This interdisciplinary, skills-focused course parallels the other component courses of the full-time Academic Bridging Program, supplementing those courses and helping students integrate their entire Academic Bridging experience, while providing intensive, workshop-style training in the fundamental skills needed for success in further university studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences. The course will also provide academic advising and planning, to help students understand and navigate university culture. Open only to Academic Bridging Program students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.
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ABP100Y1 - Introduction to Academic Studies
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1), Society and its Institutions (3)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ABP101Y1 - Introduction to Academic Studies in the Sciences
This interdisciplinary, skills-focused course parallels the other component courses of the full-time ABP Science Option, supplementing those courses and helping students integrate their entire Academic Bridging experience, while providing intensive, workshop-style training in the fundamental skills needed for success in further university studies in Mathematics and the Sciences. The course will also provide academic advising and planning, to help students understand and navigate university culture. Open only to Academic Bridging Program students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ABP102Y1 - Contemporary Canada
Hours: 72L
This interdisciplinary, foundational course provides an introduction to contemporary Canadian society. The course includes the study of geography, politics, literature and culture through a historical framework of the twentieth century. It also emphasizes particular themes including indigenous issues, Quebec nationalism, gender/women's issues and immigration/multiculturalism. Open only to Academic Bridging Program students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.
Distribution Requirements: Humanities, Social Science
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1), Society and its Institutions (3)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ABP103Y1 - Introduction to the Study of Literature
Hours: 72L
This discipline based, writing intensive course introduces essential rhetorical and critical skills, focusing on how to recognize major literary forms and how to read and analyze outstanding classic and contemporary literary works of drama, poetry and fiction. Open only to Academic Bridging Program students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.
Distribution Requirements: Humanities
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ABP104Y1 - Introduction to Environmental Studies
Hours: 72L
This interdisciplinary course introduces the major issues regarding the sustainability of the global environment in the face of human development by integrating humanities and social science with the fundamental concept of environmental science. It examines major environmental problems, such as rapid climate change and land degradation as well as the role and impact of government, economics, and ethics on environmental issues. Open only to Academic Bridging Program students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.
Distribution Requirements: Social Science
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ABP105Y1 - Indigenous Cultures and Societies
Hours: 72L
This course provides an interdisciplinary focus on key topics relevant to Indigenous communities, historically and in the present. Students will be introduced to diverse cultures, communities, and worldviews of Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island (particularly Canada) and how they have been affected by colonialism. Emphasis will be placed on the ways Indigenous peoples are resisting social, economic, political, and environmental injustices, while revitalizing their identities, knowledges, and communities and creating space for the expression of Indigenous voices.
Storytelling that prioritizes the perspectives and worldviews of Indigenous peoples will guide students’ learning about course topics, issues, and concepts. Students will be encouraged to connect their own storied identities and perspectives to course themes and issues. Classes will involve a mix of interactive lectures, class discussion, student-led learning opportunities, and field trips. Class time and assignments will also be devoted to helping students build their critical thinking, reading, and writing skills towards the completion of a research-based essay due at the end of the year. Open only to Academic Bridging Program students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.
Distribution Requirements: Humanities
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ABP106Y1 - Media, Culture, and Society
Hours: 72L
This interdisciplinary course provides an introduction to the cultural and social impacts of present-day popular mass media. Themes explored include the economic and political forces that shape the media world, the role of technology, and issues of representation, gender, and social justice. The course examines a wide range of texts, emphasizing popular culture produced in Canada, and students will have the opportunity to draw extensively on their own interactions with popular media. Open only to Academic Bridging Program students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.
Distribution Requirements: Humanities
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ABP107Y1 - Introduction to University Studies in Mathematics
Hours: 72L
This course focuses on mathematical concepts and skills needed for success in First Year university Math and Science courses. Students will develop quantitative reasoning abilities required to critique arguments and make decisions, and will gain a deep understanding of functions modeling relationships. The course highlights multiple representations of each topic, emphasizing connections, and workshop-style sessions enable students to strengthen the skills they learn. Open only to Academic Bridging Program students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.
Distribution Requirements: Science
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ABP108Y1 - Introduction to University Studies in Chemistry
Hours: 72L
This course covers the fundamental knowledge and skills needed for success in First Year university Chemistry and other Sciences such as Biology. Topics include atoms, elements, and compounds; the chemical and physical properties of gases, liquids, and solids; chemical reactions; and the importance of chemistry in understanding the world around us, with attention to how it can address issues in medicine, the environment, and sustainability. Open only to Academic Bridging Program students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.
Distribution Requirements: Science
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ABP109Y1 - Diverse Histories of Canada
Hours: 72L
This course explores diverse, under-acknowledged narratives of people, such as Indigenous and racialized peoples, within the territories currently known as Canada to challenge monolithic, linear, and uncritical representations of this country's past and future. Archival materials, maps, place names, art, literature, film, and other texts will be approached from interdisciplinary perspectives to reveal different orientations to historical events, social injustices, and futures of this territory. Open only to Academic Bridging Program students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.
Distribution Requirements: Humanities
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ACT199H1 - Decipher Financial Puzzles in the Media and Pop Culture
Have you ever watched a pundit’s passionate rant over financial crisis on TV and wondered whether he was right or wrong? Did you get the full story after watching movies like Margin Call or The Big Short? What was the efficiency market versus behavioral finance debate all about? Did you wonder why everyone in the financial press seem to be calling for a lower debt/equity ratio on banks in the post-crisis era? If you find yourself think about those questions, this is the course for you. We will start from some basic building blocks of finance, such as time value of money and discounting, and proceed to look at some of the important financial controversies you have read or heard in the pop culture or media. Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ACT230H1 - Mathematics of Finance for Non-Actuaries
Introduction to financial mathematics, interest measurement, present value calculation, annuity valuation, loan amortization, consumer financing arrangements, bond valuation. The course is aimed at a general audience who will not be continuing in the actuarial science program. Course manuals fee: $30.
