Students enrolled in either the 4 year major or honours program in Actuarial Science have the opportunity to take courses covering all of the areas of knowledge tested by the associateship examinations of the Society of Actuaries, and by several of the Casualty Actuarial Society examinations as well. A minor program in Actuarial Science is also available. The faculty members of the department of Mathematics and Statistics primarily responsible for teaching the Actuarial course offerings are all members of the Society of Actuaries, and maintain ties with numerous other actuarial organizations as well. Fulltime enrollment in the Actuarial Science program over all years averages between 50 and 60 students, so that class sizes are small in the Actuarial Science courses and a substantial amount of individual attention is available.
Students have the option of combining an Actuarial program with a second course of study in commerce, economics, or statistics, resulting in a combined degree. Instruction in commerce is provided by the Faculty of Management, which also houses Canada's first English university-level specialization and Chair in Insurance and Risk Management. Courses offered in Insurance and Risk Management touch on many of the areas of knowledge tested by the early fellowship examinations of the Society of Actuaries.
A 4 to 5 year co-operative degree in Actuarial Science is also available, enabling students to supplement their classroom experience with 16 to 20 months of work terms in industry.
Graduate studies are available at the University of Calgary in the department of Mathematics and Statistics, and generous stipends are available to good students. A student's graduate research may proceed in applied statistics, Bayesian inference, mathematical statistics, probability, or in any area of Actuarial Science.
A variety of social activities are regularly organized each term by and for the undergraduate and graduate students in the department of Mathematics and Statistics. Since Calgary is only about an hour from Banff and Lake Louise, many students also make time for recreational activities in the beautiful Canadian Rockies, such as camping, hiking, rock climbing, or skiing.