University of Central Oklahoma Bachelor of Science in Forensic Accounting: Our 2027 Review

The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) Bachelor of Science in Forensic Accounting stands out for its four required forensic science courses, two of them digital forensics classes with labs, beside Fraud Auditing and Forensic Accounting. You'll train with real-world tools, case studies and simulated investigations. And the program prepares you for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA), CFE or Certified Forensic Accountant credentials.

UCO is a public university in Edmond, Oklahoma, and this degree lives in the Accounting Department of its College of Business. You'll learn to uncover the truth behind financial data and strengthen decision-making with financial expertise. The school explains that forensic accounting combines accounting skills with an investigative mindset from criminal justice, and that it plays a role in corporate fraud, business disputes and family law cases.

You'll learn traditional accounting principles plus specialized skills to detect, investigate and prevent financial fraud and white-collar crime. The degree totals a minimum of 132 credit hours, and the program page lists it as on campus.

The program prepares you for the CPA, the CFE or the Certified Forensic Accountant credential. The Accounting Department sits within the College of Business, which is accredited by AACSB. The program points to investigation careers with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, law enforcement and private firms, and it says graduates can work in Big 4 firms, government agencies and many other industries.

The degree opens doors in corporate accounting, financial services, legal services, government and technology. After you graduate, you can pursue a master's degree or certifications such as the CFE or a CPA with a forensics focus.

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

• You want a campus experience in Edmond, Oklahoma, where the program is listed as on campus.
• You like lab work. Two required digital forensics courses include laboratories.
• You're good with numbers and interested in technology, because Data Analysis for Accountants is a required course.
• You're aiming at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, local law enforcement or private firms, the employers the program page names.
• You want options at graduation, since the degree prepares you for the CPA, the CFE or the Certified Forensic Accountant credential, or for a master's degree.

Two courses carry the forensic accounting label: Fraud Auditing and Forensic Accounting. You'll take both, at three credits each. The program page groups the forensic accounting courses under data analysis, digital forensics, forensic accounting, forensic science, forensic science criminal procedures and fraud auditing.

The forensic science side is where this degree gets its investigative edge. You'll take Introduction to Forensic Science, Criminal Procedure for Forensic Science, Digital Forensics and Laboratory, and Digital Forensic Tools and Analysis and Laboratory. Data Analysis for Accountants adds an analytics layer, and the accounting core covers Auditing, Income Tax Accounting, and Intermediate Accounting I and II.

The forensic accounting major block is 42 hours. Around it sits a 39-credit-hour business core that ends in a Strategic Management capstone. You'll also take nine hours of accounting electives from the 3000 and 4000 level.

The business support and core courses cover accounting, business analytics, communication, finance, law and ethics, management, information systems, marketing and statistics. Throughout, the program page promises training with real-world tools, case studies and simulated investigations.

Courses the School Names

• Data analysis
• Digital forensics
• Forensic accounting
• Forensic science
• Forensic science criminal procedures
• Fraud auditing

Standout Features

• A certificate in forensic accounting is also available
• Prepares students for the Certified Public Accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Forensic Accountant credentials
• Trains with real-world tools, case studies and simulated investigations

Your tuition depends on your residency and course load, so you can ask UCO admissions for the current per-credit rate and fees for the 132 credit hours. Scholarships are one place the program shines.

UCO accounting students recently won Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Accountants (OSCPA) Educational Foundation scholarships. They were part of more than $65,000 awarded across Oklahoma. Individual awards ran from $1,000 to $4,000, and 41 accounting students received them.

This is an on-campus degree in Edmond, built on a minimum of 132 credit hours. Within the major, you'll need a 2.50 average in major courses. The program page points you to OSCPA opportunities in the metro area, and the Accounting Department says it builds a strong foundation in accounting principles with experiential learning and professional development.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• Senior Katy Croft, a scholar of the OSCPA's Micah B. Steelman scholarship, said the award helps with the costs of school and lifts her morale because established professionals are backing her.

  Source: UCO News

• What are the current per-credit tuition and fees for the 132 credit hours?
• Which forensic science labs do I use, and how do the digital forensics laboratories run?
• How do the simulated investigations work in Fraud Auditing and Forensic Accounting?
• Which accounting electives pair best with a path toward the CPA or the CFE?
• How does the OSCPA scholarship process work for accounting majors?
• What does the Strategic Management capstone involve?

A public university in Edmond, Oklahoma, whose College of Business offers a Bachelor of Science in Forensic Accounting.

• Best Forensic Accounting Programs Rank 11 of 22, bachelor's
• Best Bachelor's Programs Rank 11 of 22, bachelor's
• CFE Exam Prep Programs Rank 8 of 12, bachelor's
• Public Universities Rank 3 of 6, bachelor's

• Davenport University

  Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting, Accounting Fraud Specialty

  Michigan $716 per credit Score 62.9

• University of Northwestern Ohio

  Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Forensic Accounting

  Ohio $305 per quarter credit Score 62.7

• Purdue University Global

  Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Analytics, Forensic Accountancy Concentration

  Indiana $371 per quarter credit Score 62.1

• Fort Hays State University

  Bachelor of Science in Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation

  Kansas $275.65 per credit Score 65.3