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A certification in accounting and law, or forensic accounting, is the marriage of financial studies and crime investigation. Forensic accounting deals with the investigation and analysis of financial practices, financial statements, net worth, and other qualities to determine evidence or proof of financial crimes often known as white collar crime. Financial crimes include fraud, money laundering, dishonest marketing, improper insurance claims, tax evasion, insider trading, embezzlement, or various dishonest business schemes. The program will instruct students on financial matters, mathematics, and data analysis so as to prepare them for accountancy. The legal or forensic side of the certification will teach matters of the law, criminology, and crime investigation so as to prepare students for the criminal side of the field. Many certification programs will also encourage learning how to put the two sides of the degree into practice by becoming involved in residency programs as a requirement for matriculation.

The prevalence of large-scale financial crime from big organizations has spurred the need for forensic accountants. With the certification, forensic accountants can look forward to careers in accounting, auditing, budget analysis, credit analysis, and financial examiners. Due to tax evasion, forensic accountants will also find opportunities to work in the public sector as tax examiners, collectors and revenue agents.

Example Courses

• Fraud Data Analysis
• Criminology/Legal Issues
• Advanced Fraud Investigation

Potential Industries

• Government
• Finance
• Law Enforcement

Colleges Offering Degree

• La Salle University
• West Virginia University
• Chancellor University