Text from MSB Memorandum Dated 3/29/05 for
presentation to University Council, 5/27/05
Curriculum Change Proposals
The purpose of this cover memo is to outline three sets of curriculum changes
approved by the appropriate faculty committees, the Merrick School of Business
Faculty Senate, and endorsed by Dean Anne McCarthy. Associated with each
numbered item below, page numbers are referenced, which represent the locatin of
that item in this proposal. The four items are
1.
Changing the requirements for the Certificate in Technology
Commercialization. Not for UC review.
2.
Changing the course descriptions and/or course titles for courses regularly
offered in the INSS subject area by Merrick School faculty to students in the
M.B.A. and M.S./M.I.S. programs. In the opinion of the faculty and the
dean’s office these changes are not substantial and do not alter the underlying
structure of any degree or specialization. The Merrick School will take the
responsibility to ensure that these changes are reflected in the graduate catalog
at each appropriate instance. Not for UC review.
3.
Creation of four new courses, each with topics relating to forensic
accounting. These courses are proposed to be added to our M.B.A. program
and will be part of the Graduate Certificate in Forensic Accounting (#4
below).
On the following pages please find a “New Course Form” and a “Sample
Syllabus” for each of the four proposed courses.
1
NEW COURSE FORM
Contact Person:
Name: Phil Korb, Department Chair
School/College; Division/Department: Merrick School of Business
Department of Accounting and Management Information Systems
Contact information: E-mail: pkorb@ubalt.edu (410-837-5080)
Sent to Provost (date):
Level:
Course Number:
Course Name:
Credit Hours:
Monday April 4, 2005
Graduate
ACCT 601
Forensic Accounting Principles
3
Title Abbreviation (use a maximum of 20 spaces including punctuation and blanks):
Forensic Acct Prin
Course Description (for catalog):
This course will provide students with an overview of the field of Forensic Accounting. Specifically this course
will cover the following areas:

The roles, responsibilities, and requirements of a forensic accountant in both litigation and fraud
engagements
 Basic litigation and fraud examination theory
 Identification of financial fraud schemes
 The legal framework for damages and fraud
 Damage Assessments and Methodologies
 Earnings Management and Financial Reporting Fraud
 Computer Forensics
 Corporate Governance & Ethics
Actual litigation and fraud cases will be discussed to highlight the evolving roles of forensic accountants.
Reason For Offering This Course:
The increased complexity of business coupled with advent of new technologies have created an environment
where professionals need some background in forensic accounting to better understand their organizations and
themselves. Recent interest has bee fueled by well publicized scandals major corporations in the U.S. and
abroad. This course may be included in a proposed credential in this important and growing area of interest to
professionals.
Learning Objectives (what skills or knowledge will the student acquire?):






Ability to identify the roles and responsibilities of a forensic accountant
Understand the legal framework in which forensic analysis takes place
Describe sound investigative strategies
Identify appropriate damage methodologies
Understand issues of ethics as related to corporate governance
In-depth understanding of financial statements in search of fraud and/or accounting abuse
2
Assessment Procedure (how will the success of the learning objectives be assessed):
Class assignments, case analysis, inclusion of examples from the students’ workplace, and exams.
Frequency of offering the course:
Course will be offered once every two years.
Suggested maximum class size:
Consistent with other courses in the Merrick School of Business, an expected minimum enrollment of 15 will be
required to justify offering the course; enrollment will be capped at 35 students per section.
Staff qualified to teach the course:
Full-time: Members of the accounting faculty have developed various sections of this proposed course based
on their own experience, training, and interest levels. While we don’t anticipate full-time faculty assigned this
course to teach, several have backgrounds adequate in this specialized area. A more likely outcome would be
to team teach the course pairing in some way a full-time faculty member with a member of the local
professional community.
Part-time: Members of the accounting faculty have developed various sections of this proposed course based
on their own experience, training, and interest levels. While we don’t anticipate full-time faculty assigned this
course to teach, several have backgrounds adequate in this specialized area. A more likely outcome would be
to team teach the course pairing in some way a full-time faculty member with a member of the local
professional community.
Prerequisites:
ACCT 504 or course equivalent, or permission of Chair, Dept. of Accounting and Management Information
Systems
Is course required?
Course will exist as an elective in the M.B.A. program open to all interested students meeting prerequisites
Lab Fees (if any, give amount):
None
Grading Options:
Students permitted to elect grading options open to all University of Baltimore graduate students.
