Insurance
WHY A CAREER IN INSURANCE?
There are many good reasons why you should consider a career in the insurance industry. Perhaps the strongest reason is opportunity for employment advancement, job satisfaction, and enjoyment in the industry. Insurance is the fastest growing of all service industries. In good times and bad, the services of the insurance industry are vital to individuals and to the economy. Growth in the industry has been constant and rapid, and experts predicts the growth to continue. With this industry growth, good and competent people are in constant demand. Opportunities exists for those educated in risk management, insurance and financial planning as well as those trained in related fields. If you are a general business major interested in marketing, public relations, data processing, accounting, or other fields, there is a place for you in the insurance industry.
Insurance is a people-to-people industry. Nothing is manufactured. Aside from normal office equipment, there is very little machinery involved except for computers of all types. Primarily, insurance is people performing all kinds of services for other people, whether it is explaining a policy, investigating a claim, or analyzing a risk.
The insurance industry is in every type of location. When you work for the insurance industry, you could be working in a major metropolitan area, in a small town, or in a rural setting. You could be headquartered at a home office building with 25 floors, in a spacious suite, or in a one-room office. If you are looking for an exciting, enjoyable, fast pace career serving and helping people, you should look at opportunities in the fields of risk management, insurance and financial planning.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
In today's job market, insurance offers many interesting and varied career opportunities for both women and men. A number of insurance graduates have been hired as underwriters for insurance companies. As such, they make decisions on which insurance applications will be accepted or rejected by the company. This job requires knowledge of insurance plus the ability to analyzes the risk factors involved in each application. Other graduates are hired as claims representatives to adjust insured losses for the insured. Insurance companies also hire insurance graduates as investment specialists, sales representatives, and actuarial trainees. A growing field is benefits specialists who manage health and life insurance programs for employees of manufacturing firms, service organizations, banks, and even large farm enterprises. Many insurance companies will be hiring agents to sell property, casualty, health, and life insurance. Below are just a few of the careers from which students of risk management and insurance may choose:
- Actuary
- Group Insurance Representative
- Agent or Broker
- Insurance Regulator
- Claims Representative
- Pension Specialist
- Premium Auditor
- Customer Service Representative
- Risk Manager
- Employee Benefits Manager
- Safety or Loss Control Expert
- Field Representative
- Sales Representative
- Financial Planner
- Underwriter
Many insurance companies and agencies are expanding and are seeking college graduates well informed on insurance and business topics. A business student graduating with a major in risk management, insurance and financial planning has only to decide which of these career paths to follow.
THE COLLEGE AND THE UNIVERSITY
Mississippi State University's College of Business is one of the largest academic divisions of the University. Enrollment exceeds 2100 undergraduate and 100 graduate students. Organized in 1915, it is also the oldest such college in the state. In addition, the College of Business is a full member of the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the duly recognized accrediting agency for professional schools of business.
Mississippi State University is the largest institution of higher learning in the state, with approximately 16,500 students. The 4,200 acre campus is spacious and beautifully landscaped, having won a national award for the best maintained university grounds in the United States. Mississippi State is located adjacent to Starkville, a town of more than 18,500 in the east-central part of the state. The small-town atmosphere of Starkville, combined with Mississippi State University's quiet, family atmosphere, makes for the ideal learning environment. However, Mississippi State University's central location to several metropolitan areas also makes it easy for students to take advantage of city life as well. The University is less than a three-hour drive from Memphis, Tennessee; Birmingham, Alabama; and Jackson, Mississippi.
In developing its degree programs, the College of Business has attempted to accomplish the following objectives:
- Provide the maximum balance between theory and application.
- Provide a general education in addition to professional preparation.
- Provide for the immediate career expectations as well as the long-run implications for employment in a changing society.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
An applicant for admission should hold a high school diploma and have an ACT score of at least 18. A student whose scores are insufficient may be considered for admission if he or she exceeds the minimum required in the other criterion and has a well-written statement of purpose and strong reference letters.
TRANSFER CREDIT
Transfer credits may be accepted toward fulfilling the credit hour requirements for the degree. Credits should have been earned at an accredited institution, and be considered pertinent to the student's program. An evaluation of credits can determine applicability to the risk management, insurance and financial planning major.
COMPUTER FACILITIES
COBI Local Area Network: Over 200 micro-computers are linked to the COBI Local Area Network. The network allows sharing of all college computer resources, such as printers, disks, and programs. The network can be accessed from each faculty office and from three student microcomputer labs. The network provides students and faculty shared access to programs such as WordPerfect, Quattro Pro, dBase, electronic mail, and other application packages.
COBI Microcomputer Lab: The COBI Lab provides 40 microcomputers for student use. Each of the computers in the lab is linked to COBILAN, thereby giving students access to all of the COBILAN's resources. Students use the lab computers for class assignments and for outside work such as writing papers and resumes or analyzing financial data.
Leo J. Seal Electronic Classroom: The Seal Electronic Classroom contains 40 microcomputers which are linked to COBILAN. It also contains a computerized overhead projection system which the instructor can use to display output for an entire class. The room is devoted to in-class computer utilization and is reserved on a class-by-class basis by the instructor.
MSU Computers: MSU operates a SUN mid-range computer for academic use. Faculty and students use the SUN computer for class assignments and as a communication tool via electronic mail. MSU also has an IBM AS/400 mid-range computer for academic use. COBI students have access to this computer through eight microcomputers located in the Computer Integrated Manufacturing Lab.
Internet Access: COBI students have access to all resources offered by the worldwide Internet through COBI Lab or through MSU-provided dial-up facilities.
CURRICULUM GUIDES
APPLICATION INFORMATION
For more information on the MSU Insurance Program contact:
Dr. Edwin Duett
Peter K. Lutken Chair of Insurance
College of Business and Industry
326 McCool Hall, Box 9580
Mississippi State, MS 39762-9580
Tel: (662) 325-7475
Fax: (662) 325-1977
E-Mail: eduett@cobilan.msstate.edu
