Skip navigation

Economic Crime (Taught)

Course details
  • 2 Study options
  • Postgraduate
Course location
Main Site

Course summary

Overview
Start your career in countering economic crime, or if you're already working in the field and want to aim for higher level roles, get the knowledge and skills you need on this MSc Economic Crime degree course. Choose to study full-time or part-time.

You'll explore and evaluate the intricacies of economic crime and its social and financial impacts. You'll get to grips with existing crime reduction policies and weigh up their effectiveness.

Choose specialist topics that interest you – such as countering corruption and fraud examination, terrorism and security, and managing intelligence – as you tailor your studies toward a career in law enforcement, investigations, compliance, research, analysis, management or policy development.

When you graduate, you'll be equipped with skills that will open further opportunities to combat economic crime across the criminal justice system, in the public or private sector.

  • Evaluate the scale and impact of international economic crime, with a focus on money laundering and related activity, such as global sanctions and terrorist financing

  • Learn from an experienced team of economic crime specialists in our School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, and hear from industry expert guest speakers from around the world

  • Be part of our community of researchers by getting involved with our criminology research centres, such as the Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime, the Economic Crime group, and the Cybercrime and Cybersecurity group

  • Have the opportunity to use our lab equipment to carry out your own research, such as our operational simulation spaces

  • Interact and explore economic crime with fellow professionals from the field of criminal justice

Careers and opportunities
According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), fraud and economic crime is now the most commonly experienced crime in England and Wales. When you graduate from this Master's in Economic Crime, you'll be equipped with the tools you need to not only understand economic crime and how it is countered, but also to challenge existing processes and make improvements.

You'll have a comprehensive understanding of economic crime and will be able to work in areas such as counter fraud and counter corruption, law enforcement, customs and excise, crime prevention and community safety.

You'll gain a tailored postgraduate qualification to add to your undergraduate degree, or to back up your existing career knowledge from the field. You'll delve deep into the subjects you choose to study through research, gaining an evidence-based perspective and a greater ability to be analytical and evaluative.

If you already work in the field of criminal justice, you'll be ready to pursue higher-level roles, or to break into a different area of the discipline. If you're yet to embark on your career, you'll gain the knowledge and advanced research problem-solving skills you need to stand out to employers and contribute positively to justice system reform.

You could also go on to further study, or progress on to a graduate scheme such as PoliceNow or the Civil Service Fast Track Apprenticeship Scheme.

Graduates of this course can go on to roles such as:

  • economic crime or counter fraud investigator

  • police or law enforcement officer

  • probation or prison officer

  • data analyst

  • intelligence analyst

  • cybersecurity

Graduates of this course can go on to work for organisations such as:

  • the Civil Service

  • national and international Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)

  • Government agencies and departments internationally

  • probation and prison service

  • the Courts

  • local administration / authorities

  • private security companies

  • charities

Modules

Course Modules

The University of Portsmouth is passionate about creating career-focused modules that do more than support your studies, they empower your academic journey and prepare you for what comes next.

We design modules that have:

• Clear themes and skills development as you progress through each year
• Assessments that feel meaningful, often based on real-world tasks rather than isolated exams
• Career-enhancing opportunities such as placements, live projects, enterprise and volunteering

For a full list of the modules you will study on this course, please visit the link to the course page.

https://www.port.ac.uk/study/courses/postgraduate-taught/msc-economic-crime#modules

Entry requirements

A minimum of a second-class honours degree in a relevant subject. Applicants with equivalent professional experience in a relevant organisation will also be considered on a case-by-case basis.

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6.5English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.
PTE Academic65An overall score of 65 with a minimum of 62 in each skill.
TOEFL (iBT)9191 with a minimum of 20 in Reading, 19 in Listening, 21 in Speaking and 20 in Writing.
Cambridge English AdvancedCambridge English: Advanced (CAE) (taken after January 2015). An overall score of 176 with no component score less than 169.
Cambridge English ProficiencyCambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) (taken after January 2015). An overall score of 176 with no component score less than 169.
Trinity ISETrinity College Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level III with a Pass in all 4 components.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

Postgraduate fees for 2027 entry will be available shortly.

For further fee information please see the corresponding University of Portsmouth course page or visit https://www.port.ac.uk/study/masters-and-postgraduate-taught/fees-and-funding

Like this page