Mathematical Sciences - Concentration in Actuarial Science
Bachelor of Science

Home » All Programs » Mathematical Sciences – Concentration in Actuarial Science
Transform statistics into strategic insight and guide business, finance, and insurance into the future.

Program Overview

The strategic science of minimizing risk to maximize success.

Actuaries use mathematics, statistical modeling, and an incisive grasp of probability, economics, and accounting to gauge uncertainty and find insight into the profitable possibilities of financial policies and plans.

Contact

Department of Math and Computer Science

mcschair@ltu.edu

Why LTU?

  • Prepare for a rewarding and high-earning career in risk assessment and financial planning.
  • Benefit from individual faculty mentorship as you prepare for national actuarial exams, ensuring you’re well-prepared to achieve professional actuarial certifications upon graduation.

Curriculum

» Curriculum Documents

Fall Semester

Course Name

Course #

Credits

College Composition

College Composition develops students’ acquisition of the fundamental principles of academic writing. This course focuses on the development of writing thesis statements and main arguments, topic sentences, transitional words and phrases, supporting paragraphs, use of evidence, essay organization, and research skills. Extensive writing and research practice is required.

COM1103

3

Foundations of Computer Science

An overview of computer science for CS and non-CS majors with the overarching objective to develop a computational mindset. For CS majors, to gain an appreciation of the relevance of the various computing topics and interrelationships for future courses. For non-CS majors, to provide the necessary technological background to appreciate and integrate into today’s technical society.

MCS1243

3

Calculus 1

Topics include, limits and continuity, differentiation of algebraic and transcendental functions, mean value theorem, applications of differentiation, anti-derivatives, indefinite integrals, inverse trigonometric functions, substitutions, definite integrals, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, applications of integration. Applications will be emphasized. In addition to regular class meetings, all students are required to participate in calculus lab sessions. The schedule, frequency, and modality of these labs may vary by section. Refer to the class schedule and course syllabus for details.

MCS1414

4

Natural Science Elective 1

Course not found.

BIO/PHY/CHM/
GLG/PSC

xxx3

3

Natural Science Lab Elective

Topics include, limits and continuity, differentiation of algebraic and transcendental functions, mean value theorem, applications of differentiation, anti-derivatives, indefinite integrals, inverse trigonometric functions, substitutions, definite integrals, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, applications of integration. Applications will be emphasized. In addition to regular class meetings, all students are required to participate in calculus lab sessions. The schedule, frequency, and modality of these labs may vary by section. Refer to the class schedule and course syllabus for details.

BIO/PHY/

CHM/PSC

xxx1

1

Total Credits:

14

Spring Semester

Course Name

Course #

Credits

Engaging Ancient Texts

A historical survey that develops students’ abilities to critically engage texts of the ancient global world, placing an emphasis on the way these texts reflect their context and human experience. Readings may draw from philosophy, history, literature, visual art, and more. Class activities include reading of primary sources, seminar discussion, and writing in various genres. May be taken concurrently with COM 1103.

HUM1213

3

LLT Elective

Course not found.

LLT 2XX3

3

Computer Science 1

Introduction to programming with C++. Binary, two’s complement, decimal, hex, and octal representations. Variable types. Simple, iterative, and conditional statements. Procedure and functions with parameters by value and reference with or without a returning value. Arrays and vectors, multidimensional arrays, bubble and selection sorts, linear and binary search. Pointer and dynamic memory allocation, character and C-strings, file input/output (sequential). Classes, friends, array of objects, and operators’ overloading. Inheritance, polymorphism, virtual function, and recursion.

MCS1514

4

Calculus 2

Hyperbolic functions, L’Hospital’s rule, techniques of integration, application to arc length and surface area, polar coordinates, infinite series, Taylor Series. In addition to regular class meetings, all students are required to participate in calculus lab sessions. The schedule, frequency, and modality of these labs may vary by section. Refer to the class schedule and course syllabus for details.

MCS1424

4

Statistics

This course covers descriptive statistics, probability, and probability distributions with an emphasis on statistical inference such as confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, correlation and regression, chi-square tests, t-and F-distributions, and selected nonparametric tests.

MCS2124

4

Total Credits:

18

Fall Semester

Course Name

Course #

Credits

Engaging Modern Texts

A historical survey that develops students’ abilities to engage texts of the modern global world, placing an emphasis on the way these texts reflect their context and human experience. Readings may draw from philosophy, history, literature, visual art, photography, film, digital media, and more. Class activities include reading of primary sources, seminar discussion, and writing in various genres. May be taken concurrently with COM 1103.

