Forensic Audit and Accounting
Forensic accounting and the related discipline of forensic audit are fast-developing areas in the commercial world.
How to apply Book an Open Evening Chat to UsKey Course Details
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Start Date
September
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Location
Pontypridd
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Campus Code
A
Fees
Home students
£10,800*
International students
£16,900*
- Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.
-
Start Date
September
-
Location
Pontypridd
-
Campus Code
A
Fees
Home students
£1,200*
- Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.
USW's respected Forensic Audit and Accounting master’s course - the only course of its kind in the UK - has been running for over ten years and provides specialist skills in fraud investigation, valuations, assist in dispute resolution, expert reporting, and cyber investigations.
DESIGNED FOR
Undergraduate students with degrees in related areas such as accounting or business, candidates who have been away from formal education for a number of years and are looking to upskill.
Career Paths
- Fraud investigator
- Forensic accountant
- Financial analyst
- Risk consultant
- Economic damages assessor
Skills taught
- Data evaluation
- Research design
- Managerial integrity
- Dispute resolution
- Fraud investigation
Course Highlights
Module Overview
The MSc Forensic Audit and Accounting will build your confidence in the forensic audit of business data and provide you with advanced analytical, evaluation and problem-solving skills. You will learn how to evaluate the principles of good corporate governance and the integrity of management, and to understand the role of computer forensic techniques in an investigatory and legal context.
Forensic Financial Analysis
An overview of financial analysis including areas such as valuation, financial statement analysis, hidden asset identification, asset recovery, and the quantification of losses arising from disaster situations.
Audit, Governance and Risk Management
This module links governance and fraud and gives emphasis to fraud risk management and internal controls. It focuses on the specialised forensic audit techniques in addition to generic statutory audit skills.
Research Methods in Accounting and Finance
An introduction to methods and methodology of academic research with a focus on finance and accounting.
Cyber and Digital Investigations
Learn about the tools, techniques, and practice of digital forensics. The module also covers the law relating to digital forensics, cybercrime, and mitigations.
Financial Crime and Expert Witness
This module focuses on the role of the expert witness and dispute resolution. We also look at the work of Regional Asset Recovery Teams, Regional Organised Crime Units, and associated legislation.
Fraud Examination
This module focuses on fraud examination methodologies from investigation planning to litigation, engagement, report writing and specialised investigation techniques.
Dissertation – Accounting and Finance
This module allows students to conduct a rigorous, in-depth piece of research on a topic area of their choice.
Course Highlights
How you’ll learn
A hands-on, student led approach encompassing problem-based, active and collaborative learning is employed, where students are exposed to real-world situations and given the skills and opportunities to find practical solutions. Further, our teaching is rooted in the contemporary research and practical industry experiences of the teaching team.
Teaching staff
We pride ourselves on offering a supportive, nurturing environment where students can develop their confidence, their technical and research abilities and their employability skills. We bring concepts to life using our real-world experience and research.
Placements
Students are given the chance volunteer for project and consultancy work with our Business School Clinic.
Facilities
You will have access to a dedicated Postgraduate Study Centre, home to our dedicated Financial Trading simulation room, powered by Global Investor Simulations software. Students are also able to access specialised computer laboratories with associated computer forensics software.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
A minimum 2:2 Honours degree in accounting, audit or finance. Alternatively, a minimum 2:2 Honours degree in business with an appropriate level of financial content, from a UK university.
Equivalent accredited international or professional qualifications are acceptable. The course welcomes international applicants and requires an English level of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component or equivalent.
Additional requirements include:
Please note that whilst this course does not require a DBS Check for entry, some professions will not consider candidates who have certain types of criminal convictions. Therefore, if you have a criminal conviction and you are considering a particular career path, we would recommend that you check with the relevant professional body or refer to their recruitment policy to make sure that your conviction will not disadvantage you.
International applications welcomed:
We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence please view our dedicated country pages.
English language requirements
International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 72 overall and a minimum of 18 in reading, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing or equivalent.
Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.
If you have previously studied through the medium of English IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.
If you do not meet the English entry criteria please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.
Contextual offers
We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.
USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.
We're here to help
Whether you a have a question about your course, fees and funding, the application process or anything else, there are plenty of ways you can get in touch and we'd to talk to you. You can contact our friendly admissions team by phone, email or chat to us online.
Additional Costs
As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.
Text books are provided via the USW library but students may wish to purchase their own private copies. This cost is optional.
Cost: Up to £300
University Quality Assurance
At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.
If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.
Studying at USW
Our courses are designed with industry leaders and provide the practical skills and experiences industry demands. Our flexible courses reflect the need for life-long learning. If you value education in practice, not just in theory, then USW is for you.