The actuarial program at UT Dallas has been recognized by the Society of Actuaries (SOA) as a Center of Actuarial Excellence (CAE), joining a group of 19 programs in the U.S. with the society’s highest designation.
UT Dallas is the first institution in Texas and the only one in the Southwest to earn the distinction.
The Department of Mathematical Sciences within the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM) has offered a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science since 2009. The master’s degree program accepted its first students in 2013 as the first such program in Texas.
“This honor is outstanding evidence of the highest academic standards that have developed in the short lifespan of our program,” said Dr. Vladimir Dragovic, department head of mathematical sciences.
Actuaries use their proficiency in statistics, probability and mathematics to address business problems involving cost projections of contingencies. Those entering the field must obtain professional recognition by taking qualifying exams, several of which the SOA oversees.
To qualify for the CAE designation, programs must meet specific requirements. These criteria include appropriate degree and curriculum offerings; number and quality of graduates; faculty composition; appropriate integration with other areas of study; connection to industry; and research and professional involvement.
Dr. Natalia Humphreys, actuarial program associate head, said she expects the CAE designation to bolster the program’s recruitment.
“Hopefully, we are going to have elite students flock to our school from all over the South and West,” she said.
–Stephen Fontenot
