University of Massachusetts-Amherst Master of Science in Accounting, Forensic Accounting Focus: Our 2027 Review

At the University of Massachusetts Amherst, forensic accounting is a focus you'll build inside a 30-credit Master of Science in Accounting from the Isenberg School of Management, and it comes with two dedicated courses: an introduction taught from practitioner case studies and a team investigation that ends in a courtroom-style presentation.

The school reports that 98% of 2025 graduates were hired within 6 months, and the business school holds AACSB accreditation in accounting.

UMass Amherst is a public university, and its Isenberg School of Management runs this Professional Track as a 30-credit degree: six required core classes plus four electives. You'll add the forensic accounting focus by filling your elective credits with forensic courses, while Taxation and Data Analytics are the other two focus areas on offer.

Online classes are offered in the fall, spring and summer, so you can take them from any place at any time, and students from all 50 states can enroll. If you study full time, you can finish in less than a year. If you study part time, you'll have up to four years.

The Isenberg School holds AACSB accreditation in accounting. The school says what you learn will be applicable to a number of accounting-related certifications in the field. Career outcomes are a real strength here: Isenberg describes itself as a primary recruiting school for the most distinguished employers in public accounting, including the Big 4, and recent graduates have been hired by PwC, Ernst & Young, RSM and CohnReznick.

Graduate roles include forensic accountant, tax accountant, chief financial officer and financial analyst. The school reports a $93,880 average starting salary for 2025 graduates, more than 10,000 accounting alumni, and individual career coaching through a dedicated career coach and the IConnect platform.

Where this degree can lead: Forensic Accounting Jobs.

• Accounting graduates who want a fast master's, since full-time students can finish in less than a year.
• Working professionals, because the classes are asynchronous and part-time students can take up to four years.
• Readers who learn by doing, with a team investigation that ends in a courtroom-style presentation and cross-examination.
• Anyone who wants room to choose, since forensic accounting sits beside Taxation and Data Analytics as a focus area.
• Job seekers who want hands-on support, with a dedicated career coach and the IConnect career platform.
• Eligible UMass Amherst and Five College students, who can earn bachelor's and master's degrees in five years through the 4+1 pathway.

The core gives you a broad accounting base before you specialize. Required classes include Ethics and Professional Responsibilities, Data Analytics, Financial Statement Analysis, Advanced Audit, and Taxes and Business Decisions. In Exploring Data Analytics for Accounting Professionals, you'll work hands-on with Excel, Tableau and SAP.

Advanced Audit centers on case studies and scenarios that call for critical thinking in an audit setting, and Financial Statement Analysis applies reporting knowledge to stock evaluation, credit analysis and bankruptcy prediction.

The forensic focus comes from two courses. Intro to Forensic Accounting (SCH-MGMT 620) has you learn from experienced forensic accounting practitioners and real-life case studies.

It covers the fundamentals of forensic accounting, including fraud investigation, fraud prevention, corporate and regulatory compliance, litigation support and expert witness testimony. Topics also include professional standards, legal requirements, the scrutiny of courtrooms and boardrooms, and how forensic work links to auditing, internal control and corporate governance.

Fraud Examination & Investigation (SCH-MGMT 621) is where you'll practice. Working in groups, you'll conduct an investigation using interviewing, research and analysis of accounting and non-accounting evidence. The course ends with a courtroom-style presentation of your findings and cross-examination, and it also discusses the governance and management challenges of responding to fraud incidents and whistleblower allegations.

An Accounting Advisory Council of alumni partners and executives helped shape the curriculum.

Courses the School Names

• Ethics & Professional Responsibilities
• Data Analytics
• Financial Statement Analysis
• Advanced Audit
• Taxes and Business Decisions
• Advanced Topics in Financial Reporting
• Fraud Examination & Investigation
• Cybersecurity Risk Management
• Machine Learning for Analytics
• Business Applications with Python

Standout Features

• 2025 MSA graduates: $93,880 average starting salary and 98% hired within 6 months
• AACSB accreditation in accounting
• Core data analytics course uses Excel, Tableau and SAP
• Curriculum shaped by an Accounting Advisory Council of alumni partners and executives
• MSA Career Coach for individualized sessions and the IConnect career development platform
• Recent graduates have been hired by PwC, Ernst & Young, RSM and CohnReznick
• Eligible UMass Amherst and Five College students can earn bachelor's and master's degrees in five years through the 4+1 pathway
• Participates in the UMass Flex initiative, giving flexible access to courses offered at UMass Amherst
• Three focus areas: Forensic Accounting, Taxation and Data Analytics

UMass Amherst lists tuition at $850 per credit hour for 30 credit hours, and its tuition page shows $25,500 as the total. A one-time $507 graduate entering fee and an $85 registration fee each semester apply, and course materials average $100 per course.

If you apply by the priority timeline, you'll get a $90 application fee reimbursement on your first tuition invoice and priority registration. If you're a military student, you can take advantage of a discount on online programs, application fee reimbursement and a waived matriculation fee.

30 credits at $850 a credit comes to $25,500 in tuition, before fees.

The school says it built this program for maximum flexibility. Online classes are offered in the fall, spring and summer, so there are three terms a year to work with, and the format is asynchronous. If you study full time, you can complete the degree in less than a year. If you study part time, you can take up to four years.

The program also takes part in the UMass Flex initiative, which gives flexible access to courses offered at UMass Amherst. If you like some face time, Isenberg offers in-person weekend and evening opportunities at the Charles River Campus in Newton, Massachusetts.

Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are only required at the request of the Program Director, waivers are available, work experience isn't required, and you'll be asked for two letters of recommendation.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• Isenberg's own site says it is a primary recruiting school for the most distinguished employers in public accounting, including the Big 4.

  Source: Isenberg website

• Isenberg points to an excellent record of student placement, the success of its graduates and strong alumni support.

  Source: Isenberg website

• How many forensic electives can I fit into the 30 credits, and how often is each one offered online?
• What kinds of cases do teams investigate in Fraud Examination & Investigation?
• How does the courtroom-style presentation work for students who are studying online?
• What will the priority timeline mean for my application and registration?
• Which accounting-related certifications do advisors say the coursework supports?
• How do the in-person evening and Saturday options at the Charles River Campus work for online students?

• Best Forensic Accounting Programs Rank 8 of 27, master's
• Best Master's Programs Rank 8 of 27, master's
• Best Online Programs Rank 7 of 20, master's
• MAcc With Forensic Concentration Rank 3 of 12, master's
• Cheapest Programs Rank 13 of 15, master's
• For Working Adults Rank 6 of 13, master's
• Public Universities Rank 6 of 11, master's

• Graduate Certificate in Forensic Accounting

  Graduate Certificate, Graduate Certificate

  Fully Online $850 per credit Score 86.5

• Stevenson University

  Master of Science in Forensic Accounting

  Maryland $719 per credit Score 87.7

• York College of Pennsylvania

  Master of Accounting in Fraud and Forensics

  Pennsylvania $710 per credit Score 86.5

• SUNY Polytechnic Institute

  Master of Science in Accounting, Forensic Accounting and Valuation Concentration

  New York $565 per credit Score 89.7

• Rider University

  Master of Accountancy, Forensic Accounting Concentration

  New Jersey $1,130 per credit Score 86.1