Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination Graduate Certificate
Overview
The College of Business and Economics offers a specialized graduate certificate in Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination to meet the demand for forensic accountants who are needed to combat widespread growth in white collar crime, fraud, and the illegal international movement of money. There are multiple career opportunities in the public and private sectors for those who earn this certificate. Federal agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission and the F.B.I. are seeking specialized accountants who possess this unique forensic knowledge. Private firms who must comply with legislation such as the Dodd-Frank and Sarbanes-Oxley Acts also need auditors who are skilled at detecting, preventing and deterring fraud. The program includes two in-class/online case examinations and two examination engagements that students must complete in a team format. Both require students to present and defend their work in front of practicing professionals as follows:
Pitch to Prosecutor Exercise in Accounting 581
Moot Court Exercise (Capstone Experience) in Accounting 584
This online certificate provides accountants with additional knowledge and skills in these areas. WVU also offers a master’s degree in Forensic and Fraud Examination.
Admissions Requirements
Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with a GPA of 2.9 or higher and GMAT score of 500 unless the applicant is a certified public accountant, has a law degree, has been admitted to a law school, or has two years of anti-fraud or fraud-related (auditing) experience. Given that the undergraduate grade point average will be heavily relied upon to evaluate academic ability, applicants may want to consider taking the GMAT or GRE if the G.P.A. is under 3.0.
Accreditation
West Virginia University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. WVU’s Forensic Accounting & Fraud Examination certificate program is accredited by AACSB International, the principal accrediting organization for business schools. Only 5% of business schools worldwide achieve this distinction.
The Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination Graduate Certificate requires 12 credit hours to complete. Cost per credit hour is $820.
$9,840
Residents and Non-Residents
Financial Aid
Financial aid is available. Students are encouraged to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form to determine their eligibility for federal and state funds as well as scholarships. WVU’s FAFSA Code is 003827.
Admissions Process
Admissions
Prerequisites
The following courses, or their equivalent in terms of course work or professional experience, are required for admission to the FAFE Certificate Program:
ACCT 201 Principles of Accounting
ACCT 311 Intermediate Accounting
ACCT 322 Accounting Systems
ACCT 451 Auditing Theory
The prerequisites may be taken at any accredited institution of higher education including online courses. Two years of related professional experience may be substituted for the prerequisite courses. An Admissions Committee for the Department of Accounting will assess prior experience.
Not all applicants may be admitted to the program. Because the program consists of intense hands-on cases and specialized assignments, enrollment in the program is limited. An Admissions Committee of three accounting faculty members will review applications and will accept individuals demonstrating the greatest potential for success.
Admissions
Any applicant with two or more years of professional work experience may request a waiver of the GMAT or GRE. To request a waiver, send your resume and waiver request to FAFE@mail.wvu.edu.
Applicants for the FAFE Graduate Certificate must be admitted to WVU as a non-degree graduate student, using 2199 as the major code.
Once an account has been created, applicants can edit the application at their discretion. Please complete all questions asked.
Upload an up-to-date resume: Your resume should include enough information for the admissions committee to trace your entire professional work history and should indicate any relevant affiliations.
Pay application fee.
Submit application.
Applicants will then need to send their transcripts to WVU’s Office of Admissions. If the applicants undergraduate school offers “e-script” (an official electronic copy of transcripts), email the transcripts to GraduateAdmissions@mail.wvu.edu. This will help expedite the admissions process. If they do not offer this service, please have your official transcripts mailed to:
West Virginia University Office of Graduate Admissions and Recruitment
PO Box 6510
Morgantown, WV 26506-6510
For applicants submitting GMAT/GRE scores, the program GMAT code is C2S-6D-25 or 5904 for GRE.
International Students are required to submit at TOEFL or IELTS score. Required for international students. The College of Business & Economics TOEFL requirement is higher than the University’s – applicants must have a TOEFL score of either 580 (paper prior to July 27) or 68 (paper after July 27), 237 (computer), or 92 (Internet-based). If you have taken the IELTS instead of the TOEFL, the minimum score must be 6.5. English language exam scores should be sent to the Office of Admissions, West Virginia University, PO Box 6009, Morgantown, WV 26506-6009
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis once all parts of the application are received including transcripts, test scores, and letters of recommendation.