Exclusion: ACT240H1
Distribution Requirements: Science
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ACT240H1 - Mathematics of Investment & Credit
Interest, discount and present values, as applied to determine prices and values of annuities, mortgages, bonds, equities; loan repayment schedules and consumer finance payments in general; yield rates on investments given the costs on investments. Course manuals fee: $45.
Exclusion: ACT230H1
Distribution Requirements: Science
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ACT245H1 - Financial Principles for Actuarial Science I
Term structure of interest rates, cashflow duration, convexity and immunization, forward and futures contracts, interest rate swaps, introduction to investment derivatives and hedging strategies.
Distribution Requirements: Science
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ACT247H1 - Introductory Life Contingencies
Probability theory applied to survival and to costs and risks of life assurances, life annuities, and pensions; analysis of survival distributions; international actuarial notation. Course manuals fee: $35.
Distribution Requirements: Science
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ACT348H1 - Advanced Life Contingencies
Determination of benefit premium and benefit reserves for life insurance and annuities; analysis of insurance loss random variables; theory of life contingencies for multiple lives. Course manuals fee: $40.
Distribution Requirements: Science
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ACT349H1 - Corporate Finance for Actuarial Science
Actuarial applications of financial mathematics and economics.
Exclusion: ECO358H1, ECO359H1, RSM332H1, RSM333H1
Distribution Requirements: Science
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ACT350H1 - Applied Probability for Actuarial Science
The course offers an introduction to elementary probability theory and stochastic processes. The main goal of the course is to help actuarial students understand the concept of stochastic processes with particular emphasis on Markov chains that are of great importance in Life Contingencies and Property and Casualty insurance.
The course will cover the following topics: a basic review of probabilities with emphasis on conditional probabilities and expectations, discrete time Markov chains, Poisson processes, continuous time Markov chains, renewal theory and some applications, queueing theory.
Distribution Requirements: Science
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ACT370H1 - Financial Principles for Actuarial Science II
Mathematical theory of financial derivatives, discrete and continuous option pricing models, hedging strategies and exotic option valuation.
Exclusion: RSM435H1
Distribution Requirements: Science
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ACT371H1 - Basic Reserving Methods For P&C Insurance
Topics covered include reserving data and triangles, diagnoses methods that range from triangle of ratios of paid claims to reported claims to triangle of reported claim ratios. The syllabus also includes projection techniques. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.
Distribution Requirements: Science
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ACT372H1 - Basic Ratemaking Methods For P&C Insurance
This course covers the basic ratemaking methods for P&C insurance. It assumes that students are familiar with traditional reserving diagnoses and projection methods. The syllabus would introduce concepts related to earning of exposures, on-level factors, catastrophe loading, large loss loading and credibility. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.
Distribution Requirements: Science
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ACT390H1 - Professional Experience in Actuarial Science
This course is preparation for an internship work term. It includes various professional skill workshops, networking activities and an invited speaker series. The course is mandatory for students in the Actuarial Science Specialist program. A limited number of spots in the course are open for students in the Actuarial Science Major program. Students in the major program must apply to the department for permission to take the course. This is a CR/NCR course.
Students do not pay a course fee for this course. Instead, a $550 ancillary fee will be assessed towards Professional Experience preparatory program costs.
Distribution Requirements: Science
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ACT391H1 - Professional Internship
Internship course for students enrolled in the Actuarial Science Specialist, fulfilled as a 12-week work term in a workplace related to actuarial science in third or fourth year. ACT390H1 must be completed first in preparation. Contact Department for more information. (No tuition fee associated, however an ancillary fee of $720 will be assessed towards Professional Experience placement.)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ACT398H0 - Research Excursions
An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities/research-excursions-program. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ACT398Y0 - Research Excursions
An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities/research-excursions-program. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ACT451H1 - Loss Models
Loss models policy adjustments, frequency and severity models, compound distributions.
Distribution Requirements: Science
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ACT452H1 - Loss Models II
Estimation of Loss and Survival Models using complete, censored and truncated data. Product-Limit estimation, empirical estimation, moment and percentile estimation, maximum likelihood estimation and simulation models.
Distribution Requirements: Science
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ACT455H1 - Advanced Topics in Actuarial Science
Advanced life contingencies, multiple decrement theory, insurance policy expenses, multi-state transition models, Poisson processes.
Distribution Requirements: Science
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ACT460H1 - Stochastic Methods for Actuarial Science
Applications of the lognormal distribution, Brownian motion, geometric Brownian motion, martingales, Ito's lemma, stochastic differential equations, interest rate models, the Black-Scholes model, volatility, value at risk, conditional tail expectation.
Recommended Preparation: ACT370H1 strongly recommended
Distribution Requirements: Science
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)
Mode of Delivery: In Class
ACT466H1 - Credibility and Simulation
Limited fluctuation credibility, Bayesian estimation, Buhlmann credibility, non-parametric credibility methods, inverse transformation simulation method, specialized simulation methods for the normal and lognormal distributions, Monte Carlo methods, the bootstrap method.
Distribution Requirements: Science
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)
Mode of Delivery: In Class