Verdict
Our Verdict on Neumann University's Certificate
Neumann University's Graduate Certificate in Accounting with Emphasis in Fraud and Forensics gets you started in a single year, entirely online. You'll take four courses on fraud examination, tax fraud, financial statement fraud and network security. Every credit you earn applies toward Neumann's master's degree, so you can stop at the certificate or keep going.
Neumann University is a private nonprofit school in Aston, Pennsylvania. It launched this 12-credit certificate in 2023 to give you entry-level skills in accounting fraud deterrence and prevention, on a foundation of forensic accounting principles. The training covers occupational fraud, white-collar crime and financial statement misrepresentation, including insurance fraud, identity theft, securities fraud, patent infringement and embezzlement.
After the certificate, you can apply the credits toward Neumann's master's in accounting with an emphasis in fraud and forensics or in cybersecurity. The Master of Science in Forensic Accounting and Cybercrime is the longer route that builds on this one.
Credentials
Accreditation and Certification Rule Changes
Finish the master's program and you'll hold the 150 credits needed to take the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam, which makes the certificate a sensible first piece of that path.
Many students also pursue the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) exam. Dr. Janet Massey leads the accounting program. The school says forensic accountants find work in insurance, banking, law enforcement, information technology, healthcare and government, so the skills you'll learn here travel across industries.
- Programmatic Accreditation
- ACBSP
Where this degree can lead: Forensic Accounting Jobs, Certified Fraud Examiner Certification.
Fit
Who This Program Fits
- If you're a working professional who wants a credential in one year, the certificate takes four courses and is offered fully online.
- You're an accountant or auditor adding fraud skills? The courses cover tax fraud and financial statement analysis and fraud.
- If you want to test the subject before a master's, any credit you earn applies to the master's program.
- Neumann's graduate admissions team says there's a verified need for forensic accounting skills among Delaware Valley professionals like you.
- You'll get a network security course in the sequence if you're curious about the digital side of fraud work.
Curriculum
What You Will Study
Four required courses make up the certificate: Fraud Examinations in Society, Tax Fraud, Financial Statement Analysis and Fraud, and Administrative and Network Security. Together they come to 12 credit hours.
Fraud Examinations in Society looks at the laws and social responses aimed at white-collar crime, using cases such as securities fraud, pension fraud, money laundering and bribery. You'll come away with a full understanding of forensic accounting principles and how they apply to detecting and avoiding fraud in society.
Across the sequence you'll develop core competencies in strategies and tactics for a Criminal Evidence Portfolio, and you'll discuss the detection tools and red flags used in fraud investigation. Tax Fraud and Financial Statement Analysis and Fraud then bring those habits to the books.
The network security course teaches you to analyze network architectures and protocols to build secure infrastructures. It gives your fraud training a digital angle, which matters because so many records and transactions now live in systems.
Courses the School Names
- Fraud Examinations in Society
- Tax Fraud
- Financial Statement Analysis and Fraud
- Administrative and Network Security
Standout Features
- Earned credits can be applied toward the Master of Science in Accounting with Emphasis in Fraud and Forensics or Cybersecurity at Neumann
Cost
How Much It Costs at $775 a Credit
Neumann lists graduate Accounting at $775 per credit on its tuition schedule, and the certificate takes 12 credits. Each semester also carries a graduate general fee of $275. Since every credit carries over to the master's program, the tuition you put in here keeps working for you if you continue. You can ask the graduate admissions office to walk you through current rates, fees and aid before you apply.
12 credits at $775 a credit comes to $9,300 in tuition, before fees.
- Cost per Credit
- $775 per credit
- Credits Required
- 12 credits
- Estimated Tuition
- $9,300
- Fees and Notes
- The graduate Accounting rate on the Neumann tuition schedule is $775 per credit.
Format
Format and Schedule
Every class in the certificate is delivered online, and the whole sequence fits inside one year. You complete four courses worth 12 credit hours. When you decide to keep going, the credit you've earned counts toward the master's program, so you pick up where you left off instead of starting over. Questions about applying go to the graduate admissions office, which also handles the certificate.
- Time to Finish
- 12 months
Score
How This Program Scores
Each factor is scored 0 to 10 against other graduate certificate programs. The weights are the same for every program, and the weighted total is scaled so the top program on the site scores 100.
Forensic Program Score 68.6 / 100
Darker bars mean stronger factor scores. Every bar also shows its number.
The full rubric is on the methodology page.
Reputation
What People Say About the Program
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Dr. Janet Massey, the director of accounting, said in a Neumann University news item that certificate students will come to understand the tools and red flags investigators use to detect fraud.
Source: Neumann University news
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Graduate admissions representative Bettsy McKlaine described the certificate as a credential in demand in a convenient online format, backed by a verified Delaware Valley need for forensic accounting skills.
Source: Neumann University news
Before You Apply
Questions to Ask the School Before You Apply
- How many courses can I take at once, and how do the semesters work?
- How do the credits transfer into the master's in accounting with a fraud and forensics emphasis?
- Can I move into the cybersecurity emphasis instead, and which courses overlap?
- What does the Criminal Evidence Portfolio involve?
- How does the $275 graduate general fee apply across semesters?
- Which courses do students usually take first?
School
About Neumann University
- Credential
- Graduate Certificate
- School
- Neumann University, Aston, PA
- Institution Type
- Private nonprofit
- Delivery
- Fully Online
- Graduation Rate, Transfer Students (8 Years)
- 71.5%
- Admit Rate
- 81%
- Total Enrollment
- 2,244
- Campus Setting
- Suburban
Rankings
Rankings That Include This Program
Rank is the program's position among the programs on that list at its degree level.
- Best Forensic Accounting Programs Rank 11 of 17, graduate certificate
- Best Graduate Certificates Rank 11 of 17, graduate certificate
- Cheapest Programs Rank 3 of 7, graduate certificate
Same School
Other Programs at the Same School
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Master of Science in Forensic Accounting and Cybercrime
M.S., Master's
Compare
Graduate Certificate Programs With Similar Scores
Other graduate certificate programs with the closest scores.
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Graduate Certificate in Forensic Accounting
-
Forensic Accounting Graduate Certificate
-
Forensic and Fraud Examination Graduate Certificate
-
Forensic Accounting Graduate Certificate
Frequently Asked Questions About This Forensic Accounting Program
Is Neumann University's Graduate Certificate in Accounting With Emphasis in Fraud and Forensics a Good Program?
It ranks #11 of 17 graduate certificate programs in our 2027 rankings, because it charges $775 per credit (lower than most graduate certificate programs we rank).
It also places #3 among graduate certificate programs on the Cheapest Programs list.
How Long Does the Fraud and Forensics Certificate Take?
What Does the Certificate Cost?
Do the Credits Count Toward a Master's Degree?
Which Courses Are Required?
Sources
- Neumann University's Graduate Certificate in Accounting with Emphasis in Fraud and Forensics pageFinancialaid / cost
- News / neumann launches certificate in forensic accountingNeuperspectives / what is forensic accountingNeumann University news
- IPEDS Data Center
- Certified Fraud Examiner eligibility
Sources retrieved to .