MSc Financial Crime and Compliance in Digital Societies (top-up)
Gain the digital edge in financial crime and compliance.
Course details
This executive master’s degree offered by the University of Manchester is exclusively available to those who hold an ICA Professional Postgraduate Diploma or relevant professional experience.
- Gain leading and up-to-date knowledge – benefit from the reputation of the University’s Department of Criminology and be at the forefront of financial crime and fraud research
- Transform your business operations – enhance your knowledge and turn science into practice to drive corporate strategy, policy and processes
- Build a global network – meet your international peers, academics and subject experts
Academic entry qualification overview
From September 2026, there will be two routes for admission to this programme. The first route is the route that has been in place since the programme started. The second is an alternative route that was approved in January 2026.
If you have successfully completed the ICA Professional Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Crime Compliance or ICA Professional Postgraduate Diploma in Governance, Risk and Compliance , you can apply for this course.
If you do not hold one of the above qualifications, you may be able to apply for a place on the programme based on your professional experience. Applying via this route requires the following:
- An Upper Second (2:1) class honours degree, or the overseas equivalent in a relevant discipline, such as law, finance, accounting, criminology or business administration.
- At least 10 years of relevant work experience in governance, risk or compliance, for example, but not limited to, financial crime compliance (including anti-money laundering (AML).
- At least 3 years of experience in management/leadership roles in governance, risk or compliance, for example, but not limited to, financial crime compliance (including anti-money laundering (AML). Applicants should currently be in a senior management/leadership position, with responsibility for leading teams or business units, strategic planning, implementing compliance programmes, managing compliance frameworks, and/or board engagement or reporting.
- Evidence of a range of professional knowledge, skills and competencies which will be assessed through submission of a portfolio containing:
- 1,500-word essay
- 2,000-word written statement
- 2-page CV
- 2 x professional references
Further details on the content of the portfolio can be obtained by contacting: studyonline@manchester.ac.uk
What will I learn?
- Develop a theoretical and conceptual toolkit for determining the most plausible explanations for risk, threats and transgressions, inside and outside your business
- Recognise the complexity and multiplex nature of the business world, within which regulatory and governance problems, and financial crime risks, occur
- Gain knowledge of how to interact with regulators and enforcement authorities, including information sharing and self-reporting of internal failures
- Acquire advanced-level knowledge on business risks and opportunities related to digital trust and digital security
- Obtain expertise on the range and nature of insider and outsider financial crime risks in relation to people, technologies, data and information, and be able to develop strategies for mitigation and development for specific cyber-security incidents
Course format
- Duration: 12 months, part-time
- Delivery: Online with three practical masterclasses (in-person or online)
- Workload: Approx 20 hours per week
Is this course right for me?
This course is available to those who already hold an ICA Professional Postgraduate Diploma or prospective students holding relevant professional experience.
