University of Massachusetts-Amherst Graduate Certificate in Forensic Accounting: Our 2027 Review

This is a four-course, 12-credit graduate certificate from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, and you can take every class online. Two of the four courses are pure forensic work: an introduction taught through real cases and a group fraud investigation that ends with you presenting findings and facing cross-examination, courtroom style.

Tuition is $850 per credit, or $10,200 for the whole certificate. And if you decide you want the full Master of Science in Accounting later, all 12 credits transfer toward it.

UMass Amherst is the flagship public university of Massachusetts, and this certificate comes from its Isenberg School of Management. Isenberg built it for accounting and finance professionals who need to follow the money: track patterns in financial transactions and spot the discrepancies that point to fraud.

You'll take four required courses, all online, and you can start in the fall, spring or summer. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and UMass Amherst accepts online students from all 50 states. It's also a low-risk way to test graduate study, because every credit counts toward Isenberg's Master of Science in Accounting if you keep going.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

The courses meet certified public accountant (CPA) continuing professional education requirements, so if you're already licensed, you can earn your required hours and a forensic credential at the same time. The certificate director, Lynda Schwartz, spent 26 years at Ernst & Young, where she helped lead the Fraud Investigation & Dispute Services practice in New England.

She still runs an active forensic accounting practice and serves on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Forensic and Litigation Services Committee.

If you go on to the Master of Science in Accounting, Isenberg reports that 98% of its accounting graduates were hired within 6 months.

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

• You already hold an accounting degree and want forensic skills without committing to a full master's, since the certificate is four courses and 12 credits.
• You might want the Master of Science in Accounting later, because all of the certificate credits transfer toward that degree.
• You're a working CPA who needs continuing education hours, since the courses meet CPA continuing professional education requirements.
• You learn best by doing, with a group investigation that ends in a courtroom-style presentation and cross-examination.
• You want to learn from someone who has run real fraud cases, since the certificate director helped lead Ernst & Young's fraud investigation practice in New England.

All four courses are required, and each one is worth three credits.

Exploring Data Analytics for Accounting Professionals gives you the technical base. You'll work hands-on with Excel, Tableau and SAP to pull and transform data from an enterprise system, assess security issues and make data-driven decisions. If you've already taken an equivalent course, you can swap in a substitute.

Introduction to Forensic Accounting is taught by experienced forensic accounting practitioners using real-life case studies. It covers fraud investigation, fraud prevention, corporate and regulatory compliance, litigation support and expert witness testimony, plus the scrutiny forensic work gets in courtrooms and boardrooms.

Fraud Examination & Investigation is where you'll practice. You'll work in a group to investigate a fraud allegation, using interviewing, research and analysis of accounting and non-accounting evidence. The course closes with a courtroom-style presentation of your findings and cross-examination.

Cybersecurity Risk Management rounds it out. You'll learn to use cybersecurity risk frameworks to assess how mature an organization's defenses are and which controls reduce the risk of a breach.

Courses the School Names

• Exploring Data Analytics for Accounting Professionals
• Introduction to Forensic Accounting
• Fraud Examination & Investigation
• Cybersecurity Risk Management

Standout Features

• All four courses are required and taught online, for 12 credits in total
• Every certificate credit transfers into the Isenberg Master of Science in Accounting
• Fraud Examination & Investigation ends in a courtroom-style presentation of findings and cross-examination
• Courses meet CPA continuing professional education requirements

Certificate classes are $850 per credit, so the 12-credit certificate comes to $10,200 in tuition. Books, supplies and the registration fee are extra. Isenberg also suggests asking your employer about tuition reimbursement before you enroll.

12 credits at $850 a credit comes to $10,200 in tuition, before fees.

Every class is taught online, and you'll meet and work with your classmates virtually while learning from Isenberg faculty. You can begin in the fall, spring or summer, and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

To apply, you'll need at least a bachelor's degree in accounting, or you can apply in your final semester. Professional experience is strongly preferred but not required. You'll send an application, an unofficial transcript, a resume and a one-page personal statement about your goals. An academic advisor helps you register for courses along the way.

• How many weeks does each online course run, and how many hours a week should I plan for?
• Which term should I start in so I can take Introduction to Forensic Accounting before Fraud Examination & Investigation?
• How does the courtroom-style presentation work when the class meets online?
• Which course can I substitute for Exploring Data Analytics if I've taken one like it?
• If I move into the Master of Science in Accounting, when should I apply so my certificate credits carry over smoothly?
• How much is the registration fee each term?

• Best Forensic Accounting Programs Rank 5 of 17, graduate certificate
• Best Graduate Certificates Rank 5 of 17, graduate certificate
• Cheapest Programs Rank 4 of 7, graduate certificate
• Public Universities Rank 4 of 9, graduate certificate

• Master of Science in Accounting, Forensic Accounting Focus

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $850 per credit Score 87.9

• Montclair State University

  Forensic Accounting Graduate Certificate

  New Jersey Score 86.5

• George Mason University

  Graduate Certificate in Forensic Accounting

  Virginia $1,025 per credit Score 85.8

• Illinois State University

  Forensic Accountant Certificate

  Illinois Score 83.5

• Stevenson University

  Graduate Certificate in Forensic Accounting

  Maryland Score 79.8