Department of Statistics & Actuarial Science once again designated Center of Actuarial Excellence

Thursday, February 12, 2015

The University of Iowa Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences was once again designated a Society of Actuaries’ Center of Actuarial Excellence (CAE) in January.

This is the Department’s fifth year of CAE designation—originally awarded in 2009. In addition to meeting the CAE criteria, the Centers Excellence Committee recognized Iowa’s accomplishments in strong, steady stream of actuarial research that easily meets the research criterion of CAE, and their willingness to explore innovative teaching methods, according to the Society of Actuarial Excellence award letter.

Centers of Actuarial Excellence are university/college actuarial programs that have met the eight specific requirements of curriculum, graduate count, faculty composition, graduate quality, appropriate integration, connection to industry, and research/scholarship.

Earning this status helps the UI compete for grants in education and research, assures prospective students that they will be well prepared for actuarial practice, and assures employers that graduates have successfully completely a rigorous educational program.

The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers about 70 majors across the humanities; fine, performing and literary arts; natural and mathematical sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and communication disciplines. About 15,000 undergraduate and nearly 2,000 graduate students study each year in the college’s 37 departments, led by faculty at the forefront of teaching and research in their disciplines. The college teaches all Iowa undergraduates through the college's general education program, CLAS CORE. About 80 percent of all Iowa undergraduates begin their academic journey in CLAS. The college confers about 60 percent of the university's bachelor's degrees each academic year.