Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU)

Bachelor of Accounting and Finance (Hons) - Forensic Accounting Specialization

Program outline

This program is specifically designed to provide students with:

• Knowledge & skills in identifying, investigating, and examining evidence, including the processes of how to identify financial statement misrepresentation, transaction reconstruction, tax evasion, and other improper accounting activities.
• The necessary skills, key competencies, and required knowledge for today’s fast-moving business world.
• Maximum exemptions from the professional bodies.
• Competency not only in preparing and analyzing financial reports but also to successfully guide and lead their organizations.

Degree level 1

Students will learn fundamental skills required by every accounting and finance professional, and the basic understanding of the legal, business, and social environment in which accounting operates. We will also expose them to business & communication skills, mathematical skills, and entrepreneurial skills.

Common modules

• Quantitative Skills
• Introduction to Management
• Business and Communication Skills
• Financial Accounting 1
• Accounting Information System
• Business Economics
• Financial Accounting 2
• Business Law
• Marketing
• Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship
• Essential of FinTech

Degree level 2

A broader range of skills will be learned, in which students will gain a better understanding of the practices of forensic accounting and their relationship to auditing. They will also familiarise themselves with business processes through SAP, the world-leading enterprise software. Students will have hands-on training with the system. We will further nurture their independent learning to prepare them for the workplace and for further researches.

Common modules

• Advanced Financial Accounting
• Introduction to Taxation
• Financial Management
• Cost and Management Accounting
• Integrated Business Processes with SAP ERP System
• ​Auditing and Assurance
• Corporate Reporting
• Business Research Methods
• Management Accounting Techniques
• Company Law

Specialized modules

• Introduction to Forensic Accounting
• Advanced Auditing

Internship (16 weeks)

Students will undertake an Internship/Industrial Training for a minimum period of 16 weeks to prepare them for a smooth transition from the classroom to the working environment.

Degree level 3

Students will make use of their previous studies and industrial experience to learn about the detailed study of audit, examination and investigation issues from a financial perspective, with aims to groom them as a leader in forensic accounting. They will also expand their knowledge in the forensic accounting world by learning to find areas for potential concern. This area of understanding will be supported by Advanced Forensic Accounting, Forensic Accounting & Legal Environment, and Forensic Auditing & Information Technology. A final year project requires them to explore a topic individually - they will demonstrate the academic and practical aspects of their ability in the chosen area of study.

Common modules

• Ethics and Corporate Governance
• Corporate Finance
• Advanced Taxation
• ​Strategic Management Accounting
• Business Analysis

Specialized modules

• Financial Risk Management
• Advanced Forensic Accounting
• Forensic Auditing and Information Technology
• Forensic Accounting and Legal Environment
• Investigation in Forensic Accounting
• Forensic Accounting Project
• Islamic Finance

MQA compulsory subjects*

• Ethnic Relations (M’sian Students)
• Islamic & Asian Civilisation (M’sian Students)
• Malaysian Studies (Int’l Students)
• Malay Communication Language (Int’l Students)
• Workplace Professional Communication Skills
• Employee & Employment Trends
• Co-Curriculum

(*All students are required to successfully complete these modules as stipulated by the Malaysian Qualification Agency.)

Career options

• Forensic Accountant
• Fraud Investigator
• Audit Consultant
• Forensic Advisor
• Forensic Analyst
• Investigative Accountant
• Accounts Manager

Professional recognitions

APU has been leading the way for its graduates in Professional recognition and exemptions in the areas of Accounting, Banking, Finance, and Actuarial Studies. These are valuable not only for moving your career as a full-time professional forward but also for expanding your skills and expertise to become a more well-rounded employee. These recognitions help you become a more desirable job candidate or employee, one who can command a higher salary.

Upon completion of BA (Hons) in Accounting & Finance (with a specialism in Forensic Accounting), students are eligible for exemptions in the below Professional Accounting Bodies. Students who articulate from the APU Diploma Programme will be granted exemptions based on the prevalent policy of the relevant professional bodies.

• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)* (9 papers exemptions out of 13 papers)
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Australia** (6 papers exemptions out of 12 papers)
• The Institute of Certified Management Accountant
• The Malaysian Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (MAISCA) (12 papers exemptions out of 16 papers)
• Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) (8 papers exemptions out of 15 papers)
• Chartered Tax Institute of Malaysia (5-6 papers exemptions out of 8 papers)
• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) (6 papers exemptions out of 16 papers)
• Malaysian Association of Company Secretaries (MACS)
• Financial Planning Association of Malaysia

*APU ACCA Accelerate Scheme

Currently, students who graduate from Accounting & Finance programs are entitled to a 9-paper exemption from ACCA. Under this scheme, students have the option to complete the remaining 4 ACCA papers simultaneously with their degree program.

**CPA Australia Fast Track Scheme

Currently, students who graduate from Accounting & Finance programs are entitled to the full-6-paper exemptions from CPA Foundation Programme. Under this scheme, students have the option to complete the Ethics and Governance module at the Professional level simultaneously with their degree program and complete the remaining 5 CPA papers after completing their degree in Accounting & Finance.