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The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

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  • MET AT 544: Introduction to Pension Mathematics
    Prerequisites: MET MA 581 or CAS MA 581; MET AT 521; or consent of instructor. How do we mathematically guarantee a secure retirement for millions of people? It takes brilliant design and bulletproof funding strategies. You’ll explore the complex world of pension plans, learning how actuaries use life contingencies to calculate decades of future liabilities. We’ll break down various actuarial funding methods and alternative payment structures used in retirement systems worldwide. Equip yourself with the specialized mathematical tools organizations need to build and maintain pensions in a changing economic climate.
  • MET AT 545: Introduction to Risk Management
    What if you could see a financial disaster coming before it hits? Risk management is the art and science of anticipating the unexpected. You’ll learn how to build resilient frameworks that protect assets across life, pension, health, and property and casualty insurance. Step into the risk management process to identify, assess, and mitigate threats using industry-standard tools. We’ll also navigate the ethical and regulatory challenges that modern actuaries face. Become the strategic thinker who keeps financial institutions safe in a volatile world.
  • MET AT 722: Finance for Actuaries
    Prerequisites: MET AT 521. How do corporate giants value investments and navigate financial markets? Take your knowledge of financial mathematics to the corporate level. You’ll master the tools of the trade, including net present value, internal rate of return, and capital budgeting. Then, you’ll push further into the mechanics of option pricing theory, breaking down binomial lattice valuation and the renowned Black-Scholes formula. Gain the high-level financial acumen needed to drive corporate strategy. This course has been approved for the “Finance” portion of the SoA/CAS VEE credit in Finance and Accounting.
  • MET AT 743: Regression and Time Series
    Prerequisites: MET MA 582, CAS MA 582 or consent of instructor. Can yesterday’s data really predict tomorrow’s market? Yes, if you have the right statistical models. You’ll unlock the predictive power of regression and time series analysis. Learn to build multiple regression models, analyze residuals, and tame messy data by addressing heteroscedasticity. Then, shift your focus to the future using time-series smoothing and linear models to forecast trends. Mastering this material helps you prepare for SoA Exam SRM.
  • MET AT 761: Mathematics for Investment and Portfolio Theory
    Prerequisites: MET MA 581 or CAS MA581 and AT 521. How do the world’s best financial managers maximize returns without risking it all? They rely on modern portfolio theory. You’ll dissect the risk and return characteristics of primary financial products and master the mathematical principles behind term structures and yield curves. Explore powerful tools like the Markowitz Portfolio Selection Model and the CAPM. By diving into derivative securities and immunization techniques, you’ll develop the sophisticated expertise required for elite interest rate risk management.
  • MET AT 762: Mathematical Finance for Actuarial Science
    Prerequisites: MET MA 581 and MET AT 521 or consent of instructor. How do financial institutions protect themselves against massive market swings? They use complex derivatives, which you’ll learn about in this course. You’ll uncover the mathematical mechanics of options and analyze their critical role in insurance and risk management. We’ll break down the rational valuation of these products, mastering put-call parity, binomial options, and the famous Black-Scholes pricing model. Equip yourself with the cutting-edge financial mathematics necessary to manage uncertainty in modern markets.
  • MET AT 771: Advanced Long-Term Actuarial Mathematics
    Prerequisites: MET AT 531 or consent of instructor. What happens when your pristine mathematical assumptions collide with a messy reality? It’s time to upgrade your long-term financial models. You’ll explore the critical concept of insurance reserves, learning how they are calculated and how they react when real-world results miss the mark. Expand your expertise by mastering multiple life and decrement models and Multiple State/Markov Chains. By learning to model complex, long-term realities, you’ll elevate your professional practice. Mastering this material helps you prepare for SoA Exam ALTAM.
  • MET AT 781: Advanced Short-Term Actuarial Mathematics
    Prerequisites: MET AT 531 or consent of instructor. How do you accurately price an insurance policy when you don’t have all the data? In short-term insurance, like medical or auto, uncertainty is the only constant. You’ll push your modeling skills to the limit by tackling advanced severity, frequency, and aggregate models. You’ll learn to evaluate both complete and incomplete data sets to build accurate pricing structures. Finally, you’ll master crucial credibility models, including Classical, Bühlmann-Straub, and Bayesian methods, to continuously refine your accuracy. Mastering this material helps you prepare for SoA Exam ASTAM.
  • MET AT 799: Capstone in Actuarial Science
    Restrictions: only for students in the final semester of the MS in Actuarial Science degree program. Are you ready to prove you have what it takes to solve real industry problems? This is where everything you’ve learned comes together. You’ll collaborate with your peers on a massive, integrated research project, tackling the exact challenges facing today’s top insurance and financial firms. You won’t just run numbers; you’ll develop comprehensive, innovative solutions. In addition, the course emphasizes the “soft skills” of actuarial work, including ethics, the Emotional and Adaptability Quotients (EQ and AQ), Actuarial Standards of Practice, and the history of insurance.
