ALBANY, N.Y. (March 13, 2007) -- The University at Albany's department of accounting and law, part of the School of Business, is developing a groundbreaking interdisciplinary graduate program in forensic accounting. The Congressional response to recent multi-billion dollar corporate scandals, most notably through the Sarbanes-Oxley act, has helped place much of the reliance for future corporate integrity on the shoulders of the forensic accountant. The forensic accounting program at UAlbany is designed to address the needs of the professional practice of accounting, as well as educate the future leaders within the corporate and governmental world responsible for ensuring the prevention and detection of corporate scandals.
Students will be prepared for the field of forensic accounting through new courses in forensic analytics, digital forensics, corporate fraud, corporate governance, and in the legal aspects of the new discipline. The initiative incorporates resources from the department of information technology management, the College of Computing and Information, the New York State Center for Information Forensics and Assurance (CIFA) and the Northeast Regional Forensics Institute (NERFI).
"These courses will strengthen our leadership in accounting in the Northeast and attract top-quality students," said Paul Leonard, dean of the School of Business. "The reaction we've had from professional accounting firms has been very positive."
The program, which will be geared toward upper-level undergraduates and graduate students, will begin offering classes during the 2007-08 academic year.
The University at Albany School of Business helps students build critical business management skills essential for achieving long-term success. Offering both full-time and part-time opportunities, the School of Business incorporates a multi-faceted approach to learning that fosters an interactive and "high tech" learning environment, and applied experiences in on-site field projects with local and regional firms.
