Main Content
Syllabus
ACCTG 483
ACCTG 483: Forensic Accounting (3 credits): Study of investigative accounting, consulting, and litigation support activities undertaken in forensic accounting engagements.
Overview | Objectives | Materials | Library Resources | Technical Requirements and Help | Course Requirements and Grading | Course Schedule | Academic Integrity | Student Success and Support Resources | Additional Policies
Overview
The exploration of forensic accounting in this course covers investigative accounting, valuation, damage assessments, and litigation support services. This includes the technical and ethical aspects of investigation, the nature of fraud, fraud risk factors, financial statement fraud, and related development of the skills needed in those and related professional activities. These skills include the ability to integrate knowledge of accounting, finance, economics, business law, and other disciplines in gathering, analyzing, and evaluating evidence and drawing conclusions, along with the ability to communicate the results to third parties.
It is substantially different in professional responsibilities and orientation from traditional financial assurance. Forensic accounting involves the investigation and analysis of financial data for a specific purpose in order to support, or not support, allegations related to financial information and to objectively report the findings. Forensic accountants may also present analyses related to legal disputes, calculate economic damages, value intellectual property, determine the extent of damage or loss due to fraud, trace illusive assets or revenues sources, or be involved in the development of systems and procedures to prevent fraud.
Prerequisite
ACCTG 472 or ACCTG 403 (can be concurrent)
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to
- prepare a written investigative report based on data analyzed and case facts,
- describe the basics of forensic accounting and how it differs from financial auditing,
- elaborate on the fraud triangle and action,
- describe the career opportunities for accountants intersecting with fraud,
- outline applicable laws and standards to address a specific situation,
- calculate data loss using different standard forensic techniques,
- construct the life cycle of a fraud investigation, and
- execute basic data analysis tests for financial irregularities.
Required Course Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.E-Reserves
This course requires that you access Penn State library materials specifically reserved for this course. You can access these materials by selecting Library Resources in your course navigation, or by accessing the Library E-Reserves Search and search for your instructor's last name.
Library Resources
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Technical Requirements and Help
| Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
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| Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
| Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
| Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
| Help | If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk. |
Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)
During the semester you will receive information about completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.
Course Requirements and Grading
This course uses a specifications grading system focused on skill-building and growth. Instead of points adding up, your grade depends on how many assignments you successfully complete and how well you perform on exams.
Your grade is earned through meeting successful skills/knowledge bases for the course.
1. Formative Assignments (Practice Work)
- These are grouped into two categories.
- Each assignment is graded as Complete / Not Yet based on an 80% standard.
- Your final grade band (A, B, C, etc.) depends on how many assignments you successfully complete in each group.
2. Summative Assessments (Exams)
- Your exam scores are averaged.
- You must earn at least a 40% exam average to pass the course.
3. How Exams Adjust Your Grade
Your exam average can slightly adjust your grade within your earned band.
- Earn a (+)
If your exam average is 20% higher than the baseline for your grade band and you completed only the minimum required assignments. - Earn a (−)
If your exam average is below expectations for your grade band (applies to A and B ranges)
The schema is explained below:
| Grade | Compulsory Assignments (Formative) | Essential Skill and Knowledge Integration (Formative) | Earn (-) added to the A and B grades | Exam Average Benchmark (except for the floor of 40% to pass the course) (Summative) | Earn + added to the grade |
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| A | 15-17 | 10-11 | 40-79 | 80 | |
| B | 13-14 | 8-9 | 50-59 | 60 | 80 |
| C | 11-12 | 6-7 | 40 | 60 | |
| D | 9-10 | 4-5 | 40 | ||
| F | 8 or under | 3 or under | lower than 40 |
Turnitin
This course includes at least one assignment that uses Turnitin. Additionally, the instructor reserves the right to have work submitted, either by students or by the instructor, through Turnitin for review prior to grading.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
Unless your instructor or assignment explicitly states that you may use AI for your assignments, assume that you cannot use AI in your work.
Should your instructor allow you to use AI in your assignments, pay attention to how you may use it - for instance, for preparation such as idea or outline generation, or for specific tasks. If using AI to generate or develop content for an assignment, you have ethical responsibilities as a student. You are required to:
- Verify and carefully review content generated and submitted through your use of generative AI. AI may hallucinate and produce biased, inaccurate, incorrect, or incomplete information, such as professional-looking citations that are not real, contradictory statements, copyrighted material without appropriate attribution, and sometimes biased or offensive concepts. Code generation models may produce inaccurate outputs. Image generation models may create misleading or offensive content. Review AI output with a critical eye as, ultimately, you are personally responsible for the work you submit.
- Avoid using sensitive information. Any information you submit to an AI tool may be used to train the tool. You should never provide personal or private information, restricted data (see Penn State’s University Policy AD95), or other sensitive information to an AI tool. Commercial data protection is provided in Microsoft Copilot when signing in with your Penn State login.
- Comply with relevant institutional policies, federal and state laws including Privacy Policy AD53, Accessibility Guidelines AD69, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Also see Guidelines for AI Use at Penn State.
