This is a 120-credit-hour program. You will receive practical industry knowledge from highly trained professors with experience in the industry. The variety of online courses will help you discover the area of the industry that is the right fit for you, and the support of the IRM Center Council and its resources will assist you in securing a career position.

In addition to earning credits toward a bachelor’s degree, students can also complete coursework and take examinations for courses that comprise professional designations, widely recognized industry credentials that mark excellence in practitioners, Certified Risk Manager (CRM), Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU). UHD’s program offers six property-casualty courses, more than any other program in the world, and one of the most highly sought areas of expertise for hiring companies. It also includes three risk management courses, which prepare students for careers in any field – medical, oil & gas, technology and others – that need to manage risks associated with that particular industry. UHD’s life, health estate planning, and group benefits courses provide students additional options for employment and advancement.

All IRM majors and minors are eligible for scholarships and paid internships with Houston-area insurance firms where they will obtain real-world experience. Participation in industry meetings and events also provide students the opportunity to make industry contacts and obtain full-time positions while they earn a degree.

Risk management and insurance are inter-related fields that both have great demand for new talent. These professions are expected to have approximately 400,000 available jobs by 2020, a result of an aging workforce that is actively seeking to educate and hire students and graduates in all areas of practice.

This program prepares students for various employment opportunities including, but are not limited to: underwriting, loss control, claims adjusting, insurance appraisers, auditing, risk analysts, brokers/agents, personal financial planners, accounting, finance, technology, and marketing.

For more information concerning the UHD IRM program, contact Priscilla Oehlert, Director, Insurance and Risk Management Center at oehlertp@uhd.edu. For additional information you can visit the program website.