Can the student repeat for credit?
No
Concurrent Enrollment?
Students permitted to enroll in other courses, prior fulfillment of prerequisite requirement necessary.
Materials required for student purchase:
Equivalent to other courses in M.B.A. program normally including textbooks, notebooks, cases.
3
Relationship of course to other UB courses or departments, if applicable:
Conceptually, forensic accounting tools are applicable to other disciplines including management, finance, law
and legal studies, and human resources. Enrollment in these courses is open to any UB graduate or law student
who meets the prerequisites above.
The topics in ACCT 601 are related to all graduate business courses with the exception of technically oriented
courses in finance and management information systems. While related, faculty in the other disciplines, via
their approval of this course proposal, have been made aware of this new course and relied on existing coverage
of related topics in their own courses in this subject area. ACCT 601 may be taken as a graduate level
accounting elective by some students in the M.S. in Accounting and Business Advisory Services program and
by some students in the M.S. in Business/Finance program at the discretion of their program advisors.
Relationship to career of professional aspirations of the student:
ACCT 601, in conjunction with other related courses, will provide for career advancement by encouraging the
student to focus on a specialized niche. Additionally, ACCT 601 will fulfill continuing professional education
requirements for practicing CPA’s who wish to maintain currency in their credential.
Library consulted for adequacy of resources:
Faculty conducted searches of the library’s holdings and current subscriptions and determined that the resources
currently available are adequate when supplemented with materials available online, provided by textbook
publishers, available from professional organizations, or created by faculty for instructional purposes.
Sample Syllabi:
Attached please see next page includes identification of a) learning objectives, b) required textbooks and other
required materials (if any), c) course requirements, and d) topics/units descriptions.
4
Sample Syllabus ACCT 601
Forensic Accounting Principles
Instructor:
Semester:
Joe Lunchbucket
jlunchbucket@ubalt.edu, 410 837-9999
Office Hours: M,W, 4:00-5:25 and by appt.
Fall 2005
Course Overview
This course will provide students with an overview of the field of Forensic Accounting. Specifically this course
will cover the following areas:

The roles, responsibilities, and requirements of a forensic accountant in both litigation and fraud
engagements
 Basic litigation and fraud examination theory
 Identification of financial fraud schemes
 The legal framework for damages and fraud
 Damage Assessments and Methodologies
 Earnings Management and Financial Reporting Fraud
 Computer Forensics
 Corporate Governance & Ethics
Actual litigation and fraud cases will be discussed to highlight the evolving roles of forensic accountants.
Required Materials:
 Financial Investigation and Forensic Accounting, George A. Manning, CRC Press, Bacon Raton FL,
2000. ISBN: 0-8493-0435-0
 The New Forensics: Investigating Corporate Fraud and the Theft of Intellectual Property, Joe Anastasi,
New York, John Wiley, 2003. ISBN: 0-471-26994-8
 Harvard Business School Case Numbers HBS-1, HBS-2, HBS-3 available via the world wide web or at
UB bookstore
 Access to items placed on reserve in UB’s Langsdale Library drawn from the popular press
Student Responsibilities (% of course grade):
 Regular class attendance and participation (15%)
 Bi-weekly briefing paper (7 @ 2% - 15%)
 Midterm Exam, Date (25%)
 Cumulative final exam (45%)
 There are no make up exams and all briefing papers are due within 5 minutes of the start of the class in
which they are to be collected. Electronically transmitted papers are not accepted.
Learning Objectives – ACCT 601






Ability to identify the roles and responsibilities of a forensic accountant
Understand the legal framework in which forensic analysis takes place
Describe sound investigative strategies
Identify appropriate damage methodologies
Understand issues of ethics as related to corporate governance
In-depth understanding of financial statements in search of fraud and/or accounting abuse
5
Sample Topical Schedule ACCT 601
Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Week 4:
Week 5:
Week 6:
Week 7:
Week 7:
Week 8:
Week 9:
Week 10:
Week 11:
Week 12:
Week 13:
Week 14:
Week 15:
Introduction of major course topics, preview of their integration.
Distribution of course syllabus
The roles, responsibilities, and requirements of a forensic accountant in boty litigation
and fraud engagements.
