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Risk Management and Insurance Curriculum Upgraded to Support Industry's Future

Ferris State UniversityA distinctive and respected degree program offered within Ferris State University’s College of Business will adjust its name and revise curriculum, as the changes have been approved by the university’s Board of Trustees.

The board supported a name change, at its Oct. 8 meeting, to Risk Management and Insurance. Ferris’ curriculum structure will encourage students to explore emphases that meet their interests. Risk Management and Insurance studies had been established at Ferris in 1935, and the program is not offered at any other public university in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

Program Coordinator David Brown said that an agreement has been reached with The Institutes, the leading provider of professional education for the industry, which would permit students to earn exam waivers toward their Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter designation. Brown said in an effort to better serve the future needs of students and the industry, they will call for training away from the classroom.

“Students will now be required to complete an industry internship,” Brown said. “There is no match for experiential learning, and the lessons and professional contacts provided by an internship will be invaluable to our students as they begin their careers.”

Participation in industry field trips and professional conferences will also be among the opportunities offered to RMI students.

A 12-credit certificate program in Risk Management and Insurance is available, along with minor and Bachelor of Science major programs. Management department chairperson Gayle Lopez said the curriculum changes will make for an exciting program in a growing industry.

“There are so many rewarding career opportunities available in Risk Management and Insurance,” Lopez said. “Our alumni have made generous contributions to fund a number of scholarships, and are committed to the success of the program.”

College of Business Dean David Nicol said that Ferris will implement the program changes in the Fall 2016 semester, which will encourage RMI students to explore areas such as entrepreneurship, technology/cyber risk, data analytics, enterprise risk management and agency operations.

“We constantly strive to assure the currency and relevance of our programs,” Nicol said. “With the assistance of our advisory board, our alumni, and numerous industry inputs, we are proud to offer the best possible Risk Management and Insurance curriculum available.”

Mason-McBride Inc. and Mason McBride Capital Advisors LLC President W. Michael McBride is a graduate of Ferris’ Risk Management and Insurance program, and a member of the university’s RMI advisory board. He said modernization of the curriculum will benefit their students, the industry and its customers.

“The Risk Management and Insurance program at Ferris is no ordinary business degree,” McBride said. “It offers students a robust cutting edge education that provides a foundation for a plethora of career opportunities in a rich and dynamic field.”


PHOTO CAPTION: David Nicol is dean of Ferris State University’s College of Business. The university’s Board of Trustees approved curriculum upgrades and the renaming of the college’s Risk Management and Insurance program, based on recommendations from the program’s faculty, and its advisory board.