B6014 - Master of Actuarial Studies - 2017

This course offers students the opportunity to study statistics, econometrics, finance, economics and mathematics to an advanced level. Students may also receive accreditation for the part one and part two elements of the Actuaries Institute's professional examinations and will be prepared for careers in the business and financial sectors, with a specific focus on actuarial and mathematical modelling and forecasting roles.

These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 9 and Monash Graduate AttributesAustralian Qualifications Framework level 9 and Monash Graduate Attributes (http://www.monash.edu/pubs/handbooks/alignmentofoutcomes.html).

Upon successful completion of this course it is expected that you will be able to:

1. be critical and creative scholars who:
   • produce innovative solutions to problems
   • apply research skills to business challenges
   • communicate effectively and perceptively
2. be responsible and effective global citizens who:
   • engage in an internationalised world
   • exhibit cross cultural competence
   • demonstrate ethical values
3. have a comprehensive understanding of econometric methods and be able to provide discipline based solutions relevant to the business, professional and public policy communities we serve
4. have advanced knowledge to master's level in actuarial studies.

The course is structured in three parts: Part A. Advanced preparatory, Part B. Mastery knowledge and Part C. Application studies. All students complete Part B. Depending upon prior qualifications, you may receive credit for Part A or Part C or a combination of the two.

Part A. Advanced preparatory

These units will provide you with a review of the knowledge base required for advanced studies in the actuarial discipline.

Part B. Mastery knowledge

These units will develop your understanding of econometric methods and will enable you to provide discipline based solutions within a business, professional or public policy community.

Part C. Application studies

The focus of these studies is professional or scholarly work that can contribute to a portfolio of professional development. This will be achieved by selecting complementary units offered across the university.

The course comprises 96 points structured into three parts: Part A. Advanced preparatory studies (24 points), Part B. Mastery knowledge (60 points) and Part C. Application studies (12 points).

• Students admitted at entry level 1 complete 96 points, comprising Part A, Part B and Part C.
• Students admitted at entry level 2 complete 60 points, comprising Part B.

Note: Students eligible for credit for prior studies may elect not to receive the credit and complete one of the higher credit-point options.

The course progression mapcourse progression map (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2017handbooks/maps/map-b6014.pdf) will assist you to plan to meet the course requirements, and guidance on unit enrolment for each semester of study.

Part A. Preparatory knowledge (24 points)

Students complete:

• BFC2340 Debt markets and fixed income securities
• ETC2410 Introductory econometrics
• ETC2430 Actuarial statistics
• ETC5252 Probability and statistical inference for economics and business

Part B. Mastery knowledge (60 points)

Students complete:

• ECF5923 Macroeconomics and monetary policy
• ECF5927 Managerial economics
• ETC4110 Actuarial practice I
• ETC4120 Actuarial practice II
• ETC4130 Asset liability management
• ETC5342 Applied insurance methods
• ETC5343 Financial mathematics under uncertainty
• ETC5346 Financial econometrics
• ETC5351 Modelling in finance and insurance
• ETC5353 Insurance and pensions

Part C. Application studies (12 points)

Students complete two units (12 points) at either level 4 or 5. Elective units may be chosen from the Faculty of Business and Economics or across the University so long as you have the pre-requisites and there are no restrictions on admission to the units.

Units can be identified using the browse unitsbrowse units (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/units/search) tool and indexes of unitsindexes of units (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/units/) in the current edition of the Handbook. The level of the unit is indicated by the first number in the unit code. You may need permission from the owning faculty to enrol in some units.

Students may exit this course early and apply to graduate with one of the following awards, provided they have satisfied the requirements for that award during their enrolment in the master's course:

• Graduate Certificate in Business after successful completion of 24 credit points of study with a minimum of 18 credit points at level 4 or above
• Graduate Diploma in Business after successful completion of 48 credit points of study with a minimum of 36 credit points at level 4 or above.

Students can choose to complete a research stream that will provide a pathway to a higher degree by research.