Briefing Paper 1 due
In theory, basic litigation and fraud examination inclusion of the game theoretic
construct of “the core”
Group analysis case 1
In practice, basic litigation and fraud examination
Briefing Paper 2 due
Identificaition of financial fraud schemes
The legal framework for damages and fraud
Briefing Paper 3 due
Group analysis case 2
Detailed examinition of framework for damages and fraud
Midterm Exam
Damage Assessments and Methodologies
Techniques – Damage Assessments and Methodologies
Briefing Paper 4 due
Earnings management and reporting, corporations and individuals
Financial reporting, fraud schemes
Briefing Paper 5 due
Financial reporting, fraud detection
Computer forensics
Briefing Paper 6 due
Corporate governance and reporting issues within the ethical domain
Final Examination
6
NEW COURSE FORM
Contact Person:
Name: Phil Korb, Department Chair
School/College; Division/Department: Merrick School of Business
Department of Accounting and Management Information Systems
Contact information: E-mail: pkorb@ubalt.edu (410-837-5080)
Sent to Provost (date):
Level:
Course Number:
Course Name:
Credit Hours:
Monday April 4, 2005
Graduate
ACCT 602
Dissecting Financial Statements
3
Title Abbreviation (use a maximum of 20 spaces including punctuation and blanks):
Disctng Fin Statemts
Course Description (for catalog):
Students will learn how to review, detect, and investigate possible financial statement concerns of publicly and
privately held businesses, as well as nonprofit organizations and family businesses. Topics covered include:
legal elements of financial statement fraud; management's and auditor's responsibilities; improper revenue/sales
recognition; inadequate disclosure of related-party transactions; improper asset valuation; improper deferral of
costs and expenses; financial statement red flags; and inadequacies in management's discussion and analysis.
Students will learn how to detect and investigate possible financial statement problems by addressing such
factors as off balance sheet activity, liquidity, financial performance indicators, unreported intangibles, and
lease auditing.
Reason For Offering This Course:
The increased complexity of business coupled with advent of new technologies have created an environment
where professionals need some background in forensic accounting to better understand their organizations and
themselves. Recent interest has bee fueled by well publicized scandals major corporations in the U.S. and
abroad. This course may be included in a proposed credential in this important and growing area of interest to
professionals.
Learning Objectives (what skills or knowledge will the student acquire?):






Identify the roles of financial information in an organization.
Understanding the role of financial statements in recent corporate scandals
Demonstration of sound financial reporting practices
Ability to identify known techniques of those practicing financial fraud
Develop an ability to detect potential fraud from financial statements.
Place best and current practices in an ethical framework suitable for presentation to a client.
Assessment Procedure (how will the success of the learning objectives be assessed):
Class assignments, case analysis, inclusion of examples from the students’ workplace, and exams.
7
Frequency of offering the course:
Course will be offered once every two years.
Suggested maximum class size:
Consistent with other courses in the Merrick School of Business, an expected minimum enrollment of 15 will be
required to justify offering the course; enrollment will be capped at 35 students per section.
Staff qualified to teach the course:
Full-time: Members of the accounting faculty have developed various sections of this proposed course based
on their own experience, training, and interest levels. While we don’t anticipate full-time faculty assigned this
course to teach, several have backgrounds adequate in this specialized area. A more likely outcome would be
to team teach the course pairing in some way a full-time faculty member with a member of the local
professional community.
Part-time: Members of the accounting faculty have developed various sections of this proposed course based
on their own experience, training, and interest levels. While we don’t anticipate full-time faculty assigned this
course to teach, several have backgrounds adequate in this specialized area. A more likely outcome would be
to team teach the course pairing in some way a full-time faculty member with a member of the local
professional community.
Prerequisites:
ACCT 504 or course equivalent, or permission of Chair, Dept. of Accounting and Management Information
Systems
Is course required?
Course will exist as an elective in the M.B.A. program open to all interested students meeting prerequisites
Lab Fees (if any, give amount):
None
Grading Options:
Students permitted to elect grading options open to all University of Baltimore graduate students.
Can the student repeat for credit?
No
Concurrent Enrollment?
Students permitted to enroll in other courses, prior fulfillment of prerequisite requirement necessary.
Materials required for student purchase:
Equivalent to other courses in M.B.A. program normally including textbooks, notebooks, cases.
Relationship of course to other UB courses or departments, if applicable:
Conceptually, forensic accounting tools are applicable to other disciplines including management, finance, law
and legal studies, and human resources. Enrollment in these courses is open to any UB graduate or law student
who meets the prerequisites above.
