6 UOC)
- ACTL5108 Finance for Actuaries (6 UOC)
- ECON5103 Business Economics (6 UOC)
Elective courses
Choose twelve elective courses from the following list:
- ACTL5002 Super & Retire Benefits (6 UOC)
- ACTL5004 Project Report - Act. Stud. (12 UOC)
- ACTL5100 Actuarial Theory & Pract. A (6 UOC)
- ACTL5103 Stochastic Model. for Act. (6 UOC)
- ACTL5104 Actuarial Statistics (6 UOC)
- ACTL5105 Life Insurance & Super. (6 UOC)
- ACTL5106 Insurance Risk Models (6 UOC)
- ACTL5109 Financial Economics (6 UOC)
- ACTL5110 Actuarial Data and Analysis (6 UOC)
- ACTL5200 Actuarial Theory & Practice B (6 UOC)
- ACTL5301 Models for Risk Management (6 UOC)
- ACTL5302 Risk and Capital Management (6 UOC)
- ACTL5303 Asset-Liability Management (6 UOC)
- ACTL5306 Retirement Saving and Spending (6 UOC)
- ACTL5401 Retirement Planning (6 UOC)
- RISK5001 Fundamentals Risk & Risk Mgmt (6 UOC)
- RISK5002 Risk Tools (6 UOC)
- RISK5003 Risk Decisions (6 UOC)
- RISK5009 Risk Management Strategies (6 UOC)
Note: Students have the ability to choose a maximum of 6 non actuarial (ACTL) courses to complete the program. Enrolment into the courses, are subject to approval from the School of Risk & Actuarial and the disciplinary school offering the course.
A list of approved courses (approved by the School of Risk and Actuarial Studies) is listed below.
A list of approved courses (approved by the School of Risk and Actuarial Studies) is listed below.
- ECON5106 Economics of Finance (6 UOC)
- ECON5206 Financial Econometrics (6 UOC)
- ECON5248 Business Forecasting (6 UOC)
- ECON6003 Econometric Analysis (6 UOC)
- FINS5513 Investments & Portfolio Sel. (6 UOC)
- FINS5514 Capital Budgeting&Fin Decision (6 UOC)
- FINS5517 Applied Portfolio Mgt. & Model (6 UOC)
- FINS5530 Financial Institution Mgmt (6 UOC)
- FINS5535 Derivatives & Risk Mgt. Techs. (6 UOC)
- FINS5536 Fixed Income Sec. & Int. Rate (6 UOC)
- MATH5335 Comput'l Methods for Finance (6 UOC)
- MATH5806 Applied Regression Analysis (6 UOC)
- MATH5816 Continuous Time Fin'l Model'g (6 UOC)
- MATH5836 Data Mining (6 UOC)
- MATH5845 Time Series (6 UOC)
- MATH5905 Statistical Inference (6 UOC)
- MATH5916 Survival Analysis (6 UOC)
- MATH5965 Discrete Time Fin'l Modelling (6 UOC)
- MATH5975 Intro to Stochastic Analysis (6 UOC)
- MATH5985 Term Structure Modelling (6 UOC)
Sample Program
Recommended Study Plan
|
Semester 1
|
Semester 2
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Semester 3
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Semester 4
|
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ACTL5101
ACTL5102
ECON5103*
ACTL5108*
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ACTL5103
ACTL5106
ACTL5109
ACTL5302 (or other elective)
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ACTL5100
ACTL5104
ACTL5301
ACTL5105
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ACTL5200
ACTL5303
ACTL5002
RISK5009 (or other elective)
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*Students with exemptions/credits from these core courses need only complete 3 courses in 2 of the semesters. They should include ACTL5002 Superannuation and Retirement Benefits (or other elective) in the first session of the program.
Academic Rules
- A Master of Actuarial Studies (Extension) may be awarded by the Council to a candidate who has satisfactorily completed an approved program of study having completed 16 courses (96 UOC) (includes credits transferred).
- Complete 4 core courses and 12 elective courses
- A candidate for the degree shall be required to undertake such formal courses and pass such assessment as is prescribed.
- If you require a progression check for your degree, complete an online request form: www.business.unsw.edu.au/onlineforms
Fees
For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website: UNSW Fee Website.
