Deakin equips professionals with global insurance industry acumen

Staying competitive in a rapidly evolving marketplace requires a solid understanding of industry dynamics within any sector. Deakin University enables this by providing courses that offer flexible options for busy professionals seeking leadership roles in international markets.

Renowned for its quality business research and strong industry links, Deakin moulds professionals towards global practice in accounting, economics and finance, business administration, management and marketing, information systems and law.

Deakin's Graduate School of Business provides career advancement options to insurance and risk-management practitioners through a tie-up with the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF).

"The insurance industry is truly an international business," says Michael Cohen, course director of Deakin's insurance and risk management programme, and senior lecturer at the Deakin Graduate School of Business. "Its scope is very broad, with reinsurance, property and casualty, life insurance coverage and risk-management concerns. Very few people are fortunate enough to work in all of those areas, so the course provides a broad perspective on insurance, the industry setting and what happens in each field."

Deakin is among the few universities worldwide with a dedicated focus on insurance and risk management, an expertise culled from three decades of experience in running MBA programmes. Delivered via distance learning, the post-graduate course leads to professional accreditation with the Australian Securities Investment Commission and ANZIIF on general insurance, insurance broking, life insurance and financial planning. It takes one year of full-time course work to acquire the master's degree. Part-time options are widely available for working students.

The course helps develop underwriting and claims management skills required at an insurance firm. For those seeking career advancement in insurance broking, it leads to acumen in developing new insurance products according to evolving market needs or offering tailor-fit insurance packages. Professional studies on insurance and risk management also help managers on the customer side to pick the best insurance coverage for their organisations.