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Business Forensics

Franklin University Business Forensics degree program banner Program OverviewProgram DetailsWhy Choose Franklin

Expose occupational fraud and questionable business practices

White-collar crime doesn't always leave obvious clues, which makes it easy to miss—and hard to prosecute.

But fraudulent activity, such as cash skimming, larceny, financial statement manipulation, and billing schemes can cripple or crush the bottom line. With white-collar crime on the rise, companies are looking to business forensics professionals for critically needed help. In fact, job openings in business forensics are expected to grow at an above-average rate through 2020.1

Franklin University’s Business Forensics Program will uniquely prepare you to identify, resolve, and prevent fraudulent corporate activity. You'll study organizational behavior while learning how to identify questionable business practices, communicate fraud findings, and maintain high standards of business ethics.

Broaden your business knowledge while gaining forensics expertise

Because having a solid understanding of business operations is critical in the detection of fraud, our curriculum is built upon a business administration core. You’ll be solidly grounded in disciplines such as accounting, finance, management, and business law, providing you with the business breadth essential for spotting fraud-oriented red flags.

Major area coursework is forensics-focused, featuring fraud examination, such as how and why white-collar crimes are committed; interviewing techniques, including what, when, and how to conduct an investigative interview; legal elements, including applicable laws and court procedures; and corporate governance and internal control assessment, including fraud deterrence practices.

And to provide you with the most up-to-date skills sought by employers, we incorporate the latest industry trends into our relevant curriculum, including data and social media mining, and electronic evidence collection.

Get a jump start on preparing for professional certification

At Franklin, you’ll receive realistic, hands-on experience through a variety of interviewing and investigative project assignments. And, you’ll learn how to analyze a case, and compose a detailed fraud report complete with supporting elements. At the end of your coursework, you’ll possess the foundational knowledge necessary to sit for professional accounting certification exams, such as the CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner), a well-regarded and desirable designation among employers.

Gain valuable forensics insight from actual practitioners

We closely evaluate the credentials of every one of our accounting professors, ensuring that each has relevant educational background, work experience, and professional certification. Classes are taught by faculty who are actual business forensics practitioners, so you’ll reap the benefits of their years of field experience—including learning from their mistakes so you don’t repeat them.

And, Franklin’s Business Forensics Program is accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), the leader in outcomes-based accreditation in business, so you know you’re earning a respected degree with value in the workplace.

Earn your degree from a university built for busy adults

Earn your degree on your terms by taking classes 100% online or pursue available coursework at one of our eleven Midwest locations. Regionally accredited and nonprofit, Franklin was built from the ground-up to satisfy the needs of adult learners. A seamless transfer process and personal academic advisors help ease your transition into becoming a student, while our flexible course schedules help to balance your education with work, family, and life. Get started on your future today.

1Source information provided by Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI)

Gain The Skills Employers Desire

  • Threat Assessment
    • Evaluate data, documents, and other collected information for viable threat intelligence
    • Assess unforeseen threat developments and recommend actionable changes in security direction
    • Conduct research on security threats, technical risks, and other issues with potential to affect business or employees
    • Monitor technical and nontechnical cyber intelligence sources to increase effectiveness and timeliness of reporting threat information
    • Identify organizational risks and vulnerabilities that can adversely affect business or reputation
    • Create threat assessment and vulnerability management initiatives and programs
    • Determine rapid assessment of potential security situations, sensitive developments, and complex threat issues
  • Fraud Examination
    • Observe suspect interviews and interrogations, proficiently interpreting verbal and nonverbal cues
    • Compare enterprise events against intelligence, determining adversary motive, capability, and intent
    • Plan investigations of suspected or alleged violations of criminal law and corporate policies, including theft, fraud, embezzlement, conflicts of interest, collusion, kickbacks, and records falsification
    • Designate effective data mining techniques in order to identify aberrant transactions for further investigation and analysis
    • Arrange investigations for reported allegations of fraud or financial abuse received via an ethics hotline, web portal, or escalated by management
    • Recommend corrective action of failed internal controls
    • Ensure implementation of appropriate corrective action, including disciplinary and internal control remediation
  • Electronic Discovery
    • Provide subject matter expertise regarding hacks and exploits against web applications, databases, and desktop tools
    • Construct vulnerability analyses and risk management of computer systems, and uncover electronic data files, documents, and search histories
    • Plan computer fraud and forensic investigations involving a wide range of data repositories, computer software, and databases
    • Provide support for computer and network forensic examinations and investigations in support of reported intrusion incidents
    • Develop proposals for cyber security incident response and prevention
    • Plan the collection and upload of electronically stored information, ensuring proper internal and external access to data
    • Prepare proper and accurate documentation related to electronic evidence
    • Plan computer forensics, data analytics, data governance, data breach, cyber security, and IT security investigations
  • Fraud Prevention & Internal Controls
    • Identify and clearly define forensic issues and root causes, recommending improved internal controls and business processes
    • Define parameters for zero-tolerance control environments so fraud and noncompliance are unacceptable and difficult to conceal
    • Develop fraud prevention systems that include fraud scoring and manual account review tools to analyze transactions and suspicious activity
    • Assess effectiveness and efficiency of internal controls, and compliance with laws and regulations
    • Use investigative findings to identify and present meaningful internal control remediations that prevent recurrence
    • Determine to enterprise-wide internal audit initiatives to share real-time information, establish best practices, identify risks, and refine control processes
    • Create strategies for enhancing controls, internal investigations, security risk assessment, and due diligence
    • Analyze and identify potential risk for fraud, including likelihood of occurrence, and take pre-emptive or remedial action
    • Generate engagement and education plans for audit leadership on emerging fraud trends, recommending best practice audit program enhancements
  • Fraud Reporting & Litigation
    • Conduct research and analyses associated with suspected occupational fraud activities
    • Help prepare fraud case evidence and exhibits suitable for judicial proceedings
    • Assist in litigation support tasks, including forensic reviews and litigation analysis related to suspected occupational fraud activities
    • Collaborate in the collection, preservation, and analyses of relevant data to support or refute facts and allegations in a fraud investigation
  • Business Ethics & Regulatory Compliance
    • Determine adequate audit coverage of key business risks, compliance systems, core processes, and strategic initiatives
    • Identify opportunities for monitoring activities, verifying and ensuring compliance with established policies and applicable regulations
    • Establish alignment, integration, and streamlining of compliance policies and procedures across the organization
    • Decide on appropriate fraud awareness training to promote cultures of compliance and integrity
    • Evaluate appropriateness and effectiveness of policies, processes, and internal controls related to financial integrity, risk management, legal compliance, ethics, and integrity
    • Create ethics code of conduct policies and enforcement strategies, ensuring internal teams and external partners adhere to and reflect the highest standards of ethical behavior
    • Convey industry and discipline trends related to the field of compliance and ethics
    • Develop educational and promotion plans for key stakeholders related to ethics policies, procedures, and compliance goals
  • Business Administration
    • Participate in planning and executing initiatives, ensuring high-quality, customer-focused, cost-effective operations
    • Work across a variety of business functions, developing and executing projects and activities to achieve revenue targets
    • Develop business plans in support of goals and profitability objectives
    • Create processes and procedures to support efficient operations and workforce utilization
    • Determine business impact of market needs, industry trends, and competitive climates
    • Ensure that business strategies are incorporated into organizational activities in order to create competitive advantage
    • Perform comprehensive analysis, forecasting, and strategy development related to financial performance, outcomes, metrics, and bottom-line improvements