Entry Requirements
To be eligible for the program, you must have:
A recognised bachelor degree (or equivalent qualification) with a credit average as determined by the UNSW Postgraduate Coursework Entry Calculator; and
A major (at least seven courses) in actuarial studies; or
A major (at least seven courses) in econometrics; or
A major (at least seven courses) in mathematics or statistics
Semester 2 courses in Actuarial Studies assume that students have the required background knowledge from previous studies (equivalent to a full year of undergraduate mathematics). Prospective students who plan to commence in semester 2 should consult the School of Risk and Actuarial Studies office prior to application in order to determine if they have the required background. Students who have a very strong background in Mathematics, Statistics, Econometrics or Finance and Financial Mathematics may be allowed to enrol in the semester 2 Actuarial Studies courses as their first semester.
A recognised bachelor degree (or equivalent qualification) with a credit average as determined by the UNSW Postgraduate Coursework Entry Calculator; and
A major (at least seven courses) in actuarial studies; or
A major (at least seven courses) in econometrics; or
A major (at least seven courses) in mathematics or statistics
Semester 2 courses in Actuarial Studies assume that students have the required background knowledge from previous studies (equivalent to a full year of undergraduate mathematics). Prospective students who plan to commence in semester 2 should consult the School of Risk and Actuarial Studies office prior to application in order to determine if they have the required background. Students who have a very strong background in Mathematics, Statistics, Econometrics or Finance and Financial Mathematics may be allowed to enrol in the semester 2 Actuarial Studies courses as their first semester.
Recognition of prior learning or professional recognition
- Advanced standing may be granted for courses covered in an undergraduate program or the examinations for the Fellowship of the Actuaries Institute (Australia), the Institute of Actuaries (UK) or the Society of Actuaries through the professional examinations up to a maximum of 4 core courses and 2 electives.
- Students will be exempted from equivalent courses completed in prior learning where they have not been granted advanced standing.
- Courses covered in a completed undergraduate program equivalent to those in the core may be granted advanced standing from the corresponding core courses up to a maximum of 4 core courses. They will be required to complete at least 12 courses in the program.
- Students completing the examinations for the Fellowship of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia, the Institute of Actuaries (UK) or the Society of Actuaries through the professional examinations at the same time as enrolled in the degree may receive advanced standing for up to two courses in addition to those granted for the core courses (up to 4). They will be required to complete at least 10 courses in the program.
Professional Accreditation
The Institute of Actuaries of Australia
The Master of Actuarial Studies is fully accredited by the Institute of Actuaries of Australia for both Part I and Part II subjects and recognised for exemptions by the Institute of Actuaries (London) for the Core Technical subjects. . The program also provides exemption from the Part III ERM module (ST9) of the Actuaries Institute. For more details please refer to the Professional Recognition of Programs in the Online Handbook or by contacting The Institute of Actuaries of Australia.
The Master of Actuarial Studies is fully accredited by the Institute of Actuaries of Australia for both Part I and Part II subjects and recognised for exemptions by the Institute of Actuaries (London) for the Core Technical subjects. . The program also provides exemption from the Part III ERM module (ST9) of the Actuaries Institute. For more details please refer to the Professional Recognition of Programs in the Online Handbook or by contacting The Institute of Actuaries of Australia.
Further Information
Please note that these requirements may be subject to change.
The rules and program structures relevant to you are directly related to those outlined in the year when you commenced your program. Please refer to the previous handbook editions for these structures and rules.
If you are a current student seeking support from the program coordinator please refer to the Program Coordinators list on the UNSW Business School Website:
Current Students
Contact the UNSW Business School Student Centre for advice.
Tel: + 61 2 9385 3189
Location: Level 1, room 1028, Quadrangle Building
Forms, policies and procedures
Frequently asked questions
Prospective Students
Contact UNSW Business School Student Recruitment Team for program advice:
Tel: +61 2 9385 3507
Email: studybusinessinfo@unsw.edu.au
The rules and program structures relevant to you are directly related to those outlined in the year when you commenced your program. Please refer to the previous handbook editions for these structures and rules.
If you are a current student seeking support from the program coordinator please refer to the Program Coordinators list on the UNSW Business School Website:
Current Students
Contact the UNSW Business School Student Centre for advice.
Tel: + 61 2 9385 3189
Location: Level 1, room 1028, Quadrangle Building
Forms, policies and procedures
Frequently asked questions
Prospective Students
Contact UNSW Business School Student Recruitment Team for program advice:
Tel: +61 2 9385 3507
Email: studybusinessinfo@unsw.edu.au