HUM1223

3

Coding Club

This one credit course will focus on programming languages such as Scratch, Python, Javascript, Ruby, R, PHP, C# or Matlab. Students will be expected to work in groups on coding projects that will focus on syntax and semantics with application to a specific language.

MCS1111

1

Discrete Math

Number Theory, review of induction and recursion, advanced counting, equivalence, partial ordering, graphs, trees.

MCS2523

3

Calculus 3

Three-dimensional analytic geometry. Vectors, vector-valued functions, motions in space, functions of several variables, partial differentiation, multiple integration, integration of vector fields, Green’s Theorem and Divergence Theorem.

MCS2414

4

University Physics 1

Calculus based kinematics and dynamics of particles, conservation of energy, momentum, rotational dynamics and statics, fluids, temperature and heat, and laws of thermodynamics. 3 Credit hours. Lecture 3 hrs., Studio 1 hr. The following course can be taken concurrently with this course: MCS1424.

PHY2413

3

University Physics 1 Lab

Introductory laboratory experiments to complement University Physics 1. 1 Credit Hours. Lab 2 hrs.

PHY2421

1

Total Credits:

15

Spring Semester

Course Name

Course #

Credits

SSC Elective

Course not found.

SSC 2XX3

3

MCS Seminar

Each Spring, the faculty in Mathematics and Computer Science will provide students with an overview of the research they are working on. This will provide students with the opportunity gain critical exposure to research ideas early on in their academic careers. Each week a different faculty member will host the meeting to allow students to ask questions and to learn what is current in the field of math and computer science. Meetings will be hosted virtually, via Zoom.

MCS2111

1

Differential Equations

Topics include, but are not limited to, solving first and second-order differential equations and first-order linear systems of differential equations by various techniques such as separation of variables, integrating factors, substitution methods, variation of parameters, and Laplace Transforms. Emphasis will be placed on applications of differential equations arising from engineering applications and the natural sciences.

MCS2423

3

Linear Algebra

Systems of linear equations, matrices, determinants, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, Finite-dimensional vector spaces, linear transformations and their matrices, Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization, inner product spaces. Lecture 3 hrs.

MCS3863

3

Accounting Elective

Systems of linear equations, matrices, determinants, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, Finite-dimensional vector spaces, linear transformations and their matrices, Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization, inner product spaces. Lecture 3 hrs.

ACC xxx3

3

Natural Science Elective

Course not found.

BIO/PHY/CHM/
GLG/PSC

xxx3

3

Total Credits:

16

Fall Semester

Course Name

Course #

Credits

Principles of Economics

Survey of macroeconomics and microeconomics, with emphasis of fundamental tools of economic analysis and policy. Introduction of supply and demand, national income determination, theory of the firm, and market structure. Lecture 3 hours. 3 hours credit. The following courses can be taken concurrently with this course: MCS 0054, MCS 0055, MCS 1113, MCS 0083, MCS 0085, MCS 0093, MCS 0074, MCS 1414.

ECN2303

3

Technical and Prof. Communication

Training in a systematic method for producing effective technical communication, written reports, letters, and memos as well as oral presentations. Lecture 3 hours. 3 hours credit

COM2103

3

Advanced Calculus

Line and surface integrals, Green’s theorem, Stokes’ theorem, Divergence Theorem. Topics from differential and integral calculus theory. Power series solution of differential equations. Bessel functions, Leg endre’s equation. Lecture 3 hrs.

MCS3723

3

Probability and Statistics

Representation of data, probability, random variables, discrete and continuous distributions, sampling theory, central limit theorem, confidence intervals, tests of statistical hypotheses, regression analysis. Lecture 3 hrs.

MCS3403

3

Applied Statistical Methods

Students will review the fundamentals of probability theory and then move to distribution theory and parameter estimation techniques to create a bases for understanding the application of statistical tests. Topics covered will include hypothesis testing and model building strategies, assumption checking such as checking for normality and outliers, visualization methods such as scatterplots and box plots, model diagnostics such as serial correlation and normality. We will use free statistical package R to do most problems in class and in homework. Students do not need to know R prior to this class. Basic R programming will be taught in class and more complex codes for simulations and other application.