The topics in ACCT 602 are related to all graduate business courses with the exception of technically oriented
courses in finance and management information systems. While related, faculty in the other disciplines, via
their approval of this course proposal, have been made aware of this new course and relied on existing coverage
of related topics in their own courses in this subject area. ACCT 602 may be taken as a graduate level
8
accounting elective by some students in the M.S. in Accounting and Business Advisory Services program and
by some students in the M.S. in Business/Finance program at the discretion of their program advisors.
Relationship to career of professional aspirations of the student:
ACCT 602, in conjunction with other related courses, will provide for career advancement by encouraging the
student to focus on a specialized niche. Additionally, ACCT 602will fulfill continuing professional education
requirements for practicing CPA’s who wish to maintain currency in their credential.
Library consulted for adequacy of resources:
Faculty conducted searches of the library’s holdings and current subscriptions and determined that the resources
currently available are adequate when supplemented with materials available online, provided by textbook
publishers, available from professional organizations, or created by faculty for instructional purposes.
Sample Syllabi:
Attached please see next page includes identification of a) learning objectives, b) required textbooks and other
required materials (if any), c) course requirements, and d) topics/units descriptions.
9
Sample Syllabus ACCT 602
Dissecting Financial Statements
Instructor:
Semester:
Tim Ber
tber@ubalt.edu 410 837-9999
Office Hours: M,W, 4:00-5:25 and by appt.
Fall 2005
Course Overview
Students will learn how to review, detect, and investigate possible financial statement concerns of publicly and
privately held businesses, as well as nonprofit organizations and family businesses. Topics covered include:
legal elements of financial statement fraud; management's and auditor's responsibilities; improper revenue/sales
recognition; inadequate disclosure of related-party transactions; improper asset valuation; improper deferral of
costs and expenses; financial statement red flags; and inadequacies in management's discussion and analysis.
Students will learn how to detect and investigate possible financial statement problems by addressing such
factors as off balance sheet activity, liquidity, financial performance indicators, unreported intangibles, and
lease auditing.
Required Text:
Fraud Examination [2003 Edition] by W. S. Albrecht. Published by Thompson-Southwestern, ISBN 0-032416296-0, available in UB bookstore.
Student also responsible for having access to AICPA cases found on that institutions website.
Student Responsibilities (% of course grade):
 Regular class attendance and participation (15%)
 Midterm Exam, Date (25%)
 Cumulative final exam (25%)
 Term paper (35%)
 There are no make up exams and all briefing papers are due within 5 minutes of the start of the class in
which they are to be collected. Electronically transmitted papers are not accepted.
Learning Objectives – ACCT 602

Identify the roles of financial information in an organization.

Understanding the role of financial statements in recent corporate scandals

Demonstration of sound financial reporting practices

Ability to identify known techniques of those practicing financial fraud
 Develop an ability to detect potential fraud from financial statements.

Place best and current practices in an ethical framework suitable for presentation to a client.
Potential Term Paper Topics – One student per topic, you may suggest additional topics subject to Professor’s
approval by 3rd week of class, faliure to have approved topic by then results in the professor assigning you a
topic.
Anatomy of Various E-Commerce Fraud Types
The 10 Most Famous Financial Accounting Frauds of The Last 50 years: Lessons Learned?
