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Peter Arkley Institute for Risk Management

  • Peter Arkley Institute for Risk Management

    Peter Arkley Institute for Risk Management

    The Peter Arkley Institute for Risk Management educates the next generation of risk management leaders for an increasingly complex and interconnected business environment. A curriculum focused on stimulating critical thinking and sharpening analytical skills equips students to meet the risk challenges of tomorrow.

    Born out of a collaboration with the Southern California risk management industry, the Institute emphasizes professional development through internships, mentorships, and networking events.

Real World — Right Now

The Rise of Risk Management

As managing risk has become a core component of business strategy, USC Marshall’s Arkley Institute for Risk Management is introducing a new generation of future business leaders to the field through education, mentorship, and jobs.

PROGRAMS

  • BS Business Administration with Emphasis in Risk Management (BRSK)

  • The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Risk Management provides students with an understanding of the processes and tools necessary for effective risk management across a variety of industries, including financial services, technology, real estate, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, entertainment, sports, and insurance, to name a few. The degree signals to potential employers that the graduate has acquired skills that are useful in facing the challenges of an increasingly complex and interconnected business environment.

    Those students declaring a Minor in Risk Management are able to participate in a mentorship program overseen by the Peter Arkley Institute for Risk Management. The mentorship program pairs students with risk management professionals for the academic year.

    COURSE CATALOGUE BS Business Administration with Emphasis in Risk Management (BRSK)
    UNDERGRADUATE EMPHASIS + FAQs

Fall 2024 Courses

For Fall 2024, all risk management courses will have the RISK course code. Please see Course Catalogue for details.

  • chess pieces

    RISK 380 Introduction to Enterprise Risk Management (4.0 unit)

    Understand the concept of risk, risk assessment, and management frameworks. Learn to identify, analyze, manage and mitigate, and communicate this risk to stakeholders.

  • Lighthouse

    RISK 385x Introduction to Risk Management and Insurance (4.0 unit)

    Understand the underlying economics, structure, and business models of an organization (often an insurance carrier) willing to accept risk for diverse situations: property, life, healthcare.

  • Mountain Climber

    RISK 387 Risk Management in Entertainment, Sports and the Arts (4.0 unit)

    Knowledge and skills needed to identify, analyze, control, finance and report on the risks particular to entertainment, sports and the arts.

  • RISK 580 Advanced Enterprise Risk Management (3.0 unit) 

    RISK 580 Advanced Enterprise Risk Management (3.0 unit) 

    The practical application of enterprise risk management across a broad spectrum of business settings and industry types, from start-up to multinational organizations.

Spring 2025 Courses

For Spring 2025, all risk management courses will have the RISK course code. Please see Course Catalogue for details.

  • chess pieces

    RISK 380 Introduction to Enterprise Risk Management (4.0 unit)

    Understand the concept of risk, risk assessment, and management frameworks. Learn to identify, analyze, manage and mitigate, and communicate this risk to stakeholders.

  • crisis, media

    RISK 386 Managing Risks and Crises in Media, Hospitality, & Tech (4.0 unit)

    Develop skills needed to identify, assess, and manage risks within the most common risk and crisis situations and learn the basics of crisis management.

  • Mountain Climber

    RISK 387 Risk Management in Entertainment, Sports and the Arts (4.0 unit)

    Knowledge and skills needed to identify, analyze, control, finance and report on the risks particular to entertainment, sports and the arts.

  • AI lightbulb

    RISK 388 Innovating Risk Solutions in Disruptive Environments (4.0 unit)

    Develop the skills needed to think critically about identified and assessed risks and develop innovative solutions to control and transfer those risks.

  • RISK 580 Advanced Enterprise Risk Management (3.0 unit) 

    RISK 580 Advanced Enterprise Risk Management (3.0 unit) 

    The practical application of enterprise risk management across a broad spectrum of business settings and industry types, from start-up to multinational organizations.

REAL-WORLD LEARNING AND OPPORTUNTIES

  • Emerging Leaders Program
    21st Century Leadership

    Emerging Leaders Program

    The Emerging Leaders Program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to experience an academic and professional development program on USC’s campus in Los Angeles, California followed by a paid internship in the risk management industry at various U.S. locations during the summer. Participating employers from the Risk Management Advisory Council are committed to creating a welcoming workplace culture and believe recruiting talent through the Emerging Leaders Program can contribute to achieving this goal.

    Fourteen students from the University of Southern California, the University of Texas at El Paso, and the University of the West Indies were the third cohort in this program during the summer of 2024.

    This program is open to all eligible individuals. USC Marshall operates all of its programs and activities consistent with the University's NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.

"Whether you are working in or studying risk management, just know it will always be relevant and invaluable to whatever you do in life. It will never be antiquated and always be necessary."

Michel Abud '19

Internships and Full-Time Opportunities

The Peter Arkley Institute for Risk Management resulted from a collaboration with local risk management firms to prepare students for a professional career within the risk management industry. Internships strengthen this collaboration and provide students insight to the skills needed to succeed in this field and a step towards full-time positions.

Mentorship Program

The Mentorship Program pairs students (mentees) declaring a Minor in Risk Management or an Emphasis in Risk Management with risk management professionals (mentors) for the academic year.

Scholarships

The Peter Arkley Institute for Risk Management offers a number of scholarships to risk management students studying at the USC Marshall School of Business. These scholarships recognize academic excellence and outstanding involvement and service. The Institute is grateful for the generosity of the following scholarship donors:

Moore Family London Scholars Program

USC Marshall received a generous gift from Davis and Diane Moore to endow and establish the Moore Family London Scholars Program. The international program will sponsor ten risk management students for experiential learning in London each spring recess. Participants will have the opportunity to integrate classroom theory with real-world practice, working with executives from some of the top risk management and insurance companies, including the iconic Lloyd’s.

Post-Doc Speaker Series

The Peter Arkley Institute for Risk Management launched its Post-Doc Speaker Series with Alon Rubinstein, post-doctoral researcher at the Wharton School of Business, presenting his paper, Customized Prices in Selection Markets: Evidence From the Commercial Auto Insurance Industry.

The Post-Doc Speaker Series provides a forum for insurance professionals to engage with young scholars exploring issues relevant to the insurance industry.

INSIGHT + ANALYSIS

ALL INSIGHT + ANALYSIS

RESEARCH + PUBLICATIONS

The level of risk and uncertainty faced by companies over the past few years is unprecedented in the modern era and shows no sign of abating. It is in this unique risk management environment that the Securities and Exchange Commission asked registrants to reconsider their approach to risk factor disclosures in their SEC filings, to enable appropriate and thoughtful analysis by the investment community and other stakeholders. In order to understand the impact of these changes, Deloitte and the Peter Arkley Institute for Risk Management at the USC Marshall School of Business are conducting a series of analyses on the risk factor disclosures filed by the S&P 500 companies.

NEWS + EVENTS

ALL NEWS + EVENTS

STUDENT LIFE

  • Risk Management Society at USC/Gamma Omicron Chapter

    Risk Management Society at USC/Gamma Omicron Chapter

    USC students established the Risk Management Society at USC during the fall semester 2018. The purpose of this organization is to explore and promote academic and career issues related to the field of risk management, insurance, and actuarial science, and to help those interested in the industry network outside of the classroom and develop professional skills relevant to the industry.

The Importance of Risk Management

To be successful, businesses must be able to manage their risks, that is, identify, analyze, mitigate, and communicate their risks. Risk management enables businesses to protect their balance sheets, income, employees, customers, and society from adverse events, such as natural disasters and product failures.

  • Class of 2021

  • 2019-2020 Year-In-Review

  • 2018-2019 Year-In-Review

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Contact

EMAIL

MEET THE TEAM

  • Kristen Jaconi

    Kristen Jaconi
    • Executive Director Peter Arkley Institute for Risk Management
    • Full Professor of the Practice of Accounting
  • Arthur Alba

    Arthur Alba
    • Director of the Peter Arkley Institute for Risk Management
  • Dana Willis

    Dana Willis
    • Associate Director Peter Arkley Institute for Risk Management

Faculty Affiliates

  • Ward Ching

    Ward Ching
    • Adjunct Professor of Accounting
    • Aon Strategic Solutions and Innovation Practice Head
    • Arkley Institute Advisory Council Member
  • Daniel Gottlieb

    Daniel Gottlieb
    • Peter Arkley Chair in Risk Management
    • Professor of Finance and Business Economics

    Professor Daniel Gottlieb’s research interests focus on the theory of contracts and behavioural economics, especially as they apply to insurance markets. His research blends theory with field experiments, lab experiments, and observational data. His work has been published in the American Economic Review, Econometrica, the Journal of Political Economy, the Review of Financial Studies, the Journal of Financial Economics, and many other journals. He has served on the editorial boards of the American Economic Review, Economica, the Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, the Review of Economic Design, the Journal of Risk and Insurance, and the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization.

  • Kiko Harvey

    Kiko Harvey
    • Adjunct Professor of Accounting
    • Associate Senior Vice President, Audit Services, USC
  • Gordon Ho

    Gordon Ho
    • Professor of the Practice in Management and Organization

USC Risk Management Exchange

The USC Risk Management Exchange, issued every two weeks, provides thought leadership from the firms serving on the Advisory Council. Please provide the following information and click submit to be added to the USC Risk Management Exchange: