In the recently released QS Stars Rating System, the BSc (Hons) Actuarial Studies programme, offered by the School of Mathematical Sciences, Sunway University, has achieved the QS 5 Stars rating under the programme strength category.

This category identifies an institution’s specialist programme by looking at its competitiveness and strength in all areas from student applications right through to the graduate employment rate. 5 Stars is the highest rating that can be attained in the specialist criteria.

According to the QS Stars rating system website, “Many comprehensive universities will have subject areas in which they excel beyond all others. Like the QS World University Rankings by Subject, the specialist subject area of QS Stars seeks to both give credit to the smaller specialist organizations.”

The BSc (Hons) Actuarial Studies programme is accredited by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA). Students of the programme are eligible for IFoA professional examination exemptions for papers CB1 (Business Finance), CB2 (Business Economics), CM1 (Actuarial Mathematics), CM2 (Financial Engineering and Loss Reserving), CS1 (Actuarial Statistics), and CS2 (Risk Modelling and Survival Analysis).

The programme also allows students to get a maximum of three exemptions from the Society of Actuaries (US) Validation of Educational Experience requirements.

Together with qualified academic staff, the school’s in-house actuaries and invited speakers from professional actuarial bodies have delivered guest lectures and conducted actuarial practice courses, ensuring that the programme syllabus is in close alignment with industry needs.

The School has produced many highly employable graduates, meeting the needs of the actuarial and financial industries. Launched in 2013, more than 600 graduates have since completed this programme, venturing into diverse areas of practice, in life insurance, general insurance, takaful, reinsurance, consulting, risk management, pension, investment, finance, banking, data analytics and more.

The programme comprises the Actuarial Practice Course (APC), a special three-month intensive hands-on course conducted by Sunway University’s in-house actuaries.

Specially and carefully crafted to prepare students for employment, this APC course incorporates feedback from Sunway University’s in-house practising actuaries and industry practitioners in the course design.

The content includes the International Financial Reporting Standard 17 (more popularly, IFRS 17), reserving, pricing, takaful, reinsurance, risk-based capital, current issues, among others.

Graduates have benefitted so much from this APC training as evidenced by their ability to secure actuarial positions in a highly competitive job market upon graduation and the achievement is further justified with a perfect score in “graduate employment rate” in the QS 5 Stars.

The Dean of the School of Mathematical Sciences, Professor Ho Chee Kit said he is humbled by this remarkable achievement and acknowledges the University’s unwavering support and its academic and administrative staff, including the school’s in-house practising actuaries, alumni and current students.

This stellar achievement is a testament to the School’s continued effort to provide the highest quality actuarial science education.

Honoured by this rewarding recognition, the School strives to maintain the momentum and propel it to greater heights.

Professor Ho Chee Kit 
School of Mathematical Sciences
Email: @email

This article was first published in The Star, on December 20, 2021.