The financial world is full of opportunities, and some of the people working there are more qualified than others. Specifically, the accounting industry is one where people can work in a number of different job functions. Some folks in accounting work as a general accountant for the public. Some do the same thing for companies. Others try to make it as a forensic accountant , and that requires a much different skill set if you want to have any long term success. But what exactly do you have to do and what do you have to know if you want to be a good forensic accountant? What are these guys all about?
Undergraduate accounting degrees
Many of the skilled individuals who work in this field have degrees from some of the best universities in the world. For the most part, it takes a general finance background in order to do well in the field. Most people will go through a general accounting program at some college, and they will take some specialized classes while doing that. At just about every accredited university in the United States, the accounting program will have a few offerings in forensic accounting. It requires a different approach than standard accounting, and it's something that you must have at least some educational background in.
Graduate degrees with some specialization
Many of people who do well in the field of forensic accounting have some sort of graduate degree. There are a few universities around the country that offer a specialized masters degree in forensic accounting, and these graduates come out of their program ready to make a contribution. Most of these people will spend their time in undergrad studying accounting, and they will use the graduate education to work on the finer points of forensic accounting. That would generally make them work more on the investigative side of things, since a bachelors degree provides a nice starting point for the world of dedicated accounting.
Experience before entering forensic accounting
At most of the big accounting firms, first year employees are not ready to work in the fast paced world of forensic accounting. This is true of those who have done well in their college accounting program. They will typically have to work for a year in regular accounting while they gain experience for the future. After completing a year at some of these companies, accountants will be able to switch into forensic accounting if they are good at that sort of thing. Firms take this very seriously and they only have highly qualified individuals working in their forensic departments. Because of the high stakes nature of their work, mistakes are not allowed.

If you were to take a look at the roster at any of the major accounting firms, you would find quite a few highly qualified people who get the job done in a big way. They have to put in the time and they have to get the education in order to even be considered for a position in forensic accounting.