The management of large quantities of data presents a global challenge to many industries. The tools and techniques which data science provides us with are helping to make sense of it.
Actuaries, by the nature of their work, are familiar with using data, but ensuring that they are familiar with some of these emerging techniques is increasingly important.
In addition, actuaries increasingly work alongside data scientists and will benefit from a better understanding of how they work.
The Certificate in Data Science is part of the IFoA’s lifelong learning agenda and is a significant step for the IFoA as we seek to provide opportunities for our Members to continually develop their skillset in a fast-moving, ever-changing business environment.
How
This is a 10-week online programme. There will be eight weeks of learning with structured support for learners, followed by two weeks to complete the final programme assignment. The estimated weekly study time commitment for the certificate is 8-10 hours. This certificate has been designed to be taken anywhere in the world.
Who
The certificate is open to all our members - Fellows, Associates, Students, and Affiliates; whatever your background or experience in this area. No prior knowledge of coding is required.
What
The purpose of this certificate is to provide an introduction to the concepts, tools, and techniques used in data science, and their relevance within an actuarial context. The certificate will also introduce you to some of the technical tools used in data science. However, it is not intended to be a course on technical data science programming.
A key part of data science is understanding how it can be applied. The certificate will therefore blend both theory and practice to ensure that these techniques are understood in an actuarial context, with the use of case studies.
The programme
The programme is broken down into 6 manageable modules:
1: Introduction to data science, data management & processing
2: Data analysis + introduction to Machine Learning (ML)
3: Data Visualisation and Communication
4: Further Analysis and Artificial Intelligence
5: Good practice of Data Science, and responsible AI
6: Future directions
Learning outcomes
At the end of this programme you will be able to:
- Understand core concepts in data science and how they relate to AI and ML.
- Retrieve, process, and manage relevant data in a range of formats.
- Analyse relevant datasets with state-of-the-art tools and techniques.
- Identify opportunities to apply business solutions with the latest ML and AI technologies in an actuarial context.
- Provide insights about the legal, ethical, and technical implications of using big data and AI in an actuarial context.
When
You can register your interest for programmes in our 2022/2023 schedule and we will update you nearer the time:
- 29 September - 8 December 2022
By completing the Expressions of Interest form you will be given priority booking and notified about the course you are interested in before a general notice is made that bookings are open to the wider membership.
Course cost and information
The cost is £1,450.00, which includes:
- access to all materials
- feedback following your first assignment
- access to two group tutorials
- assessment review
View the Candidate Information Pack on the Southampton Data Science Academy website.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Read our FAQs to find out more about the Certificate in Data Science.
Filter or search events
Events calendar
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CILA 2022
23 May 2022 - 24 May 2022We continue to live in a world of global uncertainty. Survival depends on our ability to simultaneously navigate through the diverse root-causes, ranging from: the consequences of Climate Change; transitioning to Net Zero; increased inflationary pressures and supply chain issues; to self-imposed changes in regulatory requirements. CILA 2022 focuses on these challenges to ensure we continue to be informed and remain battle ready, as well as showcasing highlights of recent CMI outputs.
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Opportunity to participate in a virtual Roundtable Discussion hosted by the IFoA in conjunction with the City of London Corporation’s Socio-economic Diversity Taskforce
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Annual General Meeting 2022
15 June 2022In the spirit of fostering the IFoA’s vibrant, global community and enabling our members to participate, we have decided to hold our AGM virtually again this year. This allows for greater accessibility to this important annual event, and for greater accountability of our organisation.
The Business of the AGM
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IFoA Presidential Address 2022
16 June 2022Join newly inaugurated IFoA President, Matt Saker, for his Presidential Address.
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The IFoA Conference 2022
133 Houndsditch, London EC3A 7BX and Online22 June 2022 - 23 June 2022
We’re delighted to welcome you back to our first in-person conference since early 2020, also being delivered virtually in our first-ever hybrid event. The theme of our inaugural two-day conference is ‘Focusing on tomorrow’s actuary’ and will explore the contribution actuarial science is making to some of tomorrow’s biggest issues.
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This webinar will cover:
• Some background on the risks of misselling in an ESG context, including the DWS case
• Achieving positive impact is a strong antidote to the risks of greenwashing or ESG misselling, however this risks having a tension with fiduciary responsibilities
• This tension can be resolved with a concept called Universal Ownership
• Under Universal ownership, investors have an appetite to make a loss in order to achieve positive impact, and yet still have no compromise on their fiduciary responsibilities
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This session will focus on the transformation roadmap of the healthcare sector in KSA and the role of actuarial capabilities in enhancing its evolution to the desired end stage as per the objectives of the Vision 2030. The discussion will focus how the system has evolved so far and shed light on the expected future changes. Through examining the transformation, we will highlight how the sector is and can use actuarial expertise to not only assist with this transformation but also use basic actuarial principles to identify the key risks and their respective mitigation strategies.