Career Opportunities

  • Forensic Analyst

    Forensic Analysts collect and analyze evidence related to criminal investigations.

    View Salary Trends
  • Government Fraud Investigator

    Government Fraud Investigators collect and analyze evidence of potentially fraudulent acts that result in the receipt or appropriation of public, insurance, or government funds.

    View Salary Trends
  • Independent Fraud Examiner

    Independent Fraud Examiners conduct data analysis and disseminate information to identify instances of potential fraud, waste, and abuse.

    View Salary Trends
  • Internal Auditor

    Internal Auditors evaluate operating guidelines, controls, and procedures to ensure compliance with policies, standards, and regulatory requirements.

    View Salary Trends
  • Law Enforcement Detective

    Law Enforcement Detectives direct the collection of physical and forensic evidence, and investigate alleged criminal acts in order to prevent or solve criminal cases.

    View Salary Trends
  • Litigation Specialist

    Litigation Specialists assist attorneys with the litigation process by producing, coordinating, and filing legal documents.

    View Salary Trends
  • Loss Prevention Manager

    Loss Prevention Managers create and enforce security protocols to help protect a company’s products, services, or finances against theft, fraud, and abuse.

    View Salary Trends
  • Private Investigator

    Private Investigators gather clues and collect evidence to help individuals, companies, and other interested parties determine facts about financial, personal, and legal matters.

    View Salary Trends

Employment Outlook

From 2010-2020 jobs in Business Forensics are expected to increase by 18%.

In 2010 there were 109,069 job openings related to Business Forensics. That same year, 15,545 students completed programs in Business Forensics.

In 2010 there were 109,069 job openings related to Business Forensics. That same year, 15,545 students completed programs in Business Forensics.
Occupations Job Openings (2010) Expected Growth
(2010-2020)
Managers 85,096 22%
Gaming Supervisors 2,199 20.5%
First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers 14,495 18.5%

Source information provided by Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI)

Our Recipe For Your Success

Academic & Industry Experts

Classes are taught and designed by credentialed professionals with real-world experience.
 

  • Programs are designed by combining the insight of industry leaders with the academic expertise of our faculty, ensuring what you learn translates into on-the-job success.

  • Academic concepts and theories are brought to life through our teaching faculty’s professional expertise, and can be immediately applied in your career.

  • Faculty with industry experience teach our courses, not graduate students or life-time academics, so you learn not only the theories behind the practice but also how to apply them in real-world situations.

Relevant & Consistent Curriculum

What you learn is a reflection of the program you choose, not the format in which it’s applied.
 

  • All programs are designed for learning outcomes to flow from the program level into actual coursework.

  • This top-down approach allows credentialed professionals to customize assignments based on trending industry topics without deviating from a program’s core outcomes.

  • Regardless of your professor or the format of your class, you receive the same quality education.

Hands-On Learning Experience

Franklin's coursework teaches not only theories and concepts, but also how they apply to practical situations.

 

  • Professional course designers ensure that class activities such as learning simulations, case studies, interactive videos, and group exercises are relevant and appropriate.

  • A curriculum development team is dedicated to making sure all courses are intuitively designed so content is taught in a logical manner that facilitates your success in the classroom and beyond.

Continuously Evolving Programs

Consistent program reviews ensure our programs stay at the forefront of industry trends.
 

  • Survey results and feedback from student and faculty assessments are reviewed regularly so that our programs are always improving and up-to-date.

  • A structured review process helps identify industry gaps that guide curriculum enhancements allowing our academic and industry experts to regularly implement new industry trends.

  • Regular assessment provides hard data that is used to improve student learning and teaching methods.

Get the details

Read course descriptions, learn about degree options, and meet program faculty.

View Program Details