Individuals interested in becoming forensic accountants must complete at least a four-year bachelor's degree program in forensic accounting, accounting or a related subject. Students typically are required to participate in a hands-on internship. To increase their earning and employment potential, students can also complete a Master of Science or Master of Business Administration degree in forensic accounting. Graduate degree programs in this industry typically are available through a university's business school and require students to do a research project.
To get into a bachelor's degree program in forensics accounting, students must have a high school diploma or GED and generally must submit standardized test scores. Aspiring graduate students should have a bachelor's degree in accounting or show proof of having completed accounting or economics classes at the undergraduate level. In addition, some schools ask for master's degree program applicants to submit a resume of their current work experience. Schools such as Georgia Southern University want potential graduate students to submit their Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) scores as well.
Classes in a forensic accounting degree program cover topics such as statistics, economics, marketing, finance and business administration. Students at schools such as Franklin University additionally study spreadsheets and databases, principles of management and managerial accounting. Forensic accounting students also learn about interviewing techniques, how the judicial system works, the gathering of evidence and forensic theory/criminology. In addition, courses cover current laws on securities and taxation as well as ethics, banking, cost analysis and auditing.
In addition to completing a bachelor's degree program, aspiring forensic accountants should complete at least 30 semester hours of education beyond a bachelor's degree. This is a requirement for an individual to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) through the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy -- a certification typically required of forensic accountants.
Some bachelor's degree programs actually offer a fifth year to help forensic accounting students complete this requirement. With graduate-level training and field experience, individuals can even pursue the Certified Fraud Examiner credential through the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners or the Certified Forensic Accountant credential through the Institute of Certified Forensic Accountants as well (see Resources).