Ashland University

What you'll study

The certificate’s required core includes three courses (9 credits):

• MATH 320 Financial Mathematics — 3 credits (prerequisites: MATH 223 and MATH 305)
• MATH 341 Applied Regression Analysis — 3 credits (prerequisite: MATH 108 or 318)
• ACCT 201 Financial Accounting — 3 credits (no prerequisite)

Students then complete an additional 12 credit hours drawn from two of three sequences: Probability, Economics or Finance.

• Probability sequence: MATH 317 Probability (3 credits; prereqs MATH 223, 250 and 202 or 206) and MATH 318 Mathematical Statistics (3 credits; prereqs MATH 250, 305, 317).
• Economics sequence: ECON 232 Principles of Microeconomics (3 credits) and ECON 233 Principles of Macroeconomics (3 credits).
• Finance sequence: FIN 228 Financial Management (3 credits; prereq ACCT 201) and FIN 329 Intermediate Financial Management (3 credits; prereq FIN 228).

Entry requirements

Applicants must have completed or have a plan to complete specific prerequisite mathematics courses prior to admission to the certificate. Required or equivalent courses are:

• MATH 108: Introductory Statistics or MATH 318: Mathematical Statistics (or equivalent) — if not pursuing the Probability sequence
• MATH 205: Calculus I (or equivalent)
• MATH 206: Calculus II (or equivalent)
• MATH 223: Discrete Mathematics I (or equivalent)
• MATH 250: Mathematical Proof (or equivalent) — if planning to pursue the Probability sequence
• MATH 305: Calculus III (or equivalent)

Career prospects

The program targets preparation for actuarial roles: professionals who use mathematical and statistical methods to assess and manage financial risk. Completion helps satisfy VEE requirements and readies students for the SOA and CAS preliminary exams in probability and financial mathematics. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited by the program, median annual pay for actuaries was $120,000 in 2023 and employment growth is projected at 22% through 2033. Recent graduates have entered roles such as actuarial technician, actuarial rotation associate, assurance specialist, credit analyst, software developer and financial analyst at a range of employers.

Scholarships & funding angle

The course page does not list program-specific scholarships. Prospective students should consult Ashland University’s Office of Admissions and the university’s financial aid office for information on tuition rates, institutional scholarships, and other funding options that apply to certificate students.