  • MET AT 981: Internship in Actuarial Science 1
    Prerequisites: MET AT 521, MET AT 531, cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher, and consent of instructor. The course is offered to students who seek practical applications of actuarial principles in insurance companies, financial institutions, pension consulting firms, and other related fields. Participation in an internship program within the industry is required.
  • MET AT 982: Internship in Actuarial Science 2
    Prerequisites: MET AT 521, MET AT 531, cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher, and consent of instructor. The course is offered to students who seek practical applications of actuarial principles in insurance companies, financial institutions, pension consulting firms, and other related fields. Participation in an internship program within the industry is required.
  • MET AT 990: Seminar in Actuarial Science
    Seminars are offered for special topics related to actuarial science, life insurance, casualty insurance, insurance medicine, mortality and mobility, health outcomes, economics, policy, pension, social insurance, mathematical finance, statistics, and other related fields. Variable credits.
  • MET AT 991: Directed Studies 1
    Prerequisite: consent of instructor. What if you could design your own course to solve a problem you’re truly passionate about? Directed Studies give you the freedom to build a custom academic journey. Working under the direct mentorship of a faculty advisor, you’ll conduct deep, specialized research on a topic of your choosing. Whether you want to explore an obscure actuarial theory or solve a novel industry challenge, this is your chance to break new ground. Apply through the department and start innovating.
  • MET AT 992: Directed Studies 2
    Prerequisite: consent of instructor. What if you could design your own course to solve a problem you’re truly passionate about? Directed Studies give you the freedom to build a custom academic journey. Working under the direct mentorship of a faculty advisor, you’ll conduct deep, specialized research on a topic of your choosing. Whether you want to explore an obscure actuarial theory or solve a novel industry challenge, this is your chance to break new ground. Apply through the department and start innovating.
  • MET BB 421: Biochemistry 1
    Undergraduate prerequisites: CASCH 204 OR CASCH 212 OR CASCH 214 or equivalent. Introductory biochemistry for majors. Protein structure and folding, enzyme mechanisms, kinetics, and allostery; nucleic acid structure; macromolecular biosynthesis with emphasis on specificity and fidelity; lipids and membrane structure; carbohydrate structure, vitamins and coenzymes. Three hours lecture, one hour pre-lab discussion, four hours lab. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking, Teamwork/Collaboration. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Quantitative Reasoning II
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • MET BB 422: Biochemistry 2
    Undergraduate prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) AND CASBB 421 or equivalent.- Cell metabolism, with special emphasis on the uptake of food materials, the integration and regulation of catabolic, anabolic, and anaplerotic routes, and the generation and utilization of energy. Lectures include consideration of intermediary metabolism in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms with clinical correlations. Three hours lecture, one hour pre-lab discussion, four hours lab. Effective Spring 2025 this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Research and Information Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration, Creativity/Innovation.
    • Creativity/Innovation
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • MET BI 105: Introductory Biology for Health Sciences
    Principles of biology: emphasis on cellular structure, heredity, development, and organic evolution. Intended for nonmajors as well as for those concentrating in the health and paramedical sciences. Laboratory course. Three hours lecture, two hours lab. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning I, Scientific Inquiry I, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Quantitative Reasoning I
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Scientific Inquiry I
  • MET BI 107: Biology 1: Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior
    Assumes year of high school biology and chemistry. For premedical students and students who plan to concentrate in the natural sciences. Required of biology concentrators. It is recommended that MET CH 101 and CH 102 be taken prior to or concurrently with this sequence. Each course has three hours lecture and three hours lab. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning I, Scientific Inquiry I, Critical Thinking, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Quantitative Reasoning I
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Scientific Inquiry I
  • MET BI 108: Biology II: Cells, Genetics, Development, and Physiology
    Assumes year of high school biology and chemistry. For premedical students and students who plan to concentrate in the natural sciences. Required of biology concentrators. It is recommended that MET CH 101 and CH 102 be taken prior to or concurrently with this sequence. Each course has three hours lecture and three hours lab. Course examines cells, genetics, development, physiology, and neurobiology. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Scientific Inquiry II, Critical Thinking, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Quantitative Reasoning II
    • Scientific Inquiry II
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • MET BI 110: Introduction to Neuroscience, Drugs, and Mental Disorders
    The goal of this class is to paint the 'big picture' of your brain's organization: from molecules to neurons to the neurological control of novel conscious experiences. Throughout the course, students engage in case studies, research projects, and discussions to apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios. This course aims to provide a well-rounded understanding of the complex relationship between neurotransmitters, receptors, neuronal connections, mental disorders, and drugs while promoting critical thinking and evidence-based approaches to addressing these issues. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Scientific Inquiry I.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Scientific Inquiry I

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