El Camino to Offer Nation’s First Community College Actuarial Science Degree
A new degree in actuarial science at El Camino College will offer students the education and skills they need to pursue careers in business and risk management. Students can apply and register for the new Associate of Science degree online now.
The first two-year degree in the country to be offered at the community college level, the program will teach students how to analyze financial risks through math, economics, and statistics. These skills can help clients develop policies that minimize various risks and build successful business plans based on data and evaluative research.
Upon program completion, students will be prepared to begin a career as an actuary, or further their education at a university to earn a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science or pursue a number of other business majors.
“Leading companies and industries throughout the South Bay are seeking future actuaries,” said Marlow Lemons, El Camino College’s dean of Mathematical Sciences. “Our area high schools are graduating students with an interest in this field. Given the job demand and student interest, this was a critical time to create an actuarial science program at El Camino.”
Graduates of El Camino’s actuarial science degree program will have opportunities to launch careers in areas such as consulting, finance, business, insurance, investment and risk management – all are considered fast-growing fields with high earning potential.
Although the new interdisciplinary degree is part of El Camino’s Mathematical Sciences Division, students will take courses from the college’s Business Division and Behavioral & Social Sciences Division, creating a well-rounded academic experience based on critical thinking and math competencies. Calculus, accounting, and economics are covered in the program, along with coursework in computer science, communications, and statistics.
“We are excited to be part of this new interdisciplinary degree,” said Virginia Rapp, El Camino College’s dean of Business. “Our students will benefit from a rigorous curriculum in business, mathematics, and finance. This is a huge new step in not only helping our students but serving the job demand from the communities we serve.”
The program’s curriculum was developed and submitted for approval to the Chancellor’s Office by mathematics professor Robert Eleuteri, in consultation with the Society of Actuaries.
El Camino College’s spring semester begins February 18, 2025. Students interested in the new actuarial science degree can view www.elcamino.edu/academics/divisions/mathematical-sciences/, call 310-660-3200, or email the division at math@elcamino.edu for more information.
El Camino College’s schedule of classes, in both digital and searchable formats, can be viewed online: www.elcamino.edu/admissions/schedule.asp. Students may apply and register online 24 hours per day at www.elcamino.edu. Financial aid is available to qualifying students – go to www.studentaid.gov/ to apply. For more information, view www.elcamino.edu or call toll free 1-866-ELCAMINO.