Transferring to Actuarial Science

This is something that many Mathematics students are interested in. But there are also some misconceptions. Here is what you need to know.
  1. It is not automatic. The Actuarial Science Degree is run by AMS. This is a separate department from the Mathematics Department and they operate their own entry criteria. There is no automatic right of transfer.
  2. Actuarial Science is highly competitive and intellectually demanding. It is not something that can be chosen on whim because you like to the idea of earning big salaries --- so do a lot of other people.
  3. Usually, transfers do not occur until the end of the second year. In addition, It would be expected that you would have been on the MSAS programme in Mathematics for the first two years. This is because the MSAS programme and the AMS programme are essentially the same in the first two years.
  4. Before you would be considered for transfer, you would have to show that you were a strong MSAS student. In this context, strong means that your average over the two years was at least 65%.
  5. As a first point of contact, if transfer is something you are considering being considered for, then please email John Phillips in AMS j.phillips@hw.ac.uk