News Releases

UWI Actuarial Science Programme Earns UCAP–AC Status

For Release Upon Receipt - June 3, 2026

St. Augustine


St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago – June 3rd, 2026 – The University of the West Indies (The UWI) St. Augustine Campus has earned advanced recognition from the Society of Actuaries (SOA), placing its Actuarial Science programme among a select group of universities in the Western Hemisphere with this status.

 The programme has qualified for the SOA’s Universities & Colleges with Actuarial Programmes – Advanced Curriculum (UCAP-AC) status. With this recognition, The UWI St. Augustine now joins the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina and Anahuac University in Mexico as the only universities outside the USA and Canada, in the Western Hemisphere, to hold UCAP-AC status with the SOA.

 The recognition is significant for students pursuing actuarial careers at the Faculty of Science and Technology as it indicates that The UWI St. Augustine Campus now offers wider course coverage for the examination curriculum required for individuals working toward becoming Associates of the SOA. The SOA has more than 31,000 members and is the largest professional society for actuaries in the world.

 Before attaining UCAP-AC status, the Actuarial Science Programme held the SOA’s Introductory Curriculum (UCAP–IC) status. This indicated that the programme maintained course coverage for two preliminary SOA exams: Probability (P) and Financial Mathematics (FM). The introductory status also provided exemptions from three Validation by Educational Experience (VEE) credits: VEE Economics, VEE Accounting and Finance, and VEE Mathematical Statistics.

 With the new UCAP-AC status, The UWI St. Augustine Campus now maintains course coverage for a total of six SOA Associateship-level exams: P, FM, Fundamentals of Actuarial Mathematics (FAM), Advanced Long-Term Actuarial Mathematics (ALTAM), Advanced Short-Term Actuarial Mathematics (ASTAM) and Statistics for Risk Modelling (SRM). The same VEE exemptions available under the introductory status will also continue under the UCAP-AC status.

 In addition to expanding course coverage for the SOA Associateship-level exams, the UCAP-AC status also provides direct benefits for students. Three individual student exam registration fees will be reimbursed each academic year for exams other than P and FM.

 The Campus will also be able to select one additional SOA-supported benefit each academic year: reimbursement for study materials, SOA sponsorship for an on-campus event, or reimbursement of travel costs and registration fees for student travel.

 The next milestone for The UWI St. Augustine Actuarial Science programme is to qualify for the SOA’s Centre of Actuarial Excellence (CAE) status, the highest status awarded to universities with actuarial science programmes.

 Mr. Brendon Bhagwandeen (left), Lecturer in the Actuarial Science Programme,  is presented with a plaque for his service to The Smart Tables® Working Group by Mr. Stokeley Smart (right), Senior Lecturer and Director of the Actuarial Science Programme and Fellow of the Society of Actuaries. Mr. Brendon Bhagwandeen is the first graduate of the programme to become full-time faculty.

 

 END

About The University of the West Indies

 The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has played a crucial role in Caribbean development for over 75 years, consistently contributing to the improvement of the well-being of people across the region.

Established in 1948 as a university college of London in Jamaica, with just 33 medical students, UWI has grown into an internationally respected, global university with nearly 50,000 students. Today, it boasts five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda, and its Global Campus, along with international centres in partnership with universities across North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.

 The UWI offers over 1000 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the leading university in the Caribbean, it is home to the largest pool of intellect and expertise in the region, dedicated to addressing the critical issues facing both the Caribbean and the wider world.

 Validated by its inclusion in the Times Higher Education (THE) annual rankings since 2018, The UWI has affirmed its position as one of the top universities globally. It stands out as the only English-speaking institution in the Caribbean featured in four of THE's prestigious ranking lists. The World University Rankings evaluate over 2,000 research-focused universities worldwide, while the Golden Age University Rankings highlight institutions established between 50 and 80 years ago. The Latin America Rankings focus specifically on universities within Latin America and the Caribbean. Additionally, the Impact Rankings assess universities based on their contributions to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 This recognition has also springboarded the establishment of The UWI’s International School for Development Justice (ISDJ), a global online graduate business school aimed at preparing future leaders for sustainable development.

 The UWI is an SDG-engaged university consistently recognised among the best in the world. Discover more at www.uwi.edu.

  

Contact