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Université Catholique de Louvain
Program website: https://uclouvain.be/fr/index.html
University website: https://uclouvain.be/fr/index.html

Country: Belgium

The Master program in actuarial science offered at UCL comprises specialized courses in actuarial science, mathematical finance and quantitative risk management. After completion, the graduates become junior members of the Belgian Institute of Actuaries (IABE) and can start a promising career in the financial sector (bank, insurance or reinsurance company, pension funds, control authorities, public sector, brokerage, or auditing, for instance), in Belgium or abroad. Admission is restricted to students holding a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Science (Mathematics, Statistics or Physics), in Applied Science or in Quantitative Economics.

The Master program combines specific actuarial and insurance courses with related disciplines, including law, accounting, economics and finance. This multidisciplinary approach, which brings together exact sciences and human sciences, is a key feature of the program. In addition to strong methodological contents, the cursus includes case studies, personal projects and an internship in an insurance or reinsurance company, consulting firm, or pension fund for instance. The program fulfils the requirements of the Belgian Institute of Actuaries (IABE) syllabus.

Students must follow a program of 120 credits comprising compulsory core subjects, a specialized focus and elective courses. Additional subjects are determined by the Jury according to the degree held by the applicant at admission in the master. In addition to courses, the program comprises a work placement in a company (compulsory internship) under the supervision of a company tutor and guidance by a UCL academic, as well as a master thesis. The specialized focus consists in advanced courses of actuarial science and related disciplines. Depending on the course, the exam may be oral or written and may include a personal project. The master thesis and the internship are defended publicly.

Thanks to an active collaboration between KU Leuven and UCL actuarial master programs, UCL students attend advanced classes in KU Leuven, and vice-versa. The courses shared by the two universities are taught in English, the remainder of the UCL program being taught in French. This collaboration is extended to ULB starting in academic year 2017-18.

Besides the active collaboration with the KU Leuven master in actuarial studies, the internship may take place in Belgium or abroad (often in France or Luxembourg). Students who wish to start their career in a foreign country may apply for an internship there to ease their professional integration on the local market.

Holders of a Master in Actuarial Science may enroll for the doctoral program in Actuarial Science, subject to some conditions (e.g. higher level pass and availability of a promotor).

In addition to the master in actuarial science, CPD activities are organized as University certificates, under the auspices of the University Institute for Continuing Education (Institut universitaire de formation continue - IUFC).

Degrees offered: Master and PhD

Course listings:
LACTU2210 Quantitative Risk Management
LACTU2260 Enterprise Risk Management
LACTU2220 Asset and Liability Management
LACTU2010 Assurances Dommages 1
LACTU2200 Assurances Dommages 2
LACTU2030 Assurances Vie 1
LACTU2060 Assurances Vie 2
LACTU2230 Assurances de Personnes
LACTU2040 Financement des pensions
LACTU2240 Stochastic Finance in Insurance
LACTU2050 Comptes annuels des entreprises d'assurances
LACTU2080 Reinsurance
LDROP2021 Droit des assurances

Admissions:
Mrs Sophie MALALI
Administrative Officer
Louvain School of Statistics, Biostatistics and Actuarial Science (LSBA)
Sophie.Malali@uclouvain.be

Contact:
Michel Denuit
Head of the Master program in Actuarial Science
michel.denuit@uclouvain.be