2026/27 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

MATH3504 Actuarial Mathematics 2

20 Credits Class Size: 150

Module manager: TBC
Email: TBC

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2026/27

Pre-requisite qualifications

MATH3503 Actuarial Mathematics 1

Pre-requisites

MATH3503 Actuarial Mathematics 1

Module replaces

MATH3520 Actuarial Mathematics 2

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

The module continues the theme of life-contingent risks . In this module students will study advanced modelling of life insurance and annuity policies with particular emphasis on fixed and variable benefit contracts, annuities and assurances involving two lives and evaluation of profitability. The module will also cover insurance policies with multiple decrements and profit testing for such policies.

Objectives

The module introduces a wide range of topics in actuarial mathematics. The aim is to equip students with knowledge on premium and profit evaluation of different types of insurance contracts. The students will study premium calculations using equivalence principle and portfolio percentile principle, students will learn policy values and reserves of an insurance business in the context of single life and multiple lives. This will be achieved by a structured series of lectures and consolidated by interactive tutorials.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module students will be able to: 1. Evaluate premiums using different methods. 2. Understand profit and loss for a portfolio of policies. 3. Understand policy values and be able to compute these. 4. Understand mortality probabilities and benefits in the context of two lives and be able to calculate these for some special contracts. 5. Apply the theory of continuous-time Markov chains to understand transition probabilities and associated insurance contracts in multiple state models. 6. Compute policy premiums/values for multiple state models in the discrete time case. 7. Appreciate the differences between multiple and single decrement models and compute mortality probabilities in some special cases. 8. Determine premiums or reserves using profit-testing methods for different policy types.

Syllabus

1. Calculation of net and gross premiums and policy values for standard insurance policies. 2. Recursive relations for policy values and prospective/retrospective methods for policy values. 3. Portfolio percentile principle to calculate premiums. 4. Multiple life models for two lives. 5. Multiple-state Markov models in discrete and continuous time to model insurance policies. 6. Multiple decrement models. 7. Profit testing for standard and unit linked policies.

Teaching Methods

Delivery type Number Length hours Student hours
Lecture 44 1 44
Private study hours 156
Total Contact hours 44
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) 200

Reading List

Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list

Last updated: 12/05/2026

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