2019-20 Catalogs

Certificate in Risk Management and Insurance

The certificate program in risk management and insurance (RMI) is a way for individuals already working in risk management, insurance, and financial services to develop a deeper understanding of the business in which they work without the larger and protracted experience of seeking a complete (or in some cases second) undergraduate degree. The RMI certificate is only available to non-matriculated students. 

Can courses translate into credit towards a professional designation?
The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research has agreed to allow students who successfully complete the RMI 350 course (Managing Risk with Property & Liability Insurance) to receive automatic credit for one of the five components of their Certified Risk Managers (“CRM”) designation. Because the National Alliance has a “CRM for CIC” program already in place, credit for the RMI 350 course will at the same time satisfy one of the five parts of the Certified Insurance Counselors (“CIC”) designation.

The National Alliance does not require students to be enrolled in the RMI degree program or the RMI certificate program to benefit from this relationship. Indeed, those already holding the CRM designation can satisfy the full year’s annual update requirement by successfully completing RMI 350.

For more information regarding the RMI Certificate Program contact:
Professor Dana Kerr
(207) 780-4059 - dana.kerr@maine.edu

One of the three RMI courses (RMI 350) has been approved for automatic credit toward two separate professional designations offered by a national provider of risk management and insurance professional education.

Admission to this certificate program will be limited to those with either: 1) a minimum cumulative 2.33 GPA in at least 54 previous semester hours of college credit, or 2) a minimum of three years of risk management, insurance, or other financial services work experience. Applicants relying on the latter admission requirement will need to provide evidence of at least a high school diploma, or its equivalent.

The RMI certificate program is a 15-hour program consisting of two required core courses and three elective courses. There is no particular order in which either core or elective courses must be taken as long as individual course prerequisites are satisfied.

Required Core Courses (6 credit hours):
     RMI 320 Introduction to Risk Management and Insurance
     RMI 330 Health, Life, and Disability Insurance or
          RMI 350 Managing Risk with Property and Liability Insurance

Elective Courses (9 credit hours) – choose any three courses from the following list (with permission, other risk-related courses can satisfy elective requirements):
     RMI 330 Health, Life, and Disability Insurance or
          RMI 350 Managing Risk with Property and Liability Insurance (if not chosen as a required course above)
     ACC 110 Financial Accounting Information for Decision Making
     ACC 418 Principles of Fraud Examination (ACC 110)
     BUS 201 Personal Finance
     BUS 280 Legal Environment of Business
     BUS 340 Managing Organizational Behavior
     BUS 347 Triple Bottom Line Business (BUS 260 and 280, or permission)
     CMS 255 Business and Professional Communication
     CRM 216 White-collar Crime (CRM 100 or permission)
     ITC 100 Introduction to Construction Management
     ITP 210 Technical Writing (ENG 100 or permission)
     ITP 310 Facility Planning
     ITP 350 Teambuilding and Facilitation
     ITP 381 Human Resource Development
     ITS 300 Ergonomics/Time Study
     ITS 320 Occupational Safety and Health
     ITT 241 Information and Communication Technologies
     LOS 300* Organizational Theory
     LOS 301* Group Dynamics 
     LOS 350* Leadership
     POS 360 Terrorism and the American Public
     PSY 340 Behavior Modification (PSY 101)
     SWO 374 Sexual Harassment in Education and Work (permission)
     SWO 375 Gender and Aging (permission)
     TAH 221 Tourism and Hospitality Management
     TAH 321 Lodging Operations and Systems (TAT 101 or TAH 221)

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* Completing LCC 370 Toward a Global Ethics in addition to LOS 300, 301, and 350 (all offered online) may allow the student to also earn the Certificate in Leadership Studies.

Enrollment in specific courses is based on eligibility criteria and availability of space in the courses. Enrollment in some highly demanded courses may be restricted or prohibited in any given semester. Admission into the certificate program does not guarantee admission into any other USM program or enrollment in any specific course.

Students must complete the required 15 credit hours within four years after the application date and must earn a minimum 2.33 cumulative GPA to obtain the certificate. Students may be able to apply earned certificate course credit towards an undergraduate business degree at USM provided they earn a minimum 2.33 GPA in the certificate program courses.

Related courses previously taken in associate or baccalaureate degree programs at regionally accredited colleges and universities in which a minimum grade of C+ was earned may be applied towards the non-RMI elective courses of the proposed certificate program. Transfer credit will not be permitted for the RMI core courses. Non-matriculated students enrolled in this certificate program are not eligible for financial aid.

Admission to the RMI certificate program is open to those who have completed 54 credit hours with a GPA of 2.33 or higher.  Those who have a minimum of three years of risk management, insurance, or other financial services work experience and a high school diploma, or GED may also apply.

Enrollment in specific courses is based on eligibility criteria and availability of space in the courses. Enrollment in some highly demanded courses may be restricted or prohibited in any given semester. Admission into the certificate program does not guarantee admission into any other USM program or enrollment in any specific course.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

The recommended application deadlines for the program are August 15th for the fall semester and January 1st for the spring semester; however, applications will be accepted after those dates.

Candidates for admission must submit:

  • Online application for Certificate Program;
  • Official transcripts or copies of official transcripts from secondary school and/or all colleges and universities from which you received a degree;
  • Additional or other special admission requirements specified by program.

The application for certificate programs is available online at http://usm.maine.edu/apply. Please note, students who are enrolled solely in an undergraduate certificate program are not eligible for Federal financial aid.