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Forensic Accounting MSc

Understand and critically evaluate the nature of and motivations behind fraud and financial crime.

Block teaching designed around you

You deserve a positive teaching and learning experience, where you feel part of a supportive community. That’s why most of our postgraduate taught students will enjoy an innovative approach to learning using block teaching, where you will study one module at a time. You will benefit from more regular assessments and feedback, a better study-life balance, and a simplified timetable that provides more time for work, professional development, caring responsibilities, and everything else that's important to you. Our block-taught courses are informed by industry practice, often accredited by professional bodies, and are delivered by passionate and talented academics, who will help you develop the skills to achieve your goals.

Read more about block teaching

Overview

Discover the compelling field of forensic accounting. This course covers fraud, financial crime and data analysis procedures – invaluable insight used by professionals in the search for criminal activity in both public and private sector organisations. It will prepare you to conduct fraud investigation and give expert testimony and litigation support for public and private sector organisations.

Learn about accounting scandals and incidences of fraud, and find out how they can be detected, prevented and deterred, with study of the legal environment in which forensic accounting operates. Discover digital forensics, including how to investigate digital artefacts, and find out how recent corporate failures in the UK, Italy and USA have led to conversations about the role of corporate governance and corporate social responsibilities.

Key features

  • The course offers exemption from the Institute of Certified Forensic Accountants' examinations and, for students who have the required three years' practical experience, serves as a direct entry route to the Certified Professional Forensic Accountant certification.
  • You will examine the contemporary issues in forensic accounting such as organise crime and transnational crimes in the digital age, expert witnessing, governance, ethics and litigation support.
  • The course will expose you to different fraudulent accounting schemes, the rationale behind them and how they can be detected, prevented and deterred.
  • Our Cybercrime and Business Analytics module introduces you to accounting and financial theory with the science and art of discovering and analysing patterns and identifying anomalies.
  • The Research Methods and Dissertation module in blocks five and six will enable you to develop research in a specialist area of forensic accounting.

Scholarships:

DMU offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships and bursaries to help you realise your academic ambitions.

International Scholarships

Find out about available scholarships and country specific fee discounts for international students. 

 

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Accounting and Finance MSc

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DMU has been shortlisted for the Postgraduate Award in the 2024 Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs), as voted for by students.

  • UK
  • EU/International

Programme code: N40082

Duration: One year full-time

Start date: September

Fees and funding:

2024/25 tuition fees for UK students: £10,450

Find out more about course fees and available funding.

How to apply

Application guidance document

Submit a study-related enquiry

Programme code: N40082

Duration: One year full-time

Start date: September

Fees and funding:

2024/25 tuition fees for EU and international students: £17,950

Find out more about course fees and available funding.

How to apply

Application guidance document

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

Applicants will normally hold an undergraduate degree in business, law, accounting, finance, banking or economics related subject with a minimum pass of 2:2, or equivalent overseas qualification, or an equivalent professional qualification.

Applicants with a legal background as well as anyone who has worked in an investigative or counter fraud roles such as police officers, tax personnel or manager will be considered on an individual basis.

Mature students

We welcome applications from mature students with non-standard qualifications and recognise all other equivalent and international qualifications.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

Structure and assessment

 

Course modules

Teaching and assessment

Accreditation

 

Course modules

  • Block 1: Fraud Examination and Investigation 
  • Block 2: Cybercrime and Business Analytics
  • Block 3: Financial Crime and Law and Litigation Support
  • Block 4: Governance, Ethics, Assurance and Risk
  • Block 5 and 6: Research Methods and Dissertation in Forensic Accounting

See detailed module information

 

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

 

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, case study analysis, presentations and guest lectures. Assessment is through presentations, essay, examinations, case analysis and reports.

Teaching contact hours

This is a full-time course and in total you should be prepared to devote approximately 2 hours of lectures, 6 hours of workshop and 2 hours of asynchronous activity each week.

 

The course offers exemption from the Institute of Certified Forensic Accountants' (Canada-USA), examinations and, for students who have the required three years' practical experience, serves as a direct entry route to the Certified Professional Forensic Accountant certification. This programme also qualifies successful students for the CIMA Masters Gateway accelerated entry route.

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Facilities and features

 
Placements
Placements
Placements
 

Hugh Aston Building

You will have access to our purpose-built Hugh Aston Building, equipped with lecture theatres and classrooms, break-out spaces for group work, quiet study zones for individual work and IT labs. Wherever possible, students will be given home access to specialist software.

You’ll also have access to the building’s new £5.5 million extension called The Yard, which provides more than 22,000 square metres of extra space. This is designed to facilitate your learning experience with large and airy breakout spaces, a new Student Advice Centre, and a balcony on the top floor. The Yard also features more comfortable classrooms and self-study spaces, allowing you to carry out independent study as well as group work.

Library services

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available. 

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our Library website, e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose. 

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including Learning Zone, Collaborate Ultra, DMU Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub. 

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live LibChat, online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our Learning Services, and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

Learning zones

Our Learning Zones and The Greenhouse also provide space for group or individual work and study.

There are 1,600 study places across all library locations, more than 700 computer stations, laptops to borrow, free wi-fi and desktop power outlets.

You can also book rooms with plasma screens, laptops and DVD facilities for group work and presentations, secure an individual study room with adjustable lighting or make use of our assistive technology.

Opportunities and careers

Find the people who will open doors for you

DMU's award-winning careers service provides guaranteed work experience opportunities DMU Careers Team
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DMU Global

This is our innovative international experience programme which aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons – helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world.

Through DMU Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.

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Graduate careers

 

The Department of Accounting and Finance has a strong work-related bias, offering professional, postgraduate and undergraduate courses.

You will develop an advanced understanding of accounting and finance issues for the private and public sectors, both nationally and internationally, enhancing your career prospects with key financial skills sought after by many organisations.

 

 

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