The certificate is 12 credit hours. Students complete four courses that are taught using actual and simulated case materials, a hands-on approach to prepare students for their careers in litigation support, forensic accounting and fraud examination. To mimic real-world expectations, students are required to come to the WVU campus and perform two actual engagements and report their findings both in writing and orally – see pitch-to-prosecutor and moot court exercise description below.
The curriculum consists of the following courses:
Types of fraud, sources of evidence, and analysis of internal and external fraud schemes with an emphasis on the skills needed to identify, investigate and litigate fraud and forensic accounting allegations.
Digital prevention and deterrence, digital evidence, digital detection and investigation including data mining, digital presentation and reporting tools, cybercrime and electronic case management tools.
Responsibility to detect fraud, investigative techniques, interviewing skills, legal concepts, evidence management, criminology, and ethics. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiner (ACFE) CFE Exam Prep Course, embedded in Accounting 583, prepares you to sit for the CFE Exam.
Investigation of complex frauds and financial crimes and an emphasis on forensic and litigation support investigations, including international money laundering, organized criminal activities and terrorism financing. The course requires testimony of case investigative results in a moot court setting.
Residency Requirements to Complete the Program
While WVU is embracing the online instructional delivery, we are also committed to experiential learning, so two 2-day residencies are required (generally, Thursday, Friday and/or Saturday). These residencies will enhance your educational experience by exposing you to practicing experts currently working in the fraud examination and forensic accounting profession. Meeting your classmates and expanding your WVU network adds to the experience. The online format enables working professionals to take advantage of graduate education without taking a leave of absence from work or being confined to evening or weekend classroom commitments.
Residency 1: As part of the first residency, students participate in (1) Financial Crime Scene Investigation (CSI-F) at WVU’s Crime Scene Complex, (2) Pitch-to-Prosecutor and (3) Advanced Data Mining.
Residency 2: As part of the second residency, following the successful completion of the Accounting 583 and 584 online requirements, students participate in (1) a full day of Interviewing and Interrogation training, (2) Moot Court and (3) a wrap-up session.
The program includes two in-class/online case investigations and two investigative engagements that students must complete in a team format. Both require students to present and defend their work in front of practicing professionals as follows:
Students will complete one major case investigation (MCI) over the course of study in Acct 581. The purpose is to provide students with experience in performing basic investigative tasks and analysis. These projects involve analyzing simulated case information based on actual frauds/financial crimes as well as related corporate and business records to determine if fraud has occurred, who did it and how. Students mimic investigative processes used in conducting analytical reviews, soliciting information from clients, and reporting suspicious activity for a fictitious client/target company.
Supported by attorneys from the Internal Revenue Service and Steptoe & Johnson, PLLC, this course includes an integrative capstone experience using simulated actual case material as a basis for conducting an investigation throughout the course. In order to complete the assignments, students must integrate and draw upon the knowledge and skills developed in the other three courses, including the use of digital tools and techniques developed in fraud data analysis. Additionally, ACCT 581 and ACCT 582 must be completed before taking ACCT 584, Advanced Fraud Investigation.
What can you do with a Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination Graduate Certificate?
Students who graduate from WVU Online with the Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination (FAFE) Graduate Certificate degree may be prepared for the following careers. These are only a few examples of some of the many opportunities that will be open to you with this degree. Advanced degrees or certifications may be required for some positions.
Information about careers on this list comes from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).
Fraud Examiner, Investigator and Analyst
Growth: 10-14% *Bright Outlook
Forensic Science Technician
Growth: 15% or higher *Bright Outlook
Private Detective or Investigator
Growth: 10-14% *Bright Outlook
Accountant
Growth: 10-14% *Bright Outlook
Police Identification and Records Officer
Growth: 5-9%
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