Actuaries are professionals who manage risk for insurance companies, pension plans and other financial institutions, and government and business. To attain professional standing as an actuary requires successful completion of a sequence of examinations offered by the Society of Actuaries and the Casualty Actuarial Society. The actuarial major is designed to prepare students for employment in the actuarial field by offering coursework related to the preliminary actuarial examinations. Past experience suggests that students who pass two actuarial exams while in college are likely to secure employment in the field, and some students have secured actuarial employment with fewer exams.