Asper School of Business

Warren Centre for Actuarial Studies and Research

The Warren Centre for Actuarial Studies and Research gives you the chance to become an actuary while giving you access to Asper’s business and management-oriented courses. Founded in 1912, the University of Manitoba's actuarial program is one of the oldest and most successful in North America.

Students walk up the stairs at the Asper School of Business.
Actuarial excellence

Accreditation and recognition for actuarial excellence

The Warren Centre was accredited by the Canadian Institute of Actuaries' University Accreditation Program in 2011. The University of Manitoba's actuarial program is among the first programs to earn accreditation from the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (CIA). The accreditation provides students with the option to use the accredited degree from University of Manitoba toward the Associateship requirements of CIA. This will make progress toward CIA Fellowship more predictable and will reduce the duplication of students' efforts between the professional exams and their university studies. The new pathways toward CIA Fellowship can be found here.

In 2009, the University of Manitoba was named a Center of Actuarial Excellence by the Society of Actuaries (SOA). Further, in June 2024, the University of Manitoba was approved to join the University-Earned Credit program. Beginning from September 2024, students can earn the following SOA exam credits by completing the corresponding courses with a satisfying mark at the University of Manitoba:

Exam FM — ACT 2120

Exam FAM — ACT 3130, ACT 3340, ACT 4020

Exam SRM — ACT 4010, ACT 4040

Exam ALTAM — ACT 3230

Exam ASTAM — ACT 3340, ACT 4030

Our story

A generous donation from Murray Taylor made Assessing the Risk: A History of Actuarial Science at the University of Manitoba possible.

Assessing the Risk: A History of Actuarial Studies at the University of Manitoba

This image is a logo. CAE designed in capital letters, with a graduation hat on the capital letter "C", on the left side. Separated by a divider, UEC is designed on the right side in capital letters as well.
Main Street, Winnipeg, looking north, circa 1912.

Programs of study

The actuarial profession involves the application of mathematical disciplines, particularly probability, statistics, and risk theory, to real life financial problems involving future uncertainty.

The analysis involved helps people and organizations plan for and reduce financial risk in areas as diverse as life, health, disability, property and casualty insurance, annuities, pension plans, and employee benefit plans.

Student experience

The actuarial profession

The actuarial profession involves the application of mathematical disciplines, particularly probability, statistics, and risk theory, to real life financial problems involving future uncertainty.

The analysis involved helps people and organizations plan for and reduce financial risk in areas as diverse as life, health, disability, property and casualty insurance, annuities, pension plans, and employee benefit plans.

Professional structure

The Canadian Institute of Actuaries (Canada), and the American Academy of Actuaries (USA) oversees the qualification and conduct of the 18,000 actuarial professionals in North America.

You are qualified to work as an actuary when you successfully complete the professional examinations conducted by the Society of Actuaries (life, health and pension actuaries) and the Casualty Actuarial Society (property, marine and casualty actuaries). The first examinations test skills and knowledge that all actuaries must have, regardless of the field in which they choose to practice - later, candidates undertake practice-specific examinations. Completion of examinations combined with related professional development and training lead to two membership designations: associate and fellow. The fellowship designation is the highest designation an actuary can receive in North America.

Careers

Actuaries find fulfilling work in:

  • life insurance
  • health insurance
  • property insurance
  • casualty insurance
  • government agencies
  • pension and employee benefits consulting
  • education, as teachers and researchers
  • banks and other relative newcomers into the insurance field

About our founder

  • Dr. L.A.H. Warren The Warren Centre was created in honour of Lloyd A. H. Warren, the founder of the actuarial program in Manitoba. Warren was born November 18, 1879 in Balderson, Ontario. He graduated from Queen's University in 1902 with a Master of Arts degree and obtained his PhD from the University of Chicago in 1913. He joined the Faculty at the University of Manitoba in 1910 as an instructor of mathematics. In 1931, Warren was appointed professor of mathematics. In 1935, Warren became the first professor of actuarial science in Manitoba. Warren was also a fellow of the American Institute of Actuaries (1935), fellow of the Actuarial Society of America (1939), fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. As a consulting actuary, Warren helped to establish the pension fund for teachers in Winnipeg schools.

    Warren was a Past Member of the Assiniboine Lodge, A.F. and A.M. and a 32nd degree member of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonary. Warren was a devout churchgoer. He filled many offices in St. Luke's Church and at the time of his death was a lay delegate to the General Synod of the Church of England in Canada.

    He died in Winnipeg on October 7, 1949.

  • Lloyd Warren.

Contact us

Warren Centre for Actuarial Studies and Research
Room 618 Drake Centre
181 Freedman Crescent
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 5V4

c.loewen@umanitoba.ca
204-583-4063