Actuarial Science (Foundation)
Entry requirements
A level
We accept all foreign language A Level subjects, and such subjects are considered for entry even if it is the applicant’s native language. Must include Mathematics. If you are studying General Studies or Critical Thinking, these subjects will not be included in any offer condition. For A-Level applicants we also require a minimum of grade 4/C in GCSE English.
Access to HE Diploma
This qualification is only accepted alongside A Level Mathematics (requirement grade B). We also require a minimum of grade 4/C in GCSE English.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
30 points overall with 5 in Higher Level Maths and either Higher Level 4 or Standard Level 5 in English.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
This qualification is only accepted alongside A Level Mathematics (requirement grade B). We also require a minimum of grade 4/C in GCSE English.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
This qualification is only accepted alongside A Level Mathematics (requirement grade B). We also require a minimum of grade 4/C in GCSE English.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
The Foundation Year is a one-year full-time programme that provides an entry route to the BSc Actuarial Science, the BSc Data Analytics and Actuarial Science and the BSc Finance with Actuarial Science for UK students. The Foundation Year is designed to prepare you for the subjects that will be covered in more depth throughout the rest of your degree. Part of City, University of London, Bayes is ranked amongst the top 6 business schools in the UK*
The Foundation Year in Actuarial Science aims to provide students with a knowledge of Mathematics, Probability and Statistics, Accounting and Finance, Economics, IT and Computing sufficient to enable them to undertake an undergraduate degree in the area of Actuarial Science. Upon successful completion of the Foundation Year you will progress on to the BSc Actuarial Science degree. However, the Foundation Year is identical to that for the BSc Accounting and Finance degree and so you may be able to transfer onto the BSc Accounting and Finance degree on successful completion of the Foundation Year. It should be noted though that you will not be able to transfer onto any of the other undergraduate programmes at Bayes.
The Actuarial Science degrees provides students with the skills to start their actuarial career, with the added flexibility of allowing students to alternatively use these skills to enter risk management, investment management or financial analysis upon graduation. This degree can provide exemptions from subjects CM1, CM2, CS1, CS2, CB1 and CB2 of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries’ examinations depending on which degree you choose.
*Financial Times European Business School Ranking 2022
Modules
- Mathematics
- Introduction to probability and statistics
- Introduction to economics
- Introduction to finance and accounting
- Introduction to Microsoft Office Suite
- Career pathways
Assessment methods
Some assessment is by coursework which you take home and complete with the aid of your notes. There will be continual assessment using class tests but no large formal exams.
Percentage of the course assessed by coursework
The approximate percentage of the course assessment is as follows:0% written, 17% practical, 83% coursework
Tuition fees
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The Uni
City, University of London
Bayes Business School (formerly Cass)
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Finance
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Finance
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
Over 2,000 students graduated with a degree in finance in 2015, and a sign of the strength of the finance industry, numbers are on the up. Over half of finance graduates go into the finance industry, with accountancy and financial advice roles particularly popular. It's also quite common for finance graduates to go into jobs which require you to take more training and gain professional qualifications — finance graduates who take further study are more likely to be studying accountancy than finance. About a third of graduates start their careers in London - but Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham are other popular locations for finance graduates to work.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Finance
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£28k
£37k
£51k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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