ACF5120 Forensic accounting and fraud examination
Faculty of Business and Economics
ACF5120 Forensic accounting and fraud examination is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Business and Economics, offered in 2026 in Semester 2 at Caulfield. It needs ACF5957.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 2
- Caulfield
- Assessment
- Exam 50%
- and 3 other tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ACF5120
Prerequisites
Pass these before you enrol.
After ACF5120
No unit lists ACF5120 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
If you are enrolled in course B6005 you do not need to undertake ACF5957 however you must have completed or be enrolled in ACX5903 to undertake this unit.
If you are enrolled in B6002, B6038, B6046, B6053 there are no prerequisites.
Overview
This unit covers theoretical and practical issues relevant to forensic accounting and fraud examination. Forensic accounting is the application of investigative and analytical skills to resolve financial issues in a manner that meets standards required by courts of law. Fraud examination is the process used to resolve allegations of fraud through the accumulation of evidence, including the investigation of systems and internal controls, and the detection of fraud circumstances. The unit examines the investigative process as well as an array of tools and techniques used to investigate financial forensic issues and fraud. Topics include: methods and techniques used by forensic accountants to collect, analyse and report relevant information for supporting cases to be presented in court; the nature, prevention, detection and investigation of different types of fraud, including: financial statement fraud, fraud against the organisation, consumer fraud, and e-commerce fraud.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Caulfield | On campus |
Assessment
- Written20%
- Project25%
- Presentation5%
- ExaminationThreshold hurdle50%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
examine the nature of fraud and critically evaluate and apply theories and techniques to prevent, detect and investigate different types of fraud, including financial statement fraud, fraud against organisations, consumer fraud, and fraud in e-commerce
- 2
demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills that forensic accountants and fraud examiners are expected to possess. These include: investigative techniques, knowledge of auditing, ethics, criminology, accounting, law, and information technology, and communication skills
- 3
develop an ability to work independently and to lead and participate in teams from diverse cultural and social backgrounds by completing both independent and group assessable tasks
- 4
apply critical thinking, problem solving and presentation skills to individual and/or group activities dealing with forensic accounting and fraud examination and demonstrate in an individual summative assessment task the acquisition of a comprehensive understanding of the topics covered by ACF5120.
Workload and teaching
- Lectures12 hours
- Tutorials24 hours
- Teaching approachCase-based teaching
- Teaching approachActive learning
- Teaching approachProblem-based learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. You are expected to complete all pre-class activities prior to your scheduled class, and post-class activities should be completed after your scheduled class. Learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed, peer directed and online engagement activities.
This unit includes case-based teaching, where you apply your knowledge and engage in analytical and reflective thinking to solve complex contextual scenarios. Activities are often designed so that there is not one clear answer, but you need to work together to examine, analyse and make decisions to resolve the situation.
This unit engages you in actively applying your knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.
This unit includes problem-based learning approaches, where you engage in research, integrate theory and practice and apply knowledge and skills to develop viable solutions in response to a problem or set of problems.
Learning resources
Technology resources
There may be an additional cost associated with purchasing a physical and/or virtual calculator. Specific details will be provided in the Learning Management System by commencement of Orientation week.
Where it fits
ACF5120 is part of 1 area of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Professor Chen Chen
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ACF5120?
You need ACF5957 before you enrol. Enrolment rules also apply.
When is ACF5120 offered?
In 2026, ACF5120 runs in Semester 2 at Caulfield.
How much work is ACF5120?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ACF5120 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 50% of the final mark, alongside 3 other tasks.
Which majors and minors include ACF5120?
ACF5120 is part of Financial analytics.