Online Insurance and Risk Management Schools & Colleges

Whether you want to assess companies exposure to certain liabilities or help them to make steps to minimize these risks, the field of insurance and risk management can be exciting, but requires advanced training that can be found through a four-year program or even a master's degree. This is why the Bureau of Labor Statisticss indicates that most employers in the field look for applicants having a college education. However, because the BLS indicates that the insurance and risk management industry continues to stabilize following the recent financial crisis, now could be a promising time to pursue an education and attempt to make a start in the field.

Insurance and Risk Management Online Colleges

Online insurance and risk management degrees can be one way to gain entry into the field. While bachelor's degrees in business administration, finance or management could be helpful, a degree that offers you training specifically in risk management could be most beneficial. Currently, online programs in this field are not abundant, but you can find MBA programs in risk management available through this distance-learning method. One such program currently available online offers you training about the environment, product and professional liabilities that companies can be exposed to and helps you to address risk management as well as insurance issues. This program allows you the opportunity to work closely with a faculty member on a special project of your choice. This opportunity was designed with American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters, or CPCU, designees, in mind. Other online graduate degree programs in fields such as finance and management could also be helpful to you in advancing your insurance and risk management skills.

Unfortunately, the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not break out wage and career growth information for insurance and risk managers, but instead includes them within the category of financial managers. Consequently, data for this field shows projected job growth of 8 percent, about average, during 2008-2018. Still, this forecasted growth could result in more than 40,000 new openings during that time period. While a bachelor's or master's degree is usually preferred in the field, an investment in academics and a college tuition could be fruitful, as, according to 2010 BLS data, financial managers in the U.S. earned mean annual wages of $116,970. Of course, you don't have to pursue an advanced degree to enter the insurance and risk management field. An associate degree can be helpful if you want to become a claims adjuster, appraiser, examiner or investigator, according to the BLS. These workers earned mean annual wages of $60,200 while insurance appraisers in auto damage earned mean annual wages of $57,710. One way to enter this latter field is to look for two-year programs in auto body repair that also provide training on how to estimate costs for vehicle repairs. You can also find some of these types of vocational programs in vehicle repair available online. Often, the materials are supplied while other times you may need to purchase materials for learning. Other occupations that could be of interest to you, if numbers and estimates are your focus, could be an occupation as an auditor, cost estimator, real estate appraiser or tax examiner.