How to Earn a Forensic Accounting Certification?

A forensic accounting certificate is necessary to boost the career advancement for a forensic accountant, such as promotions, additional responsibilities assigned, job relocation, or for someone who wish to start his career in forensic accounting.

There are a variety of courses and programs offered, both on campus and online, to equip students with necessary forensic accounting expertise.

These are the key main categories:

1. Certification through the online program, especially if you have a job and need to do your study during the evening hours. Online program is convenient and cheaper than onsite program.




2. Another option is to enroll in one of the University or College with physical campus in your area for the below:
• Certificates for those who have their Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting for example: GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles)
• This needs to be accompanied with a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) certificate after passing the examination. This is the condition of many firms.
• Normally, an associate’s degree in accounting will take around 18 to 24 months to complete. Whilst for Master’s degree in accounting or an MBA with an accounting concentration can be earned in 15 to 24 months.
• Exceptional programs are cater for those who have not yet earned any Bachelor’s degree in accounting
3. It is important to make sure the degree is an accredited online accounting degree.
• Major Forensic accounting firms refuse to give credit to job candidates whose degree is from non-accredited schools.
• An accredited degree ensures that you are receiving a quality accounting education online.
• Many online forensic accounting degree programs offered by accredited universities have integrated CPA and CPE credits.
4. If your undergraduate degree is not in accounting, one or more courses, including CPA courses need to be completed.
• CPA examination is standardized throughout the United States and administered by your state’s CPA Board and graded by the AICPA.
• The four areas of concentration are Auditing and Attestation, Financial Accounting & Reporting (FAR), Regulation, and Business Environment & Concepts.
5. Many aspiring forensic accountants attend graduate school to maintain their CPA status, to gain more knowledge in the field and become more marketable.
• Many universities offer master’s degrees in forensic accounting or in business administration with a concentration in forensic accounting.
6. The American College of Forensic Examiners (ACFE) has developed an additional training, testing, and certification to give added qualifications to CPAs working in the field of litigation support and forensic accounting.




7. Once you pass your exam and gain a few years of experience in the field, you may want to pursue additional certification such as Certified Forensic Accountant (CrFA) or a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). Both of these dedications will help you to earn a higher salary and advance in the field of forensic accounting.

Whatever it is, it’s crucial for you to take a comparative study for each cost per credit of the various online/onsite degree courses you wish to choose from, before deciding on any.