Wharton to continue actuarial science concentration for 3 years following student backlash | Academics - The Daily Pennsylvanian

Jason Yan, Staff - The Daily Pennsylvanian reports now, Although the actuarial science concentration was removed from Wharton's web homepage late last semester, the program is now expected to continue for three more years.  
 

Students expressed concerns when the actuarial science concentration was removed last semester.  
Photo: Kylie Cooper

Although the actuarial science concentration was removed from Wharton's homepage late last semester, Penn will continue to offer the program after students expressed concerns to administrators. 

The concentration was originally removed from the website in November 2019 because of the planned retirement of Jean Lemaire, director of the actuarial science program and the only faculty member currently involved in the program. However, Wharton Deputy Dean Michael Gibbons wrote in an email to The Daily Pennsylvanian that Lemaire will continue to serve as an academic advisor for the actuarial science concentration and the program is expected to continue for three more years. 

Gibbons wrote that Wharton plans to offer two of the three classes Lemaire taught as part of the actuarial science concentration. Lemaire said though he will no longer teach, he has found a replacement he hopes will be confirmed by Wharton soon...

“[Actuarial science] declined nationally because of competition from other statistic specialties like big data and data science,” Lemaire said.

Actuarial science involves compiling and analyzing statistics to calculate risks in insurance and finance. The profession applies mathematics to model uncertainty and evaluates the probability and financial consequences of future events...

To become an actuary in the United States, students are required to take up to ten exams administered by either the Society of Actuaries or the Casualty Actuarial Society depending on the actuarial specialty.
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Source: The Daily Pennsylvanian