Electronic Evidence Investigation Techniques
Using ACL to Investigate large Data Files
Bank and Financial Institution Frauds Overview and 10 Examples
10
Indirect Methods of Proof – The Net Worth and Expenditures Methods Compared
Litigation Support services by National CPA Firms
Money Laundering Techniques: Past and Present
Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Week 4:
Week 5:
Week 6:
Week 7:
Week 8:
Week 9:
Week 10:
Week 11:
Week 12:
Week 13:
Week 14:
Week 15:
Introduction to forensic accounting, text chapter 1,
problems C1-1, C1-2, C1-3, C1-4, C1-6
Who commits fraud and who fights it, text chapters 2, 3,
AICPA Case 1, C1-11, C2-5, C2-12, C2-17
Preventing and recognizing fraud, text chapters 4,5
AICPA Case 2, problems C4-2, C4-5, C4-11, C5-2
Detecting Fraud, text chapter 6
AICPA Case 3, problems C6-1, C7-2, C7-5, C8-1, C8-7
Investigations, text chapters 7,8
problems C7-1, C7-2, C8-1, C8-7
Fraud Reports, text chapter 9
problems C9-1, C9-3, C9-5, AICPA Case 5
Midterm Examination
Spring or Thanksgiving Break
Financial Statement Fraud, text chapter 10
Revenue and Inventory Frauds, text cahpter 11 C11-6, C11-7
AICPA case 7
Liability and Disclosure Frauds, text chapter 12
problems c12-1, C12-5, C12-6, C12-7
AICPA case 8
Fraud Against Organizations, Bankruptcy, and Divorce Frauds, text chapters 13, 14
AICPA case 9
E-Commerce Frauds, text chapter 15, AICPA case 10
Student Term Paper Presentations
Final Exam (or term paper presentations, final exam may be due 3 days later)
11
NEW COURSE FORM
Contact Person:
Name: Phil Korb, Department Chair
School/College; Division/Department: Merrick School of Business
Department of Accounting and Management Information Systems
Contact information: E-mail: pkorb@ubalt.edu (410-837-5080)
Sent to Provost (date):
Level:
Course Number:
Course Name:
Credit Hours:
Monday April 4, 2005
Graduate
ACCT 603
Investigative Accounting and Fraud Examination
3
Title Abbreviation (use a maximum of 20 spaces including punctuation and blanks):
Inv Acct Fraud Exam
Course Description (for catalog):
Topics include the in-depth review of: sophisticated fraud schemes; how fraudulent conduct can be deterred;
how allegations of fraud should be investigated and resolved; the recovery of assets; methods of writing
effective reports, complying with SAS 82 and other fraud standards. Fraud and investigation topics cover acts of
skimming, cash larceny, check tampering, register disbursement schemes, billing schemes, payroll and expense
reimbursement schemes, improper accounting of inventory and other assets, corruption, bribery, conflicts of
interest, security fraud, insurance fraud, anti-terrorist financing, and money laundering.
Reason For Offering This Course:
The increased complexity of business coupled with advent of new technologies have created an environment
where professionals need some background in forensic accounting to better understand their organizations and
themselves. Recent interest has bee fueled by well publicized scandals major corporations in the U.S. and
abroad. This course may be included in a proposed credential in this important and growing area of interest to
professionals.
Learning Objectives (what skills or knowledge will the student acquire?):





Identification of various, well known fraud schemes
Identification of accepted methodology for conducting fraud investigations
Ability to apply various interview techniques
Demonstration of basic IT skills
Understanding the use of computerized tools in fraud investigation and digital evidence recovery
Assessment Procedure (how will the success of the learning objectives be assessed):
Class assignments, case analysis, inclusion of examples from the students’ workplace, and exams.
Frequency of offering the course:
Course will be offered once every two years.
Suggested maximum class size:
12
Consistent with other courses in the Merrick School of Business, an expected minimum enrollment of 15 will be
required to justify offering the course; enrollment will be capped at 35 students per section.
Staff qualified to teach the course:
Full-time: Members of the accounting faculty have developed various sections of this proposed course based
on their own experience, training, and interest levels. While we don’t anticipate full-time faculty assigned this
course to teach, several have backgrounds adequate in this specialized area. A more likely outcome would be
to team teach the course pairing in some way a full-time faculty member with a member of the local
professional community.
Part-time: Members of the accounting faculty have developed various sections of this proposed course based
on their own experience, training, and interest levels. While we don’t anticipate full-time faculty assigned this
course to teach, several have backgrounds adequate in this specialized area. A more likely outcome would be
to team teach the course pairing in some way a full-time faculty member with a member of the local
professional community.
Prerequisites:
ACCT 504 or course equivalent, or permission of Chair, Dept. of Accounting and Management Information
Systems
Is course required?
Course will exist as an elective in the M.B.A. program open to all interested students meeting prerequisites
Lab Fees (if any, give amount):
None
Grading Options:
Students permitted to elect grading options open to all University of Baltimore graduate students.
Can the student repeat for credit?
No
Concurrent Enrollment?
Students permitted to enroll in other courses, prior fulfillment of prerequisite requirement necessary.
Materials required for student purchase:
Equivalent to other courses in M.B.A. program normally including textbooks, notebooks, cases.
Relationship of course to other UB courses or departments, if applicable:
Conceptually, forensic accounting tools are applicable to other disciplines including management, finance, law
and legal studies, and human resources. Enrollment in these courses is open to any UB graduate or law student
who meets the prerequisites above.