MCS3123

3

Total Credits:

15

Spring Semester

Course Name

Course #

Credits

Principles of Economics 2

A second course in economics, covering aspects not addressed in SSC2303, including Federal deficits, economic growth, utility theory, imperfect competition, technological innovation, resource and labor markets, and the economics of social issues such as antitrust, regulation, and health care.

ECN2403

3

Intro to Data Science

The Data Science course delivers the fundamentals of data sets analysis arising in various disciplines, like banking, finance, health care, bioinformatics, security, education, and social services. The content of this course introduces theories and practices of data science concepts based on mathematical and statistical concepts. This course offers a multitude of topics relevant to the analysis of complex data sets accompanying programming and code algorithms in R that underpinning data science. This course is ideal for students and practitioners without a strong background in data science. The students will also learn analyses of foundational theoretical subjects, including the history of data science, matrix algebra, and random vectors, and multivariate analysis; a comprehensive examination of time series forecasting, including the different components of time series and transformations to achieve stationarity; introductions to the R programming languages, including basic data types and sample manipulations; an exploration of algorithms, including how to write one and how to perform an asymptotic analysis; and, a comprehensive discussion of several techniques for analyzing and predicting complex data sets. Towards the end of the class, students will develop a case study by gathering data to apply and practice the learned concepts in a large-scale project.

MCS2403

3

Math Modelling

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of mathematical modeling and the link between Mathematics and Engineering, Science and Nature. This course will introduce modeling techniques and dynamical systems analysis using examples from Engineering, Physics, and Biology. Coverage includes both the analysis, including bifurcation theory, and computation. Matlab will be used extensively in this class.

MCS3523

3

General Elective

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of mathematical modeling and the link between Mathematics and Engineering, Science and Nature. This course will introduce modeling techniques and dynamical systems analysis using examples from Engineering, Physics, and Biology. Coverage includes both the analysis, including bifurcation theory, and computation. Matlab will be used extensively in this class.

XXX3

3

FM Prep

This seminar course covers material to prepare students to take the FM examination on financial mathematics

MCS3111

1

Total Credits:

13

Fall Semester

Course Name

Course #

Credits

Numerical Analysis

Approximation and error. Roots of equations approximation of algebraic and transcendental functions, differentiation, indefinite and definite integration. Quadrature, interpolation. Lecture 3 hrs.

MCS4813

3

Senior Project 1

Course not found.

MCS4833

3

Topics in MCS

Topics of current interest in mathematics and computer science. (May be taken more than once if the topic is different.)

MCS4993

3

FIN/MGT Junior/Senior Elective

Course not found.

FIN/MGT 3/4xx3

3

SSC/PSY Junior/Senior Elective

Course not found.

SSC/PSY 3/4xx3

3

Total Credits:

15

Spring Semester

Course Name

Course #

Credits

Money and Banking

May need faculty approval. Monetary systems; in-depth analysis of the banking system in the United States with particular emphasis on expansion of money supply; assets and liability management and implications for investors and consumers. Lecture 3 hrs.

SSC3523

3

Senior Projects 2

Course not found.

MCS4843

3

Mathematics Journal Club

Students in this journal club will be responsible for leading the discussion on a research paper to a group of students. Students may also be asked to review a research paper that has been submitted for publication and provide a detailed description of why the paper should be accepted, declined, or revised.

MCS4111

1

LLT Junior/Senior Elective

Course not found.

LLT 3/4xx3

3

General Junior/Senior Electives

Course not found.

GEN 3/4xx6

6

Total Credits:

16

» Document Viewer

Use Your Cell Phone as a Document Camera in Zoom

  • What you will need to have and do
  • Download the mobile Zoom app (either App Store or Google Play)
  • Have your phone plugged in
  • Set up video stand phone holder

From Computer

Log in and start your Zoom session with participants

From Phone

  • Start the Zoom session on your phone app (suggest setting your phone to “Do not disturb” since your phone screen will be seen in Zoom)
  • Type in the Meeting ID and Join
  • Do not use phone audio option to avoid feedback
  • Select “share content” and “screen” to share your cell phone’s screen in your Zoom session
  • Select “start broadcast” from Zoom app. The home screen of your cell phone is now being shared with your participants.

To use your cell phone as a makeshift document camera

  • Open (swipe to switch apps) and select the camera app on your phone
  • Start in photo mode and aim the camera at whatever materials you would like to share
  • This is where you will have to position what you want to share to get the best view – but you will see ‘how you are doing’ in the main Zoom session.