Bachelor of Actuarial Studies

Actuarial studies at Macquarie is built directly against the Actuaries Institute's exemption framework rather than as a general quantitative degree that happens to touch on actuarial topics. Strong performance in the relevant units can earn exemptions from the Institute's Foundation Program subjects (CM1, CM2, CS1, CS2, CB1, CB2) and the Actuary Program's ACC and DSP subjects, which shortens the professional qualification path students face after graduation, a meaningful head start given how long the full actuarial credentialing process typically takes on top of any degree.

The department has also been recognised as a Center of Actuarial Excellence by the US-based Society of Actuaries, a status held by a limited number of programs globally, which gives the degree standing for students who might end up working in US, UK or Asian insurance and superannuation markets rather than only the Australian one. Macquarie Business School's AACSB accreditation applies here too, on top of the actuarial-specific recognition.

Students completing the degree as part of a double degree, paired with Applied Finance, Science, or Information Technology, and achieving credit or higher in the relevant units become eligible for exemptions from both the Foundation and Actuary Program subjects, which is one reason the actuarial-plus-finance or actuarial-plus-IT combination shows up so often among Macquarie's actuarial cohort rather than students taking the single degree alone.