Maybe you are looking to take on a few upper-level math courses to enhance your non-math degree, or maybe you're still thinking about whether a degree in a math-related major is right for you. That's okay! We offer a number of our majors in a minor format and also offer a few niche subjects solely as minors or certificates. 

You can stretch your education beyond major-specific courses by adding a minor or a certificate, or both!

Minors & Certificates

The Certificate in Actuarial Science is an eighteen (18) credit program composed of courses from two schools: the McAnulty College of Liberal Arts and the Palumbo School of Business. The certificate is available to any Duquesne University student, and can be fully accessed only through fourteen (14) additional credits of prerequisite coursework.

The courses required for the Certificate in Actuarial Science are chosen to position students for successful completion of two actuarial exams before graduation, while simultaneously giving students at least four (4) courses that count towards the Validation by Educational Experience (VEE) requirements as stipulated by the Society of Actuaries.


Prerequisite Courses for the Certificate in Actuarial Science
  • ACCT 214 Financial Accounting
  • ACCT 215 Managerial Accounting
  • MATH 115 Calculus I
  • MATH 116 Calculus II

Required Courses for the Certificate in Actuarial Science
  • ECON 201 Principles of Microeconomics
  • ECON 202 Principles of Macroeconomics
  • MATH 301 Introduction to Probability and Statistics I
  • MATH 302W Introduction to Probability and Statistics
  • FINC 313 Business Finance
  • FINC 338 Derivatives
Required courses for the 15-credit minor in computer science are:
  • MATH 135 Discrete Mathematics
  • COSC 160 and COSC 215 OR COSC 170 and COSC 216
  • Nine additional credits of computer science courses at the 200-level or above, with at least threecredits at the 300-level or above.

For the 15-credit minor, students are required to take four of the following classes:

  • IR 404 Introduction to Information Awareness
  • IR 432 Network Situational Awareness
  • IR 462 Applied Threat Systems
  • IR 470 Cybersecurity Leadership and Strategy
  • COSC 160 Computer Programming: Java
  • COSC 215 Data Structures in Java (Prerequisites: Grade of "C" or better in COSC 160, Computer Programming: Java and MATH 135, Discrete Math)
In addition, students are required to take one of the following courses: COSC 300, IR 405, IR 406, IR 407, IR 422W, IR 423W.

Students must pass the following courses with a "C" or better:

  • MATH 115 Calculus I
  • MATH 116 Calculus II
  • Nine additional credits of mathematics courses at the 200-level or above, with at least three of these nine credits at the 300 level or above.

Contact for more info

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science