Skip navigation
Actuarial Science (Including Year Abroad) at University of Essex - UCAS

Course options

Course summary

Actuarial science teaches you the art of turning risks into opportunities. Actuaries provide assessments of financial security systems, with a focus on their complexity, their mathematics, and their mechanisms. You benefit from an excellent starting salary, with graduates earning upwards of £30,000 on average. Our BSc Actuarial Science course encourages you to delve into your passions for mathematics and practical problem-solving. Our attractive blend of solid mathematics, an understanding of real-world financial issues, and computing skills provide you with the core skills essential for entering the actuarial profession. You learn the theory and methods used by professional actuaries; on how to apply mathematical and statistical skills to minimise financial risk when the stakes are high, in areas such as commerce, government, insurance and finance. Study topics including:

  • Mathematical finance
  • Financial reporting
  • Contingencies, risk management and survival analysis
  • Mathematical, statistical and probabilistic techniques
  • Programming and computation in languages such as Matlab and R
Your education extends beyond the university campus. We support you in expanding your education through offering the opportunity to spend a year or a term studying abroad at one of our partner universities. The four-year version of our degree allows you to spend the third year abroad or employed on a placement abroad, while otherwise remaining identical to the three-year course. Studying abroad allows you to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden your degree socially and academically, and to demonstrate to employers that you are mature, adaptable, and organised. If you spend a full year abroad you'll only pay 15% of your usual tuition fee to Essex for that year. You won't pay any tuition fees to your host university. Professional actuaries in the insurance industry, including influential businesses AXA and Buck Consultants, contribute to our employability module and also host students at their offices to show them typical challenges that actuaries face. As part of our Department of Mathematical Sciences, you’re a member of an inclusive and approachable research community which allows you to explore topics in pure, high-level mathematics and applied mathematics.

Modules

Many of our courses offer a choice of optional modules to tailor your learning experience. More information about these can be found on the University of Essex website.


How to apply

Application codes

Course code:
N324
Institution code:
E70
Campus name:
Colchester Campus
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1
  • Year 2

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

At Essex we consider your whole application – not just grades. If you don’t meet the exact grade requirements, you may still be considered. We’re dedicated to helping students from underrepresented groups to access an Essex education. We may give you a Contextual Offer up to two A-Level grades below our standard conditional offer based on where you live, your school, and other details from your application. Involvement in our on-campus events may also support eligibility for a Contextual Offer.

Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course

https://www.essex.ac.uk/undergraduate/applying-to-essex


Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
65%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
80%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £9250 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 Year 1
Scotland £9250 Year 1
Wales £9250 Year 1
Channel Islands £9250 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9250 Year 1
EU £21525 Year 1
International £21525 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Fees displayed are for the 2025-26 academic year. Fees may increase for each academic intake and each academic year of study.
Actuarial Science (Including Year Abroad) at University of Essex - UCAS