Florida Atlantic University Executive Master of Accounting, Forensic Accounting Concentration: Our 2027 Review

Florida Atlantic University has offered its forensic accounting master's degree since 2003 and says it was the first program of its kind in the United States. You can finish entirely online with recorded lectures, join live-streamed Saturday classes, or attend optional once-a-month Saturday sessions, all at no extra cost. And you don't need an accounting or business background to apply.

The Executive Master of Accounting with a Forensic Accounting concentration comes from the School of Accounting Executive Programs at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, through its College of Business, which holds accreditation from AACSB.

It's designed for you if you're a working professional who wants to specialize in financial fraud, fraud investigations, computer forensics and business valuation. You'll take 10 to 12 courses. That adds up to 30 to 36 credits. Classes use case studies, simulations and group projects to build your critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

The College of Business holds AACSB accreditation. Faculty publish articles and textbooks in forensic accounting and have firsthand experience in expert witness testimony and active investigative work. One valuation instructor recently chaired the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants committee on valuation.

By the end of the program you have solid knowledge of fraud investigation and prevention, dispute resolution, litigation support, valuation, expert testimony and money-laundering investigation. One alumnus reports using what he learned daily as a forensic accountant at an international forensic accounting firm, after student services staff helped him find the job.

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

• You're a working professional. The program is designed for executives, and most students finish in two years while working full time.
• You're changing careers. A bachelor's degree in any discipline is accepted with no accounting or business prerequisites.
• You're an accounting graduate in a hurry, and you can finish in as few as three semesters.
• You want flexibility. You can combine recorded lectures, live-virtual sessions and on-campus Saturdays at no extra cost.
• You want to specialize in digital evidence, and you can add a dual concentration in Digital Accounting Forensics and Data Analytics.

The forensic track starts with two fraud examination courses. Accounting Fraud Examination Concepts gives you an overview of occupational fraud and how it's committed, with actions to determine whether it's present and procedures to deter it. Accounting Fraud Examination Conduct and Procedures covers how examinations are conducted, the procedures used and the reasoning behind them.

Forensic Accounting and the Legal Environment focuses on federal legislation, the laws that protect the rights of suspects, the rules for civil and criminal prosecution, the admission of evidence and expert witness testimony. Business Valuation for Forensic Accountants builds your foundation in valuation theory, research methods, economic and industry analysis and valuation report writing. Forensic Accounting, Fraud and Taxation examines tax fraud, its motivation and how to detect it.

Advanced Digital Forensics in Forensic Accounting applies computer forensics to the discovery, acquisition, analysis and reporting of digital evidence. Interviewing for Forensic Accountants and Auditors covers how you obtain information from knowledgeable people. Communication Strategies for Professional Accountants focuses on the writing side of forensic work. If you add two courses, IT Auditing and Advanced Accounting Applications of Data Analytics, you'll earn the dual concentration.

Courses the School Names

• Accounting Fraud Examination Concepts
• Accounting Fraud Examination Conduct and Procedures
• Forensic Accounting and the Legal Environment
• Business Valuation for Forensic Accountants
• Advanced Digital Forensics in Forensic Accounting
• Interviewing for Forensic Accountants and Auditors
• Forensic Accounting, Fraud and Taxation

Standout Features

• Attend fully online with recorded lectures, by live-virtual Saturday stream, on campus, or any combination at no extra cost
• Dual concentration with Digital Accounting Forensics and Data Analytics available by adding 2-3 courses
• Faculty are practitioners with expert witness testimony and active investigative experience
• Students without an accounting undergraduate degree can finish by taking two additional courses built into the schedule

Florida Atlantic lists tuition at $900 per credit hour, or $2,700 per course. This concentration runs 10 to 12 courses, depending on the credits your background requires. Program fees are the same for Florida residents, out-of-state residents and international students.

You may not need to send test scores. The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is waived for qualified applicants, and scores aren't required if your last 60 undergraduate credits are 3.0 or higher.

You choose how to attend. The fully online option gives you recorded lectures 24/7, asynchronous, with no set class times. You can also watch weekly live-streamed lectures on Saturdays from anywhere. Or you can attend optional in-person classes at the Davie Campus once a month, with breakfast and lunch included. Mix them in any combination.

In fall and spring you'll take two courses in 16-week semesters, and in summer you'll take one course in a 12-week semester. Entry is available in fall, spring or summer, and the program takes 12 to 32 months. If you don't have an accounting degree, you'll finish by taking just two additional courses built into the schedule.

• Alumnus Josh Shilts, a manager of audit and compliance at Royal Caribbean, says the degree confirmed him as a forensic accounting professional and gave him a strong foundation in audit, law, accounting and information technology.

  Source: FAU School of Accounting Executive Programs website

• Alumnus Jason Maya calls the program rigorous and demanding but definitely worth it, and says the professors have real-world experience.

  Source: FAU School of Accounting Executive Programs website

• Maya adds that the program opened new doors for him in the accounting field.

  Source: FAU School of Accounting Executive Programs website

• Which of the three delivery styles do most students combine, and how do I switch between them?
• Which two additional courses would I take without an accounting degree?
• How many credits will my background require, between 30 and 36?
• How does the dual concentration in Digital Accounting Forensics and Data Analytics change my schedule?
• What do the once-a-month Saturday classes at the Davie Campus look like?

A public research university based in Boca Raton, Florida, whose School of Accounting Executive Programs offers the Executive Master of Accounting with a Forensic Accounting concentration.

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• Utica University

  Master of Science in Forensic Accounting

  New York $775 per credit Score 96.8

• Murray State University

  Master of Business Administration with a Concentration in Forensic Accounting

  Kentucky $606 per credit Score 97.0

• Murray State University

  Master of Public Administration with a Concentration in Forensic Accounting

  Kentucky $471.50 per credit Score 97.9

• West Virginia University

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  West Virginia $1,063 per credit Score 100.0