Finance Crime Major for Military and Veterans
A student earning a Financial Crime Degree learns about the various aspects of financial wrongdoing. This program usually covers fraud examination, forensic accounting, and regulatory compliance through data analysis and investigative research.Financial crime (“white collar crime”) involves fraudulent or dishonest behavior for personal financial gain. Crimes that fall under this category include:
- Counterfeiting
- Embezzlement
- Fraud
- Forgery
- Identity theft
- Money laundering
- Tax evasion
- Terrorism financing
Graduates can find lucrative jobs as investigators, compliance officers, and fraud analysts. They may work for organizations like the DEA, FBI, and IRS and find employment in criminal justice roles in public or private sectors.
Using the GI Bill and Tuition Assistance for a Finance Crime Degree
Suppose you’re interested in pursuing a Finance Crime Degree and need financial help. In that case, the GI Bill, a military education benefit for service members in the Air Force, Space Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Army, and Coast Guard and their eligible dependents, covers tuition and fees, provides a monthly housing allowance, and offers additional money for books and supplies.The GI Bill assists veterans’ transition into civilian life by offering them opportunities to further their education, acquire new skills, and find better jobs.
Using Spouse Tuition Assistance (STAP) and MyCAA for a Finance Crime Degree
Spouse Tuition Assistance
When seeking a Finance Crime Degree, military spouse tuition assistance programs help military spouses (and sometimes dependent children) pay for their education, whether in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world.All military branches once offered programs following Spouse Tuition Assistance (STAP) guidelines or created something similar. Today, individuals and organizations use the term STAP interchangeably to describe various offerings by military relief organizations, but the programs can differ.
STAP now refers to the education benefits offered by military aid societies, many of which the U.S. military branches and the federal government do not run. Instead, they are private, nonprofit organizations, and what they provide varies.
These organizations include:
- Army Emergency Relief
- Air Force Aid Society
- Navy/Marine Corps Relief Society
- Coast Guard Foundation
MyCAA
The workforce development program MyCAA, formally known as the My Career Advancement Account Scholarship, provides financial assistance of up to $4,000 ($2,000 over two years) to eligible military spouses pursuing or maintaining a degree, certification, or license.As long as an individual meets the requirements, MyCAA will pay for spouses pursuing any occupation or career.
Careers With a Finance Crime Major
While Associate Degrees exist for Financial Crime, positions typically require at least a Bachelor’s Degree. According to Utica University, which offers an online Master’s Degree in Finance Crime, recent economic scandals have called for greater business and financial oversight.A Financial Crime Degree-holder can find work in many industries, including banking and financial services, law enforcement and government agencies, insurance companies, consulting firms, the corporate sector, legal and accounting firms, and technology and cyber security.
What To Expect From a Military-Friendly Finance Crime Degree Program
Financial Crime courses vary from school to school. For example, Marywood University’s courses focus on “auditing, business taxation, criminology, financial analysis, law enforcement, and white collar crime.”Utica University offers two concentrations in its financial crimes program. In its Financial Investigation concentration, students learn to spot financial misdeeds through forensic accounting and take courses in accounting concepts and procedures, data analysis, and fraud detection.
Through Utica’s Fraud Prevention and Detection concentration, students take courses in investigation and interviewing techniques, using tech to detect and prevent crime, and recognizing suspicious behavior patterns in identifying financial crime.
Select Yellow Ribbon Colleges with Finance Crime Degree Programs
- University of Baltimore: The University of Baltimore offers a Master’s Degree in Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation.
- Kansas State University: Kansas State University offers an Associate’s and Master’s Banking, Corporate, Finance, and Securities Law.
- Missouri State University: Missouri State University offers a certificate in Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation.
- Pfeiffer University: Pfeiffer University offers Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation.
Select Military-Friendly Colleges with Finance Crime Degree Programs
- Hilbert College: Hilbert College offers a Bachelor’s Degree in Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation.
- Canisius College: Canisius College offers a Bachelor’s Degree in Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation.
- Genesee Community College: Genesee Community College offers an Associate’s Degree in Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation.
- Tiffin University: Tiffin University offers a certificate and Master’s Degree in Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation.
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Many schools, like Utica University and Champlain College have online degrees for undergraduate study and graduate studies in Finance Crime. Check with the school of your choice to see their online offerings.Finance Crime Degree Paths Using the GI Bill
Certificate in Finance Crime
Certifications are focused courses some employers require. They take less time than degrees to complete and may be instead of or in addition to a degree. For example, a student may take courses to be a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) or Certified Financial Crime Specialist (CFCS).Associate’s Degree in Finance Crime
According to Franklin University, its Associate’s Degree program “prepares students to help businesses understand the big-picture impact of fraud as well as the fine details. You’ll learn how to take a business management approach, learn how to research and analyze fraudulent activity, and recommend preventive and control measures.”Your Future with an Associate’s Degree in Finance Crime
- Financial Services Representative: This role involves working with various financial institutions, assisting customers with financial transactions, and promoting financial products.
- Fraud Prevention Associate: Fraud prevention associates look for suspicious financial activity, conduct investigations, and carry out fraud prevention measures.
- Compliance Assistant: Compliance assistants ensure businesses follow legal and regulatory requirements.
Bachelor’s Degree in Finance Crime
Most employers look for a bachelor's degree in this sector. This four-year degree program gives students a solid foundation with courses in accounting and criminal justice.Your Future with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance Crime
- Financial Analyst in Risk Management: Financial analysts assess the performance of investments and financial data and recommend investment strategies. A person in this role also analyzes the many risks associated with investments.
- Financial Crimes Unit Investigator: This role requires individuals to use their knowledge of financial systems, forensic accounting techniques, and criminal justice procedures to build cases against criminal perpetrators.
- Compliance Analyst: Compliance analysts ensure that financial institutions and organizations observe laws, regulations, and industry standards through compliance audits and policy and procedure reviews.
Master’s Degree in Finance Crime
A Master's Degree in Finance Crime is more focused than a Bachelor's and takes up to two years to complete. It typically combines advanced finance, criminal justice, and forensic accounting studies.Your Future with a Master’s Degree in Finance Crime
- Compliance Manager: Compliance managers oversee an organization's compliance with laws, regulations, and industry standards. They may train employees on these requirements, conduct audits, and create compliance policies and procedures.
- Government Investigator: Government agencies such as the SEC, FBI, IRS, and others employ individuals to investigate financial crimes like securities fraud and tax evasion.
- Cyber Security Consultant: A cyber security consultant assesses cyber threats related to financial transactions, develops protections against cyber fraud for an organization, and educates clients on security.
Doctoral Degrees in Finance Crime
Finance Crime Degree programs at the doctoral level are few and far between, but they do exist for students with an eye on teaching or research. George Mason University’s doctorate program focuses on anti-money laundering, compliance and financial crime prevention.Your Future with a PhD in Finance Crime
- Professor: A finance crime professor teaches finance, criminal justice, forensic accounting, and compliance courses at the undergraduate or graduate level and conducts research on white-collar crime, crime prevention strategies, or regulatory compliance.
- Senior Consultant: Senior consultants provide expertise to organizations and clients on complex financial and regulatory issues.