The topics in ACCT 603 are related to all graduate business courses with the exception of technically oriented
courses in finance and management information systems. While related, faculty in the other disciplines, via
their approval of this course proposal, have been made aware of this new course and relied on existing coverage
of related topics in their own courses in this subject area. ACCT 603 may be taken as a graduate level
accounting elective by some students in the M.S. in Accounting and Business Advisory Services program and
by some students in the M.S. in Business/Finance program at the discretion of their program advisors.
Relationship to career of professional aspirations of the student:
13
ACCT 603, in conjunction with other related courses, will provide for career advancement by encouraging the
student to focus on a specialized niche. Additionally, ACCT 603 will fulfill continuing professional education
requirements for practicing CPA’s who wish to maintain currency in their credential.
Library consulted for adequacy of resources:
Faculty conducted searches of the library’s holdings and current subscriptions and determined that the resources
currently available are adequate when supplemented with materials available online, provided by textbook
publishers, available from professional organizations, or created by faculty for instructional purposes.
Sample Syllabi:
Attached please see next page includes identification of a) learning objectives, b) required textbooks and other
required materials (if any), c) course requirements, and d) topics/units descriptions.
14
Sample Syllabus ACCT 603
Investigative Accounting and Fraud Examination
Instructor:
Semester:
Chuck Wagon
cwagon@ubalt.edu 410 837-9999
Office Hours: M,W, 4:00-5:25 and by appt.
Fall 2005
Course Overview
Topics include the in-depth review of: sophisticated fraud schemes; how fraudulent conduct
can be deterred; how allegations of fraud should be investigated and resolved; the recovery of
assets; methods of writing effective reports, complying with SAS 82 and other fraud
standards. Fraud and investigation topics cover acts of skimming, cash larceny, check
tampering, register disbursement schemes, billing schemes, payroll and expense
reimbursement schemes, improper accounting of inventory and other assets, corruption,
bribery, conflicts of interest, security fraud, insurance fraud, anti-terrorist financing, and
money laundering.
Required Text:
Principles of Fraud Examination, Joseph T. Wells, 2004, Wiley Publishing
Fraud Examination and Prevention, 2004, W. Steve Albrecht and Chad O. Albrecht
Student Responsibilities (% of course grade):
 Regular class attendance and participation (15%)
 Two Midterms Exam, Date (50%)
 Cumulative final exam (35%)
 Homework Assignments (10%)
 There are no make up exams and all briefing papers are due within 5 minutes of the start of the class in
which they are to be collected. Electronically transmitted papers are not accepted.





Learning Objectives ACCT 603
Identification of various, well known fraud schemes
Identification of accepted methodology for conducting fraud investigations
Ability to apply various interview techniques
Demonstration of basic IT skills
Understanding the use of computerized tools in fraud investigation and digital evidence recovery
Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Week 4:
Week 5:
Week 6:
Week 7:
Week 8:
Week 9:
Introduction to course
Skimming
Cash Larceny and Check Tampering
Register Disbursement Schemes
Exam 1
Billing Schemes
Payroll Schemes, Expense Reimbursement Schemes
Non-cash Misappropriations
Corruption
15
Week 10:
Week 11:
Week 12:
Week 13:
Week 14:
Week 15:
Exam 2
Accounting Principles and Fraud
Fraudulent Financial Statements
Fraudulent Financial Statement Schemes
Interviewing Witnesses
Final Exemption
16
NEW COURSE FORM
Contact Person:
Name: Phil Korb, Department Chair
School/College; Division/Department: Merrick School of Business
Department of Accounting and Management Information Systems
Contact information: E-mail: pkorb@ubalt.edu (410-837-5080)
Sent to Provost (date):
Level:
Course Number:
Course Name:
Credit Hours:
Monday April 4, 2005
Graduate
ACCT 604
Litigation Support
3
Title Abbreviation (use a maximum of 20 spaces including punctuation and blanks):
Lit Sup
Course Description (for catalog):
This course will address the relationship between the forensic accounting professional and the litigation process
of which they may play a role. Specifically, this course will cover: the litigation process, the legal framework
for damages and fraud, damage assessment methodologies, issues related to the presentation of evidence
through expert testimony, practices used in supporting divorce cases, and basic rules of evidence as they apply
to forensic accountants.
Reason For Offering This Course:
The increased complexity of business coupled with advent of new technologies have created an environment
where professionals need some background in forensic accounting to better understand their organizations and
themselves. Recent interest has bee fueled by well publicized scandals major corporations in the U.S. and
abroad. This course may be included in a proposed credential in this important and growing area of interest to
professionals.
