How Do I Get Certification As a Forensic Accountant?

Forensic accountants find evidence of wrongdoing

Forensic accountants are a growing specialty in the accounting field. Forensic accountants blend their education and experience to do auditing and investigation of accounting records for the purpose of uncovering financial facts used for legal opinions and to do investigative work. They are often used as witnesses to provide expert testimony in cases that involve financial wrongdoing. They work in uncovering information regarding fraud, property loss, employee theft, personal injury or wrongful death claims, divorce assets and money-laundering. Forensic accountants earn similar salaries as the more general categories of accountants, the median being in the $59,000 range, according to the Bureau of Labor's May 2008 statistics.

Instructions

1. Attend a university with a forensic accounting degree program. Only a few universities offer a forensic accounting bachelor degree or forensic financial bachelor degree, but these can prepare the student for taking the certification exam with courses that cover forensic subjects. Two are the Colorado Technical Institute and Carlow University.

   Colorado Technical Institute's coursework includes auditing, forensic accounting, criminology, legal elements of fraud, white collar and financial crimes, money-laundering and financial investigation. Carlow University's forensic accounting program includes courses in personal federal taxation, auditing, criminology and ethics, fraud investigation techniques, statistics and finance.

2. Get additional accounting training beyond an accounting degree or Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and take the certification exam. Many schools have programs that cover additional coursework that covers forensic subjects for those who already have accounting degrees. Some of these require a CPA certification before you can sign up for the forensics coursework. You will be required to provide documentation of your diploma, licensing and certification as an accountant. These programs may be three or four courses, and will prepare you to take the certification exam for forensic accountant. Many of the courses needed to prepare for the certification exam are available online.

3. Take the certification exam. The certified forensic accounting exam is given online by the American College of Forensic Examiners International (ACFEI). The Association of Certified Fraud Specialists (ACFS) also offers the exam, as do the Association of Fraud Examiners (ACFS). Each of these organizations has individual requirements for education and experience to take the certification exam. Certification renewal requires 20 or more hours of continuing professional education yearly. These courses can include such subjects as not-for-profit accounting, investigative accounting for divorce, travel and entertainment accounting, federal government auditing and creative cash-flow reporting. This additional training is often available as online coursework.

References

• American College of Forensic Examiners International: Certification
• Carlow University: Forensic accounting major
• New York University: Certificate in forensic accounting