- Cite all sources used, including AI, along with the tool’s contribution to your work. In practice, cutting and pasting content from any source without citation is plagiarism. Likewise, using any generative AI tool or paraphrasing content from generative AI without appropriate acknowledgement will be treated as plagiarism. If you use portions of the output from generative AI, even if it is significantly edited, this work should include the link to the chat or provide the exact prompt used to generate the content and the AI’s full response in an Appendix. Verify and cite all sources generated through your use of AI prior to submitting your assignments, including citation of the AI itself. Citation guidance may be found at Penn State Libraries Generative AI: ChatGPT and Beyond. Deviations from these guidelines may be considered an academic integrity violation per university policy G-9 Academic Integrity.
If you are allowed to use artificial intelligence as part of your assignment or preparation, you implicitly understand that you are ultimately responsible for your submissions. This means thinking critically about AI output, adding your own interpretations and insights. You may not earn full credit for work that is inaccurate, biased, unethical, offensive, inappropriate, plagiarized, invalid or incorrect. Should you have any questions about what is permissible for a particular course or assignment, ask your course instructor for clarification before using AI for course work.
Course Schedule
Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).
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Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please refer to Graduation at the Chaiken Center for Student Success.
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity (for undergraduate students in undergraduate courses) and policy GCAC-805 Academic Integrity (for graduate students and undergraduate students in graduate courses), an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity or GCAC-805 Academic Integrity as appropriate). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and personal
integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and property; and help
create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the
fruits of their own efforts. An environment of academic integrity is
requisite to respect for oneself and others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, procedures allow a student to accept or contest/appeal the allegation. If a student chooses to contest/appeal the allegation, the case will then be managed by the respective school, college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. Review procedures may vary by college, campus, or school, but all follow the aforementioned policies.
All academic integrity violations are referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response, which may assign an educational intervention and/or apply a Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, or Expulsion.
Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page.
Student Success and Support Resources
The Chaiken Center for Student Success at Penn State World Campus guides you to the right resources and support you need–when you need them–along your academic journey. You can connect with peers and support teams to find direction, information, and networking opportunities. On the website, you'll find information and resources on many aspects of being a World Campus student:
- Finances—tuition, scholarships, and financial aid
- Inclusion and Wellness—diversity and inclusion, mental health services, disability accommodations, care and advocacy
- Enrollment and Registration—course planning, adding and dropping courses, and much more
- Course Work and Success—academic advising, tutoring, and other services
- Involvement and Opportunities—career resources, student organizations, internships, service, study abroad, and more
Following are some key resources.
Student Disability Services
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities, whether permanent or temporary, visible or hidden, into the University’s educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities, including World Campus. The Disabilities and Accommodations section of the Chaiken Center for Student Success website provides World Campus students with information regarding how to request accommodations, documentation guidelines and eligibility, and appeals and complaints. For additional information, please visit the University's Student Disability Resources website.
In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Graduate students: Please see the Student Disability Resources website for graduate student resources.
Students with disabilities participating in internship, practicum, student teaching, or other experiential learning opportunities as part of their degree requirements may also be eligible for reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access and opportunity. These accommodations are determined through an interactive process involving the student, their University supervisor, and the site supervisor. Student Disability Resources can assist students with identifying potential barriers, facilitating accommodation requests, and coordinating with University supervisors to promote inclusive learning experiences.
Counseling and Psychological Services
If you have a crisis or safety concern, mental health services are available to you as a Penn State student. Crisis and emergency contacts are available, no matter where you are located:
- Anywhere in the United States: Call the Penn State Crisis Line at 1-877-229-6400 or text LIONS to 741741. You can also contact your local crisis services or hospital for emergencies.
- Outside the United States: Please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
- At University Park: Assistance is available at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) locations on campus.
- At a Penn State branch campus: You can search for counseling information at your campus.
Military Student Information
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
Additional Policies
Privacy Notice
In order to protect your privacy, course access is limited to those individuals who have direct responsibility for the quality of your educational experience. In addition to the instructor, a teaching assistant or college administrator may be provided access in order to ensure optimal faculty availability and access. World Campus technical staff may also be given access in order to resolve technical support issues.Student Responsibilities and Conduct
- Students are responsible for online course content, taking notes, obtaining other materials provided by the instructor, taking tests (if applicable), and completing assignments as scheduled by the instructor. As a general rule, students should plan on logging into the course at least three times per week and spending at least three hours per course credit per week on the course, e.g., if the course is three credits, the student should plan on spending at least 9-12 hours per week on the course, just as they would in a residence course.
- Students are responsible for keeping track of changes in the course syllabus made by the instructor throughout the semester.
- Students are responsible for monitoring their grades.
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Students must contact their instructor (and teammates when working on any collaborative learning assignments) as soon as possible if they anticipate missing long periods of online time due to events such as chronic illnesses, death in the family, business travel, or other appropriate events. The instructor will determine the minimal log on time and participation required in order to meet course responsibilities. In the event of other unforeseen conflicts, the instructor and student will arrive at a solution together.
- Instructors may require students to provide documentation with the class absence form or other written notification for events such as illness, family emergency, or a business-sanctioned activity.
- Conflicts with dates on which examinations or assignments are scheduled must be discussed with the instructor or TA prior to the date of the examination or assignment.
- Students are responsible for following appropriate netiquette (network etiquette) when communicating with their instructor and classmates. For reference, see the Academic Success Kit.
- Behaviors that disrupt other students’ learning are not acceptable and will be addressed by the instructor.
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For severe and chronic problems with student disruptive behavior, the following will be applied for resolution:
- Senate Committee on Student Life policy on managing classroom disruptions: Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
- Penn State Values.
Report Bias
Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage.