Forensic accountants serve in a variety of non-traditional capacities. Their roles include aiding in computer discovery, assisting government regulators, or computing damages in the course of litigation. Many of these roles culminate in testifying as an expert in a court of law. This course will provide the student with an overview of these roles and an opportunity to explore this growing field. The class will be based on real-world case studies. Students should expect to exercise professional judgment and demonstrate effective writing skills.
ACCTG 373 Forensic Accounting in Family Law — 3 units Comprehensive presentation of common financial challenges and problems found in divorce engagements. Course will cover community property, separate property, management of family law case, tracing, business valuation, and division of property. Prerequisite: ACCTG 372 or consent of the dean.
ACCTG 375A Economic Damages — 1 unit
Forensic accountants are often engaged to compute damages that a plaintiff has suffered. This course will assist students in understanding the implications of this assignment. It will include learning how to estimate incremental costs, the proper discount rate, the use of hindsight, and losses in new businesses. The class will be based on real-world case studies. Students should expect to exercise professional judgment and demonstrate effective writing skills. Prerequisite: ACCTG 372 or consent of the dean.
ACCTG 375C Forensic Valuation — 1 unit
Forensic valuations are frequently performed for closely-held businesses or assets for which no clearly established market valuation is available. This course will address the fundamentals of business valuation in litigation using a case study approach. Prerequisite: ACCTG 372 or consent of the dean.
ACCTG 375D Bankruptcy and Insolvency – 1 unit Forensic accountants are often engaged to evaluate and present financial information related to financially trouble businesses. These professional services can be undertaken to assist management or other responsible individuals or organizations as part of the bankruptcy process or other less formal debt restructuring environments. This course will assist students in understanding the implications of these types of assignments including consideration of relevant law, business practices, and the role and responsibilities of the forensic accountant. The class will be based on real-world case studies. Students should expect to exercise professional judgment and demonstrate effective writing skills. Prerequisite : ACCTG 372 or consent of the dean.
ACCTG 375G Construction Claims — 1 unit
Forensic accountants are often engaged to compute, or refute, damages in construction claims. This course will provide practical guidelines for the calculation and preparation of construction claim damages. It will cover the general method used to calculate damages, such as actual cost, estimated cost, total cost or modified total cost. It will also cover the varying types of damages, such as labor productivity losses, materials costs, home office and jobsite overhead, interest and liquidated damages. The class will be based on real-world case studies and text book readings. Prerequisite: ACCTG 372 or consent of the dean.
ACCTG 372 — ACCTG 375O
ACCTG 375I Lost Wages and Employment Litigation – 1 unit Forensic accountants are often engaged to compute lost wages and damages suffered by a plaintiff related to employment litigation. This course will assist students in understanding the implications of this assignment. It will include how to build a basic damage model including determination of information needed and special facts that are unique to a given situation. The class will be based on real-world case studies. Students should expect to exercise professional judgment and demonstrate effective writing skills. Prerequisite: ACCTG 372 or consent of the dean.
ACCTG 375J Disputes in Mergers & Acquisitions — 1 unit Forensic accountants are called upon to analyze disputes resulting from mergers or acquisitions. These disputes involve misrepresentations about the historical or projected performance of acquired assets or entities, to disputes about interpretations of merger agreements, and issues about control. This course will analyze the role of accountants in conducting analysis and contributing to dispute resolution. Prerequisite: ACCTG 372 or consent of the dean.
ACCTG 375K Intellectual Property — 1 unit
Provides students a more in-depth understanding of the different types of intellectual property and the monetary remedies available to the intellectual property owner in the event of infringement. This course will specifically discuss the calculation of damages associated with patent, trademark, and copyright infringement, as well as the preparation of expert reports. Prerequisite: ACCTG 372 or consent of the dean.
ACCTG 375L Financial Statement Investigations — 1 unit Forensic accountants are often engaged to investigate financial statement fraud. One key type of fraud relates directly to the intentional misstatement of financial information provided to current and potential investors within an entity’s financial statements. This course provides students with an understanding of many investigative methods and techniques used when performing financial statement investigations. The course will highlight the many common types of financial reporting manipulations that frequently occur in today’s environment. This includes an overview of current accounting topics more susceptible to manipulations and recurring financial statement fraud. The class will be based on real-world case studies. Students should expect to exercise professional judgment and demonstrate effective writing skills. Prerequisite: ACCTG 372 or consent of the dean.
ACCTG 375N Complex Discovery and Data Management — 1 unit Forensic accountants are often engaged to review, analyze and evaluate complex financial and non-financial information related to investigations and legal proceedings. Give the magnitude and complexity of information for evaluation, efficient and effective analysis is essential. This course focuses on the nature of the challenge and techniques for use in discovery and data management. The class will be based on real-world case studies. Students should expect to exercise professional judgment and demonstrate effective writing skills. Prerequisite: ACCTG 372 or consent of the dean.
ACCTG 375O Expert Testimony — 1 unit
Forensic accountants are called upon to present deposition and trial testimony to assist the jury and/or the trier of fact to understand relevant and reliable expert opinions on both liability and damage related issues. The course will cover the preparation and presentation methods needed to effectively present both direct testimony and cross-examination, and to enable the expert to withstand challenges from opposing counsel. Prerequisite: ACCTG 372 or consent of the dean.
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