University of Scranton Master of Accountancy, Forensic Accounting Specialization: Our 2027 Review

The University of Scranton's Master of Accountancy (MAcc) specialization pairs two dedicated fraud courses with a professional alumni council, including Big 4 partners, that reviews the forensic courses and mentors students. You can study on campus or fully online, finish in as little as 12 to 18 months, and prepare for both the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and the CFE exam.

The University of Scranton in Scranton, Pennsylvania, is a Jesuit university, and this Master of Accountancy with a Forensic Accounting Specialization sits inside its Kania School of Management. It's a 30-credit degree made up of 10 courses, and you can take it on campus or 100 percent online.

You'll go through two 7-week sessions each fall, spring and summer. AACSB accredits the school, and the Accounting Department also offers an Accounting Analytics specialization.

The Master of Accountancy is AACSB accredited, and the university is regionally accredited by Middle States. The specialization prepares you for CPA licensure and for the CFE exam offered by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). The page notes that CFE-certified forensic accountants earn up to 31 percent more than peers without the credential.

Scranton's CPA-certified faculty are working practitioners and consultants. The specialization opens paths for you in auditing, governance, compliance and risk management, and public and private-sector investigations. The page cites a median forensic accountant salary of $104,500, with the top 25 percent earning as much as $147,500. The Accounting Department Professional Alumni Council continually reviews the forensic courses you'll take.

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

• If you're a working professional, the program is designed for busy people and can be done part-time.
• If you're a career changer with a non-accounting business bachelor's, you can apply through the MAcc Bridge option.
• You may be a future CPA or CFE candidate, because the program prepares you for both exams.
• You'd rather skip entrance exams? You won't need Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores or work experience.
• If you're in New York, the degree is equivalent to a New York State licensure qualifying registered program.
• If you like mentors, alumni and Big 4 partners advise students here.

Two courses are fully about fraud. Financial Reporting Fraud: Detection and Prevention examines the most common means by which financial reporting fraud is committed. You'll pair a case study approach with discussion of the accounting and legislative issues, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Occupational Fraud and Abuse covers skimming, cash larceny, billing schemes, check tampering, payroll schemes and expense reimbursement schemes, with special attention to how these frauds are typically committed.

The rest of the 30 credits give those courses a professional frame. Advanced Auditing, Financial Reporting and Research, Advanced Managerial Accounting and Contemporary Financial Accounting Topics build your technical depth. Effective Accounting Communication and Accounting Ethics: The Foundation of the Profession cover how you present findings and the standards you hold yourself to. Introduction to Business Analytics adds data skills.

Applied Accounting Research is your capstone. One stated program outcome is to identify and navigate the red flags that could indicate occupational fraud.

Courses the School Names

• Financial Reporting Fraud
• Occupational Fraud & Abuse
• Advanced Auditing
• Introduction to Business Analytics

Standout Features

• Curriculum guided by an Accounting Department Professional Alumni Council of practicing CPAs and alumni at top firms
• MAcc Bridge option for students with a non-accounting bachelor's degree
• Prepares for CPA licensure and the CFE exam offered by the ACFE

The program is 30 credit hours at $895 per credit hour, and there's no application fee for domestic students. Scranton also says the program includes access to CPA exam preparation at a significantly reduced rate through its partnership with UWorld.

The program accepts up to six transfer credits with program director approval. You won't need to send GRE or GMAT scores, and you don't need work experience, so the cost of getting started stays low.

30 credits at $895 a credit comes to $26,850 in tuition, before fees.

You can take the program on campus or completely online, with no campus visits required for the online version. The school says you can finish in as little as 12 to 18 months through two 7-week sessions each fall, spring and summer. It's designed for busy professionals, so you can choose the pace that works for you.

Admission needs a bachelor's degree, an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, a resume, a personal statement and one reference letter. Small classes give you direct access to faculty for career guidance, and the graduate program is designated as Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• Department chair Douglas Boyle says Scranton assembled a council of partners in public accounting, many at Big 4 and other firms, to guide the curriculum.

  Source: University of Scranton website (Douglas Boyle)

• A Scranton graduate on the school's site calls the program an exceptional learning experience.

  Source: University of Scranton website

• A faculty member says the program emphasizes interpersonal skills, whether working with colleagues or clients.

  Source: University of Scranton website (Daniel Mahoney)

• How do ACC 541 and ACC 542 use case studies, and what recent cases do they cover?
• Is the online version taught live or on your own schedule?
• How do the alumni council and Big 4 partners connect with online students?
• Does the degree meet the CPA education rules in my own state?
• How does the UWorld CPA exam preparation discount work?
• What does the MAcc Bridge include for someone without an accounting background?
• What does the capstone, ACC 550, ask students to produce?

A private Jesuit university in Scranton, Pennsylvania, whose Kania School of Management is AACSB accredited.

• Best Forensic Accounting Programs Rank 25 of 27, master's
• Best Master's Programs Rank 25 of 27, master's
• Best Online Programs Rank 19 of 20, master's
• MAcc With Forensic Concentration Rank 10 of 12, master's
• CFE Exam Prep Programs Rank 13 of 13, master's
• Cheapest Programs Rank 14 of 15, master's
• Accelerated Programs Rank 13 of 13, master's
• For Working Adults Rank 13 of 13, master's
• Best Programs in Pennsylvania Rank 5 of 5, master's

• Roosevelt University

  Master of Business Administration, Accounting Forensics Concentration

  Illinois Score 61.2

• University of New Haven

  Master of Science in Accounting, Forensic Accounting Concentration

  Connecticut $1,185 per credit Score 61.4

• Strayer University

  Master of Science in Accounting with a Concentration in Forensic Accounting

  Virginia Score 50.3

• Pfeiffer University

  Master of Business Administration in Financial Fraud

  North Carolina $400 per credit Score 64.7