A Bachelor of Science program in Actuarial Science, a minor in Black Studies, and a dual-degree Masters in Supply Chain Management and Analytics are all new programs offerings for La Salle University students.  

Actuarial Science major  

The new Actuarial Science major, approved by vote of the University’s Board of Trustees, is a 60-credit major within the School of Arts and Sciences.  

The Actuarial Science program prepares students to become actuaries—professionals who utilize training in the areas of math, statistics, and finance to analyze economic risk, perform mathematical modeling and forecasting, and calculate uncertainty within various job sectors. These industries include insurance, banking, investments, energy, and e-commerce, among others.  

Mathematics courses in La Salle’s Actuarial Science program will prepare students to sit for two national certification exams conducted by actuarial science societies Casualty Actuarial Society and Society of Actuaries. The curriculum also includes other courses in mathematics, economics, business, and finance that will enable students to gain Validation by Educational Experience credit toward becoming an associate level actuary in either society. The program is co-directed by Janet Fierson, Ph.D., associate professor of Mathematics, and Jonathan C. Knappenberger, Ph.D., Mathematics and Computer Science professor and department chair.  

Black Studies minor  

The Black Studies minor is open to all La Salle undergraduates and utilizes interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches to focus on the histories and experiences of people of African descent. The six-course minor can complement any major, as it broadens and deepens knowledge of the Americas, said the program’s director Luisa Ossa, Ph.D., a professor of Spanish in La Salle’s Department of Global Languages, Literatures, and Perspectives.  

The minor allows students to select from a variety of topics including literature, Spanish, education, history, philosophy, religion, and sociology, and equips them with the tools to help address systemic racism and social inequities.  

Prominent issues are explored within the Black Studies minor, including systemic racism, social justice, health and wellness, education, intersectionality, cultural contributions, and anti-racist frameworks and scholarship, as related to members of the Black diaspora in the Americas.  

Masters in Supply Chain Management and Analytics  

In Fall 2023, La Salle will introduce a graduate-level, dual-degree Supply Chain Management program in partnership with a fellow AACSB-accredited institution from Italy. 

—Meg Ryan