Learning Objectives (what skills or knowledge will the student acquire?):




Ability to identify the elements of the litigation process
Demonstration of an understanding of the framework for damages and fraud
Ability to apply methodologies of damage assessment in instances involving lost profits, lost wages,
intrinsic imputed values of services, and other appropriate topics
Present evidence through expert testimony, including construction and documentation of demonstrative
exhibits
Assessment Procedure (how will the success of the learning objectives be assessed):
Class assignments, case analysis, inclusion of examples from the students’ workplace, and exams.
Frequency of offering the course:
Course will be offered once every two years.
17
Suggested maximum class size:
Consistent with other courses in the Merrick School of Business, an expected minimum enrollment of 15 will be
required to justify offering the course; enrollment will be capped at 35 students per section.
Staff qualified to teach the course:
Full-time: Members of the accounting faculty have developed various sections of this proposed course based
on their own experience, training, and interest levels. While we don’t anticipate full-time faculty assigned this
course to teach, several have backgrounds adequate in this specialized area. A more likely outcome would be
to team teach the course pairing in some way a full-time faculty member with a member of the local
professional community.
Part-time: Members of the accounting faculty have developed various sections of this proposed course based
on their own experience, training, and interest levels. While we don’t anticipate full-time faculty assigned this
course to teach, several have backgrounds adequate in this specialized area. A more likely outcome would be
to team teach the course pairing in some way a full-time faculty member with a member of the local
professional community.
Prerequisites:
ACCT 504 or course equivalent, or permission of Chair, Dept. of Accounting and Management Information
Systems
Is course required?
Course will exist as an elective in the M.B.A. program open to all interested students meeting prerequisites
Lab Fees (if any, give amount):
None
Grading Options:
Students permitted to elect grading options open to all University of Baltimore graduate students.
Can the student repeat for credit?
No
Concurrent Enrollment?
Students permitted to enroll in other courses, prior fulfillment of prerequisite requirement necessary.
Materials required for student purchase:
Equivalent to other courses in M.B.A. program normally including textbooks, notebooks, cases.
Relationship of course to other UB courses or departments, if applicable:
Conceptually, forensic accounting tools are applicable to other disciplines including management, finance, law
and legal studies, and human resources. Enrollment in these courses is open to any UB graduate or law student
who meets the prerequisites above.
The topics in ACCT 604 are related to all graduate business courses with the exception of technically oriented
courses in finance and management information systems. While related, faculty in the other disciplines, via
their approval of this course proposal, have been made aware of this new course and relied on existing coverage
of related topics in their own courses in this subject area. ACCT 604 may be taken as a graduate level
accounting elective by some students in the M.S. in Accounting and Business Advisory Services program and
by some students in the M.S. in Business/Finance program at the discretion of their program advisors.
18
Relationship to career of professional aspirations of the student:
ACCT 604, in conjunction with other related courses, will provide for career advancement by encouraging the
student to focus on a specialized niche. Additionally, ACCT 604 will fulfill continuing professional education
requirements for practicing CPA’s who wish to maintain currency in their credential.
Library consulted for adequacy of resources:
Faculty conducted searches of the library’s holdings and current subscriptions and determined that the resources
currently available are adequate when supplemented with materials available online, provided by textbook
publishers, available from professional organizations, or created by faculty for instructional purposes.
Sample Syllabi:
Attached please see next page includes identification of a) learning objectives, b) required textbooks and other
required materials (if any), c) course requirements, and d) topics/units descriptions.
19
Sample Syllabus ACCT 604
Litigation Support
Instructor:
Semester:
Jane Doe
JPDOE@ubalt.edu 410 837-9999
Office Hours: M,W, 4:00-5:25 and by appt.
Fall 2005
Course Overview
This course will address the relationship between the forensic accounting professional and the
litigation process of which they may play a role. Specifically, this course will cover: the litigation
process, the legal framework for damages and fraud, damage assessment methodologies, issues
related to the presentation of evidence through expert testimony, practices used in supporting divorce
cases, and basic rules of evidence as they apply to forensic accountants.
Required Text:
Fraud Examination, Albrecht
Financial Shenanigans, Schilit, 2nd Edition
Student Responsibilities (% of course grade):
 Regular class attendance and participation (15%)
 Two Midterms Exam, Date (50%)
 Cumulative final exam (35%)
 Homework Assignments (10%)
 There are no make up exams and all briefing papers are due within 5 minutes of the start of the class in
which they are to be collected. Electronically transmitted papers are not accepted.
