Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott Bachelor of Science in Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination: Our 2027 Review

You'll study forensic accounting and fraud examination in person at Embry-Riddle's Prescott campus, in what the school calls the nation's first College of Business, Security and Intelligence. The coursework covers the four major sections of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) professional certification. You'll study fraud auditing next to white collar crime, interview techniques and the psychology of deception detection.

This Bachelor of Science in Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination is offered at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Prescott, Arizona, campus. The school says it's one of the only schools in the nation to offer an undergraduate forensic accounting degree in a traditional, on-campus environment, with technology, lab space and data visualization software.

The program launched in 2015 and has grown quickly since. It trains you to pinpoint and defend against employee theft, securities fraud, identity theft and financial fraud, and it's built for you if you're interested in accounting, law, fraud deterrence and crime investigation.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

The program is accredited by ACBSP. Embry-Riddle says your courses prepare you to test for the Registered Forensic Investigator, Government Forensic Accountant and Certified Management Accountant certifications. The ACFE-aligned coursework supports your path to the CFE credential.

Roles named for graduates include anti-fraud specialist, compliance officer, corporate investigator, forensic auditor, fraud analyst, government forensic accountant, internal auditor, risk management specialist and special agent. The school reports that 93% of its graduates are employed or continuing their education within one year of graduation.

Where this degree can lead: Forensic Accounting Jobs, Certified Fraud Examiner Certification.

• If you want a traditional campus experience, the degree is taught in person in Prescott.
• If you're a future federal investigator, the courses are designed to help you meet the federal requirements listed by agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
• If you're curious about the mind behind fraud, you'll study Psychology of Deception Detection or Forensic Psychology.
• If you learn best hands-on, students here work on projects with the Global Security Operations Center.
• You can join an anti-fraud community through the campus student chapter of the ACFE.

The accounting core runs from Financial Accounting through Managerial Accounting, Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting and Auditing Principles and Procedures. You learn the profession before you learn to work it backwards as an investigator. A business core adds Business Analytics for Decision Making, Business Law, Corporate Finance and Social Responsibility and Ethics in Management.

The forensic courses build on that base. Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination introduces the field, and Fraud Auditing and Examination takes you further into the audit side. White Collar Crime and Interview Techniques and Tactics come from the school's security and intelligence faculty. A psychology course, Psychology of Deception Detection or Forensic Psychology, rounds out your picture of why fraud happens and how people hide it.

You'll also choose one more option for a 3-credit slot. Detecting and Preventing Financial Statement Fraud is one choice, and the others include cooperative education, a business intelligence capstone and an approved study abroad experience. Embry-Riddle says the program covers the four major sections of the ACFE certification: Financial Transactions and Fraud Schemes, Fraud Prevention and Deterrence, Investigation, and Law.

Standout Features

• Covers the four major sections of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners professional certification
• One of the only schools in the nation to offer an undergraduate forensic accounting degree in a traditional, on-campus environment
• State-of-the-art technology, lab space and software for data visualization
• Student chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

Embry-Riddle lists 2026-27 Prescott undergraduate tuition as a block rate of $45,888. That one rate covers 12 to 16 credit hours, so your full course load fits inside it. The per-credit-hour rate is $1,912.

The school says 96% of its first-year students receive some form of financial aid through scholarships, grants and loans. SAT and ACT scores are optional for most undergraduate programs, and if you submit strong scores, they may qualify you for additional merit scholarships.

This is an in-person program on the Prescott, Arizona, campus. The degree requires at least 120 credit hours, and you can complete it in eight semesters, or four years, with full-time enrollment.

Those credits break down into 38 general education and 24 core. Support courses make up 48 and electives make up 10. Embry-Riddle reviews applications holistically, looking at grade point average, coursework rigor, activities and your personal statement. You can also explore internships with major government intelligence agencies.

• Kiara Bean, a 2023 graduate, says she liked learning about forensic accounting from her first accounting class, without waiting for a master's program, and that teachers with real-life experience made lectures more exciting.

  Source: Embry-Riddle alumna profile

• Bean also says many of her classes let her apply her knowledge to real-life scenarios through projects.

  Source: Embry-Riddle alumna profile

• Student Sydni Stoffel describes forensic accounting as learning what accountants do, then working it backwards as an investigator.

  Source: Embry-Riddle story

• Meredith Tutrone, a 2024 graduate, describes internships preparing audit workpapers, working on a bank's Sarbanes-Oxley team and supporting a forensic accounting firm.

  Source: Embry-Riddle student profile

• Which option do most students choose for the flexible 3-credit slot, and why?
• How do students get involved with the Global Security Operations Center projects?
• What kinds of internships have recent students landed through the program?
• How does the campus student chapter of the ACFE support students preparing for certification?
• Which merit scholarships are available for students entering this major?

A private aviation, aerospace and business university with a campus in Prescott, Arizona, home to the College of Business, Security and Intelligence.

• Best Forensic Accounting Programs Rank 4 of 22, bachelor's
• Best Bachelor's Programs Rank 4 of 22, bachelor's
• CFE Exam Prep Programs Rank 3 of 12, bachelor's

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