Advanced Forensic Accounting
Accounting 454
Course Syllabus
Professor: Daniel Ryan, MS, CPA, CFE, CFS
Office: ST 504
Office Phone: 323-343-2854
Office Hours:
E-Mail: dmccryan@aol.com
Required Textbooks: Crumbly, Larry D. Lester E. Heitger, and G. Stevenson Smith,
Forensic and Investigative Accounting, 4th Ed. CCH
Instructional Website: http://instructional1.calstatela.edu/dryan
Prerequisites: Acct 435 and Acct 424B
Course Description: The case based course builds on the nature of forensic accounting,
financial statement fraud, and misappropriation of assets. The course enhances students’
professional skills by applying techniques necessary to investigate, detect, and prevent
fraud through case studies and simulations.
Objectives: Building on the basic concepts of fraud and forensic accounting taught in
Accounting 435, students participate in in-class case studies presented by professionals in
the forensic accounting field. The ability to investigate, detect, and prevent fraud along
with critical thinking skills to investigate the reliability, valuation, and existence of
assets and financial transactions and good communication skills would provide our
students with an introduction to actual experiences of forensic accountants and fraud
investigators. By applying these skills in the case studies, our student should enhance
their job opportunities. This course is designed to provide an introduction to and
application of these general skills. In addition to detecting fraudulent activities, forensic
accountants also need to obtain evidence, take statements, organize large amounts of
data, prepare relevant reports and testify to their findings. Forensic accountants also need
the ability to design financial systems to prevent fraud. To enhance our students’ ability
to have the requisite skills to enter this growing area of the accounting profession, this
class is designed to provide students with advanced knowledge and exposure to actual
cases in forensic accounting presented by professionals engaged in the investigations;
examples of potential forensic accounting engagements and the required framework to
complete a successful engagement; and then apply their knowledge in case studies.
Grading:
1
Mid-Term Exam
Case write-up1
Case Presentation
Peer Evaluation
Final Exam
Typically, all members of a group receive the same grade on the case write up. The exception occurs
when one or more members of the group receive a peer evaluation score that is less than 85%of the top peer
evaluation score for the group. In that case, the professor reserves the right to take points away from the
case write up grade.
March 28
Types of Fraud
April 4
Read: Chapters 1 and 2
Guest Lecturer: Max Liphart, CPA, CMA, CFE, CFF of Phelps
Consulting Group
Introduction to forensic accounting and careers in the field
April 11
Read: Chapter 5
Employee Fraud and misappropriation of assets
Assignment to groups
April 18
Read: Chapter 8
Guest Lecturer:
Being an expert witness
Read Tallahassee Bean Counters Case
April 25
Read: Chapter 9
Guest Lecturer: Max Liphart
Ethics, How to get documents, evidence management
May 2
Midterm Exam Due
First Data Requests, Tallahassee Bean Counters Case
Guest Lecturer: Max Liphart
Document preparation for the court, working papers
May 9
Second Data Requests, TBC case
Guest Lecturer: Manfred Hatzesberger, CISSI, EnCE of Guidance
Software
Computer Forensics
May16
Third Data Requests, TBC case
Guest Lecturer: Sarah Carson. MBA, CFE, PI, of Carson
Investigations
Interviewing and Background checks
May 23
Guest Lecturer: Max Liphart and Peter A. Davidson, Attorney at
Law, Receiver, Bank Trustee, or Ervin, Cohen and Jesse, LLP
Courtroom procedures, differences in Courtroom procedures
May 30
University closed for Memorial Day
June 6
TBC Report Due all Groups, Peer Evaluations Due
Presentations to Prosecutors, half of the groups, TBC case
Courtroom presentations of TBC case, half of the groups
Final Exam Due
The Guest Lecturers appearances are subject to change based on their professional
schedules.
12-17-2010