Learning Objectives ACCT 604
 Ability to identify the elements of the litigation process
 Demonstration of an understanding of the framework for damages and fraud
 Ability to apply methodologies of damage assessment in instances involving lost profits, lost wages,
intrinsic imputed values of services, and other appropriate topics
 Present evidence through expert testimony, including construction and documentation of demonstrative
exhibits
Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Week 4:
Week 5:
Week 6:
Week 7:
Week 8:
Week 9:
Week 10:
Week 11:
Week 12:
Week 13:
Introduction to course
The Tools of Litigation Support
Guest Speaker, Forensic Accountant
Techniques for presenting data
Exam 1
Frameworks for Damage Determination
Framework for Fraud Damage Assessment
Capturing Non-cash Misappropriations
Assessing Lost Profits
Exam 2
Instances of corporate fraud
Quantifying corporate fraud
Workshop of Testimony – guest speaker
20
Week 14:
Week 15:
Interviewing Witnesses
Final Examination
21
4.
Creation of a new certificate program, a Graduate Certificate in Forensic
Accounting, building upon the assumed approval of the four courses in
item 3. above. It is my understanding that creation of this certificate will
require notification of MHEC given that it is introduced as part of our
existing, fully-accredited M.B.A. program
The mission of the Merrick School of Business, University of Baltimore emphasizes the need to
“create and deliver a leading edge curriculum with practical learning experiences in innovative and
flexible ways.”
When approved, the Graduate Certificate in Forensic Accounting will represent another example of
our ability to provide a leading edge curriculum and provide a useful, career oriented practical
learning experience to a wider mix of professionals than currently served by our graduate programs.
The Graduate Certificate in Forensic Accounting extends our M.B.A. program and will complement
general electives available therein. Admission to the Graduate Certificate in Forensic Accounting
will not require admission into any graduate program within the Robert G. Merrick School of
Business, University of Baltimore. Further, professionals in the community will be encouraged to
take the courses comprising the certificate program or the certificate in its entirety.
The certificate presents students with ideas, skills, and methodologies that are currently in demand
throughout the economy, especially given the recent issues arising out of reporting requirements,
corporate governance, and ethical behavior and the adoption by all organizations of processes to be
compliant with Sarbanes-Oxley legislation.




The required courses provide
a unique vantage point from which to understand the roles and responsibilities of the forensic
accountant,
a practical understanding of the legal framework within which damages and fraud are defined,
an in-depth familiarity with the nature of financial statements and ways to investigate this data with
an emphasis on credibility, and,
a deeper exposure into the granular components of corporate governance issues and their interaction
with ethical behavior.
Admission to the Graduate Certificate in Forensic Accounting requires proof of a bachelor’s degree
from a business or business related (such as corporate communications and health systems
management) program with a 3.0 Grade Point Average, two letters of recommendation, a letter of
intent, submission of a transcript showing an earned bachelor’s degree, completion of a University of
Baltimore application, and a planned course of study approved by the Merrick Advising Office.
Automatic admission, requiring only an application and appropriate transcripts, is granted if the
applicant holds a graduate degree from an AACSB-International accredited institution.
Application for graduation must be made prior to completing the last three credits of the certificate
program. All twelve credits required in the certificate program must be taken at the University of
Baltimore. ACCT 504, Introduction to Accounting, or its equivalent is a pre-requisite for each course
in the certificate program.
Graduate Certificate in Forensic Accounting Course Requirements (12 credits)
ACCT 601
ACCT 602
Forensic Accounting Principles (3 credits)
Dissecting Financial Statements (3 credits)
22
ACCT 603
ACCT 604
Investigative Accounting & Fraud Examination (3 credits)
Litigation Support (3 credits)
Students may not be simultaneously enrolled in any University of Baltimore Graduate or Graduate
Level Program and the Graduate Certificate in Forensic Accounting Program. Students who have
satisfactorily completed some or all of the required coursework above, through prior coursework at
UB, are subject to a six credit residency requirement for the certificate and will have suitable courses
approved by the department chair of the Accounting and Management Information Systems
Department to fulfill the six credit residency requirement. Students with related coursework at other
institutions may not transfer credits into the certificate program; but may, with the approval of the
Accounting and Management Information Systems Department Chair, make two course substitutions
within the above list.
23