Insurance & Risk Management Academy (IRMA)
Pursue a Career in the Insurance Industry
Ohio Dominican is proud to partner with Encova Insurance and Secured Advantage to establish the Insurance & Risk Management Academy, which is available to students who are interested in pursuing a career in the insurance industry. Students who participate in IRMA have access to hands-on education, relevant experiences and personal mentorship that will prepare them for careers in a wide range of specialties within this rapidly growing field.
Program Highlights
- Gain real-industry work experience as you develop knowledge, skills and tools related to various specialties within the insurance field.
- Take advantage of part-time employment opportunities on campus and off campus with industry partners.
- Develop professional relationships from connections made possible by Secured Advantage and its partners, as well as Encova Insurance over the course of your four-year employment.
- Prepare for employment in the rapidly expanding insurance industry.
- Pursue and acquire professional insurance industry-specific licenses, which will be sponsored by IRMA.
Preparing Students for Successful Careers
In addition to the industry-specific curriculum available to students in the classroom through ODU’s Risk Management & Insurance program, IRMA provides students with hands-on experience to empower and equip them with the education, tools and skills they need to pursue opportunities in the insurance field.
These experiences include on- and off-campus employment opportunities throughout their college career tied directly to the area of interest expressed by each student, such as underwriting, sales, claims, marketing, etc. Creating the right type of exposure to the program guarantees a healthy and consistent flow of qualified candidates to the insurance field.
Employment Opportunities at IRMA
ODU students majoring or minoring in any business field are invited to apply. Whether you are currently majoring or minoring in Risk Management & Insurance, another business field, or you're still undecided and interested in learning more about employment opportunities at IRMA, please visit our Information & Application page.
IRMA Student-Employee Pay Scale*
| Year 1 | $12 per hour |
| Year 2 | $14 per hour |
| Year 3 | $16 per hour |
| Year 4 | $18 per hour |
*Expected student work schedule is 15 hours per week.
What Students Can Expect at IRMA
For the duration of a student’s time in the program, staff will work toward identifying outside internship opportunities during breaks in the academic year with various partners, including carriers and agencies. The goal is to expose the students to different areas within the insurance field so that they may develop a better understanding of what area best matches each student’s skills, goals and passions.
In addition, all professional licenses required of students will be sponsored by IRMA to ensure they have access to the resources they need to succeed. Students will spend an average of 15 hours per week working in IRMA. Tasks assigned to students will evolve and expand over time, so that by the time students graduate from Ohio Dominican, they’ll be prepared and well qualified to pursue full-time positions in the insurance industry.
About the Insurance & Risk Management Academy (IRMA)
IRMA is located on the first floor of the Griffin Student Center. Launched in the fall of 2020, the academy functions as a service center servicing part of Encova’s Book of Business. IRMA is supervised by industry professionals and is staffed by ODU students.
IRMA was created to provide students with a positive experience to gain the proper perspective in the insurance industry. Moreover, IRMA will allow students to discover a passion for the values and opportunities that are available in this field. The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics expects approximately 400,000 people to retire from the insurance industry within the next few years.
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