MA Criminology

Fees for entry in 2027 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2026 were as follows:

• MA (full-time)
  UK students (per annum): £14,700
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £28,900

The fees quoted above are fully inclusive of tuition, administration and computational costs.

Fees for entry are subject to yearly review. The University reserves the right to increase your tuition fee by up to 7% each year for courses lasting more than one year, including to reflect rising costs associated with delivering our educational and wider student experience. Postgraduate fees information .

Always contact the admissions team if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

International student CAS deposit

Self-funded international applicants are required to pay a deposit of £2500 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. Some applicants will be required to pay a higher deposit. More information on tuition fee deposits .

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

We know that student finance can be complicated. The links below provide further information to help guide you.

• Learn more about - student finance options for UK students .
• Learn more about - fees and finance for international students .
• Graduates of The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University can receive a 10% discount on their master's degree tuition fees as part of our Manchester Alumni Loyalty Discount scheme.

Criminological theory and research are often preoccupied with 'crimes on the streets', i.e., volume crimes such as theft, interpersonal violence, illicit drugs, criminal gangs, anti-social behaviour etc, rather than 'crimes in the suites', i.e., corporate frauds, bribery and corruption, price-fixing, tax evasion etc. Yet the behaviours of those in elite political and economic positions, such as bankers, MPs, and corporations and their executives, among others, have the potential to significantly harm and undermine both society and individuals. There are a range of crimes and harms related to the financial system, commerce, health and safety, consumer experiences, as well as the environment, that are relatively understudied and researched within criminology. This unit, drawing upon perspectives especially from criminology, addresses this gap and will be attractive to students from across the School.

White-collar and corporate crimes represent a diverse array of activities - including financial crime, crimes against workers, crimes against consumers, and environmental crime. For example, the leaking of the FinCEN Files and Pandora Papers have exposed how deviant behaviour and misconduct by leading financial institutions and elite actors have adversely affected national economies and individual livelihoods throughout the world. In addition, the recent FIFA World Cup 2022 held in Qatar has been heavily criticised for the poor safety conditions of migrant workers developing key infrastructure, not to mention allegations of bribery and corruption to facilitate the award of the tournament to the region. A key question that emerges from such cases is whether corporations and organisations, or the individuals acting on their behalf, have done anything wrong? In many cases companies comply with all legal requirements, but nonetheless attract stringent criticism of their 'ethical' behaviour.

This unit provides analysis of such white-collar and corporate crimes and deviance. Such acts (or  missions) often occur within the context of international commerce and business, and may be facilitated at the transnational level through the use of offshore financial centres and 'shell' firms or third parties in other jurisdictions. This unit will therefore critically examine the nature and organisation of these crimes (e.g., the processes and practices necessary to carry them out), the key social actors involved (e.g., who are the 'criminals', why do they do it, and who is being victimised?), and the mixture of responses to such crimes (e.g., enforcement, self-regulation, prevention/reduction, disruption/intervention) at the local, national, and transnational levels. To explore these issues, the unit will examine a number of relevant in-depth case studies such as corporate corruption and bribery, tax avoidance/evasion, and modern slavery.

• Equip students with an understanding of the nature and impact of white-collar and corporate crime, including how such offences are committed, concealed, and responded to.
• Examine the theoretical foundations of white-collar and corporate crime, exploring their historical evolution and the development of criminal justice responses at both national and international levels.
• Explore critical debates on how various forms of corporate and professional misconduct are defined, perceived, and treated, particularly in relation to legal, moral, and social boundaries of criminality.
• Analyse contemporary case studies to illustrate patterns, challenges, and responses to white-collar and corporate wrongdoing in practice.
• Encourage critical reflection on regulatory frameworks and the tensions between promoting ethical organisational conduct and enabling economic or professional activity. 

Teaching and learning across course units consists of: (1) preparatory work to be completed prior to teaching sessions, including readings, pre-recorded subject material and online activities; (2) a weekly whole-class lecture or workshop; (3) a tutorial; and (4) one-to-one support via subject specific office hours.

• Examine key principles within the criminal justice process as they relate to white-collar and corporate crimes.

• Apply criminological theory to white-collar and corporate crimes of a financial, social, and environmental nature.
• Assess the purposes and functions of criminal and regulatory law in dealing with white-collar and corporate crimes. 

• Analyse overlapping criminological and business-related challenges.

• Use a range of information and academic/policy sources to construct an argument.
• Identify competing arguments on complex subject areas.

3500-word essay (100%)

Students choose one form/type of white-collar or corporate crime (not one of the analysed case studies) and provide a critical analysis of:- Its nature and organisation,- Who the offenders are and why they might commit such crimes,- How it is (or could be) regulated and controlled by any means, e.g., criminal, administrative, or other law, and/or other social and business mechanisms. In the essay students must draw upon evidence from theory, policy, and practice using both academic and official materials to substantiate their arguments.

Online links will be provided to all resources for both lectures and tutorials. 

The following texts provide excellent introductions to key issues around white-collar and corporate crime or demonstrate key issues through relevant case studies:

• Benson, M. and Simpson, S. (2024) White-Collar Crimes: An Opportunity Perspective, 4 Ed., London: Routledge.

• Gobert, J. and Punch, M. (2003) Rethinking corporate crime, Cambridge: CUP.

• Lord, N. and Levi, M. (2023) Organising White-Collar and Corporate Crimes, London: Routledge.

• Lord, N., Inzelt, E., Huisman, W and Faria, R. (2022) European White-
Collar Crime: Exploring the Nature of European Realities, Bristol: BUP.

• Slapper, G. and Tombs, S. (1999) Corporate Crime, London: Pearson Longman.

• Sutherland, E. (1983) White Collar Crime, New Haven: Yale University
Press.

• van Erp, J., Huisman, W., Vande Walle, G. (eds.) (2015) The Routledge Handbook of White-Collar and Corporate Crime in Europe. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Restricted to: PGT Criminology students

Pre-requisites: none

Co-requisites: none