UT Dallas Actuarial Program
Actuarial jobs are one of the lucrative and highly-regarded professional jobs. Entry level salaries of our recent graduates who have passed 3 to 4 exams range from 60K to 80K. Salaries increase with each passing exam and developing experience. Many of our former graduates have shared their experiences and suggestions for our prospective students, here are a few –
Ming Xu
Actuarial Analyst – Transamerica (Dec 2018)After working as a biomedical researcher for 15 years, I found myself stuck in a labor-intensive position and decided to make a career change. I am detail-oriented and have strong problem-solving ability, but I had not studied mathematics for almost 20 years. Thanks to the graduate selection committee, I was given the opportunity to study Actuarial Science here and start a new career. With Mathematical Statistics and Financial Mathematics offered in the program, I was able to catch up quickly and passed exams P and FM right after the first semester. When I started the preparation for Exam MFE, I found out that the graduate course is not offered the same semester. The professors allowed me to sit in the undergraduate MFE class, which helped me to pass MFE in my third semester. The Life Contingency classes are excellent. It makes the study for exam LTAM much less intimidating. The program also helped me to get internships and job offers. I received more than 10 interviews from insurance and consulting companies by attending the actuarial career events hosted by the program, while I got 0 interviews by applying directly at the company websites. Out of those interviews, I got two intern opportunities and gained actuarial working experience. I am very excited to start my new career as actuarial analyst after graduation. If you believe you have the traits to be an actuary and want a better career, join the program and get a good start.
Christopher Alexander
Actuarial Student – Globe Life (May 2018)When I started the actuarial program at UTD, I knew very little about the actuarial field. I was unsure of the exam process or the type of work this field involved. The actuarial profession was mentioned to me by one of my undergraduate professors since I was a very good math student. Since coming to UTD, I learned about all the things I happened to be clueless about and so much more. During my two years in the master’s program, I passed three SOA exams (P, FM, and MFE) and exam C shortly after graduating. One thing I would like to mention is that it does not matter how early or how late you start the exam process or how much or how little you may know when you start. When I started, most of my classmates had already passed at least one SOA exam so I felt like one of the odd ones out. However, with hard work and lots of dedication to studying, it is very possible to pass the SOA exams, and the courses that the actuarial master’s program offer are very useful as well. I believe I referred back to my class notes for every exam I have taken so far. The best way to look for an internship is to market yourself and send out your resumes to employers that are hiring interns. Take advantage of actuarial events when company representatives come to campus to present about their company. An internship experience is an experience that you will not regret. I learned so much from my experience, and it led to a full-time position.
Zuoni An
Actuarial Analyst – Modernization Team (May 2018)I joined the program with three exams in hand. I tried exam C (now it is STAM) while I studied ACTS 6304 and ACTS 6306 at UTD. I passed it the first try.
Joe Najem
Actuarial Analyst – Mercer (Dec 2017)I resumed my actuarial study after several years of work in my family business as a financial analyst. I passed P/FM quite a long time ago before I came to UTD. The real challenge I faced was to show my commitment to continuing in actuarial exam progress and the ability to do so. I was asked these questions by several companies in interviews. I know facts are more convincing than words, so I studied hard to pass MFE during the summer of 2017. That fresh accomplishment demonstrated my commitment and ability to every potential employer. I had my first meaningful internship at Lewis & Ellis. It was a helpful experience since I was exposed to health and consultancy sides of actuarial work. Although L&E didn’t have a full-time position open back then, I have gained a good name there. Several managers were happy to write recommendations for me and some even recommended me to friends in the actuarial field. These assets are invisible yet invaluable. One meaningful internship fills your resume with a lot of selling points in the job market. I worked overtime there to finish every task while preparing to take exam MFE and successfully passed it. The ability to prioritize and work on multiple tasks impressed the managers there. In less than 2 months after my graduation in Dec 2017, I interviewed with several companies and landed a good position at Mercer – Marsh and McLennan Companies in Louisville – Kentucky. I thank Professor Lu for all his encouragement and practical suggestions. We are still in touch and I keep him updated on my progress.
Syed Imran Naqvi
Associate Actuarial Analyst – Swiss Re (Dec 2016)Pursuing my MS in Actuarial Science at UTD has really helped shape my Actuarial career. I started in spring of 2015 and adapted quickly to the program with the help of kind professors and my program advisor. I found the course material relevant to actuarial exam preparations and I was able to pass two preliminary actuarial exams before graduating from UTD. I was able to get interviews with multiple professional actuaries from different companies as part of the on-campus recruitment programs organized by the Actuarial Club of UTD. I was able to land myself an internship with Swiss Re in May 2016 and I was offered a part-time job by Swiss Re in November 2016 once I successfully completed my internship. I became full-time at Swiss Re in December 2016 upon finishing my master’s degree that I completed on time with a decent GPA.