Lee University was recently approved by the Society of Actuaries (SOA) to be on the list of UCAP (Universities and Colleges with Actuarial Programs) schools. Lee is one of only two universities in Tennessee to be included on the UCAP list.

The Actuarial Science program at Lee is offered as an emphasis for mathematics majors. The discipline of actuarial science applies mathematics and statistical methods to assess risk in insurance, finance, and other related industries.

“Being approved by the SOA is monumental because it gives official support to our new program,” said Dr. Caroline Maher-Boulis, associate professor of mathematics at Lee. “It also places us on the SOA’s UCAP interactive map, which shows that in a 200-mile radius we are one of only five schools to offer this type of program.”

Brittany Deaton, a December 2014 Lee graduate, is the first official graduate with an actuarial science emphasis. She has also served on the external advisory group for this program since May 2014.

“As one of the first graduates of the program, I’ve been a part of helping pave the way for later graduates – through figuring out the exam process, obtaining SOA course approval for VEE (Validation by Educational Experience) credits, and helping to establish connections with organizations for internships and jobs,” said Deaton. “This has been a difficult but very rewarding process.”

According to Deaton, the program at Lee offers a great blend of math, business, and finance classes – together these form the necessary basis for a career as an actuary. The combination of potential internship and career opportunities and a program designed to give students a strong basis in actuarial science puts Lee in a unique place that will attract students to the program.

The Society of Actuaries (SOA) is the largest professional organization dedicated to serving 24,000 actuarial members and the public in the United States, Canada and worldwide. The SOA’s vision is for actuaries to be the leading professionals in the measurement and management of risk.

For more information about the actuarial science program, contact Lee’s Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at (423) 614-8275.