The Best Colleges For Bachelor's Degrees in Insurance
By: Arthur Hall
Submitted: 2010-11-11 19:52:24 | Word Count: 539
Each year, U.S. News & World Report publishes lists of the best colleges in the United States. In addition to ranking business schools in general, U.S. News also uses surveys of senior faculty and business school deans to produce “best of” lists within business specialties. For students interested in studying insurance, four schools rise to the top of the U.S. News rankings: the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Georgia, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Wisconsin.
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business earns the top spot on the U.S. News & World Report list of best schools for undergraduate degrees in insurance. While all undergraduates enrolled at Wharton earn a Bachelor of Business in Economics, students can choose from over 20 concentrations, including Insurance and Risk Management.
Students choosing to concentrate in Insurance and Risk Management must take a prerequisite course in Risk Management and four additional courses in the program. Beyond the obvious careers in insurance companies and as risk managers, the Insurance and Risk Management concentration can prepare students for careers in actuarial science, employee benefit management, and management consulting.
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University of Georgia
The Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia earns the second spot on U.S. News & World Report’s list of top undergraduate programs in insurance. The Terry College’s Risk Management and Insurance program is the largest such undergraduate program in the United States.
All Terry College students pursue a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and typically begin taking courses toward the Risk Management and Insurance major during the junior year. Majors also typically complete a summer internship and can meet with prospective employers during an annual Risk and Insurance Careers Day.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Tied with the University of Wisconsin for the third spot among U.S. News & World Report’s top undergraduate insurance programs is the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Students who choose to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Finance can opt to specialize in Insurance and Risk Management.
Finance students who choose an emphasis in Insurance and Risk Management have the opportunity to develop projects through the Office of Risk Management and Insurance Research, and the office also offers a Certificate of Excellence in Risk Management and Insurance Research to qualified and talented undergraduates.
University of Wisconsin
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign shares the third spot on the U.S. News & World Report list of top undergraduate programs in insurance with the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Risk Management and Insurance is one of 10 majors offered by Wisconsin’s School of Business.
Students who major in Risk Management and Insurance at Wisconsin take courses in not only Risk Management and Insurance but may also take electives in Finance, Actuarial Science, and Human Resource Management. Students also engage in applied learning of classroom concepts through internships and research projects with insurance and risk management firms.
Students, whether majoring in insurance or other business-related fields, will want to explore every available option in order to choose a school that is right for them. In addition to exploring information publications that rank business schools, students should visit school websites and, if possible, arrange an on campus visit before making a college choice.
