It is specifically designed to prepare students to sit the early actuarial examinations of the professional bodies for actuaries, allowing them to readily join the actuarial profession with internationally recognised qualifications on graduation.

Although actuarial science is a separate discipline with its own areas of knowledge, modern actuarial training requires multidisciplinary knowledge in probability, statistics, economics, investment, finance, law, taxation and accounting. The HKU Actuarial Science curriculum reflects this requirement, incorporating various interdisciplinary courses into its basic but comprehensive actuarial training.