How to Prepare Your Students
Students interested in obtaining a Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst (CERA) can do so through their undergraduate curriculum and extracurricular activities.
College students should:
- Aim for a broad-based education that concentrates on business and mathematics
- Consider a degree in business, math or actuarial science.
- Develop a strong mathematical background by taking courses such as calculus, probability, statistics and actuarial science
- Take business courses, such as finance, accounting, management, economics and computer science
- Take courses in English, speech and business writing to help them acquire the communications skills actuaries need
- Take courses in the social sciences and humanities—actuaries are involved in a growing variety of social and political issues
Classes for college students should include:
- Finance
- Microeconomics
- Macroeconomics
- Three semesters of calculus
- One semester of linear algebra
- Two semesters of calculus-based probability and statistics
- Business courses, such as marketing
- Computer science courses
- Communication courses, like writing, technical writing, speech or drama courses
- Literature, history, art, political science, the humanities and other liberal arts classes
- Actuarial science courses, as available
Students should also:
- Participate in extracurricular activities that will give them a chance to work as part of teams on a project or stand out as leaders
- Attend career fairs for the actuarial profession
- Look into actuarial internships and training programs
- Learn about the actuarial examination system and review the practice actuarial exams
- Begin taking actuarial exams with the goal of passing at least one exam by the time they graduate