Master's Degree in Actuarial and Financial Sciences
Barcelona, Spain
Master degree
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
Spanish
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
EUR 19 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* 19.37 euros per credit (82 euros for students who are not EU nationals and do not currently reside in Spain). Fees for the academic year 2025-2026
Key Summary
An actuary is an expert in financial, demographic and insurance risk assessment, with a solid technical background in mathematics, statistics, economics and law. The master's degree in Financial and Actuarial Sciences provides the multidisciplinary training required to work as an actuary in compliance with international standards. The program covers the Core Syllabus requirements for actuarial training established by the International Actuarial Association and the Actuarial Association of Europe
The master's degree is structured along the same lines as the most renowned university programs in actuarial training in Europe and meets the professional requirements of the insurance and finance sectors (insurance, social welfare systems, financial tools and markets, and the assessment and management of associated risks). Therefore it also meets the training demands set out in the EU Solvency II Directive.
The course consists of 90 core credits plus 30 credits of face-to-face bridging courses. The bridging courses are subjects from the specialization in Finance and Insurance of the UB bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Management.
The languages of instruction for this course are as follows:
- First year: Spanish
- Second year:
- Spanish (Applied specialization)
- English (Advanced specialization)
Students should have a solid grounding in economics and finance (graduates in business administration and management, economics or similar studies) and students with training in statistics and mathematics (fundamentally, graduates in statistics, mathematics, physics and engineering).
Good knowledge of computer tools and applications is strongly recommended.
The master's degree in Financial and Actuarial Sciences is firmly focused on the job market. As such, its main objective is to offer future actuaries high-quality, multidisciplinary training that will equip them for successful national and international careers.
The solid technical training provided, particularly in the specialization in Advanced Financial and Actuarial Models, will also enable graduates to access doctoral studies.
The program seeks to facilitate student exchange and professional mobility across borders, thanks to compliance with the Core Syllabus requirements.
Students may choose from two specializations. The first, Applied Financial and Actuarial Models, taught in Spanish, aims to broaden their knowledge of the application and interpretation professional financial and insurance methods and techniques. The second, Advanced Financial and Actuarial Models, taught in English, introduces students to research and builds independent problem-solving and decision-making skills in the areas of finance and insurance. It is suitable preparation for further study at doctoral level.
The University of Barcelona consistently ranks among the top institutions nationally, in Europe, and worldwide. Its performance in the most prestigious international rankings reflects excellence in teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and global engagement.
- Ranked 1st nationally in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU)
- Ranked 1st nationally in the THE (Times Higher Education) World University Rankings
- Ranked 1st nationally and 68th in Europe in the QS World University Rankings
- Ranked 1st nationally and 27th in Europe in the Best Global Universities Rankings
Studying at the University of Barcelona means joining a world-class academic community recognized for its innovation and impact.
Actuaries are experts in insurance, public and private pensions, financial tools and markets and risk management and uncertainty quantification. They are therefore highly sought after in the banking sector and by insurance firms, companies with in-house risk management departments, auditors, consultancies and other corporations they need experts with the quantitative skills to carry out risk management tasks.
They also have a series of functions attributed to them by law. Current regulations on insurance, pensions and social welfare place actuaries at the centre of quantitative decision-making, and similar importance derives from the Solvency II Directive, which makes express mention of actuarial functions.