Forensic Accounting Degree

Program Overview

The online Bachelor of Science in Accounting with a concentration in Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination from Southern New Hampshire University provides a strong foundation in accounting, auditing, and investigative skills. Graduates are prepared for careers in accounting firms, insurance companies, law offices, and government agencies, where they can detect and prevent fraud and cybercrime. The program aligns with CPA exam requirements and supports the pursuit of professional certifications like the CFE and CPA.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

• Earn a Forensic Accounting Degree*
• BS in Accounting Concentration*
• Focus your accounting education on the investigation of financial records to detect fraud with the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Accounting with a concentration in Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination degree.
• With a forensic accounting degree online, you'll build a strong foundation of traditional accounting knowledge, explore the auditing process in depth, and gain key investigative skills to identify, document and prevent fraud and cyber crime.

Careers:

• With a forensic accounting degree online, you can work at the intersection of law and finance.
• “Working in this field, I have found that many local, state and federal government agencies – as well as private sector companies – consider people with my background critical,” said Sean Ball '14 '17G '19MBA.
"I was confident I could perform the work required for the position I was seeking. "*
• According to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), fraud and financial crimes cause billions of dollars in losses for companies worldwide every year.
In 2022, 51% of surveyed organizations reported experiencing fraud, corruption or other economic crimes in the last 24 months.
• As financial crime has grown, much of the responsibility for detecting fraud has been assumed by the accounting profession.
• Forensic accountants investigate fraud in complicated financial transactions.
These include mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcies and contract disputes. Forensic accountants are also key players in catching white-collar criminals and bringing them to justice.
• With an online forensic accounting degree, you can work in a variety of settings, including:*
• Accounting firms*
• Insurance companies*
• Law offices*
• Governmental agencies*
• Earning an online accounting degree with a forensic accounting concentration can give you the specialized skills you need to stand out in this growing field.
• “The accountant role is changing.
Accountants need to be more than just technically proficient in accounting,” said Mona Stephens, accounting faculty lead at SNHU. “The accountant of the future needs to be intellectually curious, always learning, able to figure out how to solve problems, analyze and visualize data, and effectively communicate with non-accountants.”*
• With a forensic accounting and fraud examination degree, you could work in a variety of accounting careers, including:*
• Public Accountant*
• Perform a range of accounting, auditing, tax and consulting tasks for corporations, government agencies and individuals.
• Management Accountant*
• Record and analyze the financial information of an organization, for use by business managers and company leaders.
• Internal Auditor*
• Check for mismanagement of an organization’s funds and identify ways to improve the processes for finding and eliminating waste and fraud.
• Financial Examiner*
• Ensure compliance with laws governing financial institutions and transactions, including reviewing balance sheets, evaluating the risk level of loans and assessing bank management.
• Job growth and earning potential vary depending on the career you pursue with your online forensic accounting degree.
• Job Growth*
• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that jobs for accountants will grow 4% through 2032.
Jobs for financial examiners are projected to grow 20% through 2032.
• Salary*
• In 2022, accountants earned a median annual salary of $78,000.
Financial examiners earned a median annual salary of $82,210 in 2022.
• Understanding the Numbers*
• When reviewing job growth and salary information, it’s important to remember that actual numbers can vary due to many different factors — like years of experience in the role, industry of employment, geographic location, worker skill and economic conditions.
Cited projections do not guarantee actual salary or job growth.
• Your career and earning potential will also be impacted by your training.
Most accounting jobs require a bachelor’s degree. But some will require a master's degree or professional credentials.
• An undergraduate forensic accounting degree is a big step toward earning key accounting certifications.
• Want to put your forensic accounting degree to work as a fraud examiner?
Becoming a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) can help you stand out to employers. The CFE credential denotes proven expertise in fraud prevention, detection and deterrence. CFEs are credentialed by the National Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and must pass a certification exam.
• Some forensic accounting positions may also require you to be a Certified Public Accountant.
CPAs are licensed by their state accounting board. While state requirements vary, CPAs must have completed 150 hours of college coursework and pass a certification exam.
• The online Bachelor of Science in Accounting is aligned to the 2024 CPA exam change, ensuring you build the skills you need to become a U.S. Certified Public Accountant.
You'll build a foundation in financial analysis, general accounting principles, auditing, taxation and more.
• The content of our programs aligns with the Content and Skill Specification Outlines (CSOs/SSOs) set by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
Learners who are interested in licensure may also pursue an MS in Accounting degree to help them meet educational requirements. Completion of the BS in Accounting degree alone does not adequately prepare learners to be eligible to sit for the CPA exam or to become licensed certified public accountants.
• Licensing requirements to sit for the CPA exam vary from state to state.
Students are encouraged to review their state specific requirements.
• For more information, visit our license and disclosures page.

Teaching:

• Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution founded in 1932.
SNHU is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), a regional accreditor, which advocates for institutional improvement and public assurance of quality.
• Recently, SNHU has been nationally recognized for leading the way toward more innovative, affordable and achievable education:*
• U.S. News & World Report named SNHU the 2021 Most Innovative University in the North and one of the nation's "Best Regional Universities"*
• Awarded the 21st Century Distance Learning Award for Excellence in Online Technology by The United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA)*
• A $1 million grant from Google.org to explore soft skills assessments for high-need youth*
• Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution with over 160,000 graduates across the country.