Graduate Certificate Program Review

Neumann University Graduate Certificate in Accounting With Emphasis in Fraud and Forensics: Our 2027 Review

Graduate Certificate program at Neumann University in Aston, PA, fully online. The school says its business programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). It ranks 11 of 17 graduate certificate programs in our 2027 rankings.

Forensic Program Score

68.6

Cost per Credit

$775

Credits

12

Format

Fully Online

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 Focus20% of score 2.8 / 10

    3 dedicated forensic and fraud courses

  • Investigative Skill Coverage10% of score 3.4 / 10

    Covers fraud examination and financial statement fraud

  • Hands-On Casework10% of score 0.9 / 10
  • Cost15% of score 7.3 / 10

    $775 per credit

  • Completion10% of score 7.9 / 10

    71.5% of transfer students earn a credential within eight years (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Credential Pathway10% of score 7 / 10

    ACBSP stated by the school

  • Program Reputation10% of score 2.1 / 10

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

  • 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

  • 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Forensic Accounting Program

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Sources

Sources retrieved to .