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MSc

Forensic Audit and Accounting

Forensic accounting and the related discipline of forensic audit are fast-developing areas in the commercial world.

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Key Course Details

  • Start Date

    September

  • Location

    Pontypridd

  • 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.
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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

Only Course of Its Kind in the UK

USW's respected Forensic Audit and Accounting master’s course has been running for over ten years and is the only course of its kind in the UK.

A Springboard for Employment

The employment opportunities for graduates are numerous and include roles with specialist firms of forensic accountants or within departments in traditional accountancy firms.

Experiential Learning

You will experience a hands-on, student-led approach and be exposed to real-world situations and given the skills and opportunities to find practical solutions.

Taught by Industry Experts

Our lectures have extensive industry and academic experience and maintain strong links with professional bodies and employers.

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.

Careers and Employability

Graduate careers

Graduate Careers

Possible career paths

In addition to specialised opportunities in accountancy firms, there are many other opportunities in commercial organisations, the public and regulatory sectors as part of investigatory, internal audit, or compliance departments. There are also roles within anti-financial crime organisations, law enforcement and industry groupings. 

Careers support

The University’s Career Services offers a range of advice and guidance to students, and references to the services available to all listed at southwales.ac.uk/careers will be added to the course website by default. However, if there are other important course or subject specific initiatives run at local a level, there is an opportunity to add further details here. Whether this includes connecting with professionals, industry experts or mentors, or strategies to enhance their competitiveness and aspirations in the job market, further details will provide prospects with the confidence, encouragement, and motivation to commit to applying. 

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 love 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.

Two people studying together at a table, surrounded by books and papers.
Postgraduate fees and funding
The University's Ty Crawshays building at Treforest, Pontypridd.
Pontypridd Campus, Treforest
A member of staff is smiling and chatting with an open evening visitor.
Postgraduate Open Events

How to apply

There is an online application process for this course. Please choose the application form for your preferred start date and mode of study (i.e. full-time or part-time).

International admissions

Please see our international admissions advice for further information about how to apply as a prospective international student.

Fees and Funding

UK Full-time Fee

£10,800

per year*
UK Full-time Fee

£10,800

per year*
International Full-time Fee

£16,900

per year*
International Full-time Fee

£16,900

per year*
UK Part-time Fee

£1,200

per 20 credits*

Further Information

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.  We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

 

Fees and Funding Scholarships and Busaries Alumni Discount