New university course to train specialists in tackling financial crime

Nation.Cymru staff

A new postgraduate law course has been launched to train specialists in tackling fraud, money laundering and terrorist financing.

Cardiff University’s School of Law and Politics will welcome the first students onto its Financial Crime LLM in September 2027, with applications now open.

The university says the programme responds to demand for professionals with the legal and investigative knowledge needed to address increasingly sophisticated financial crime.

Students will study anti-money laundering measures, sanctions, bribery, proceeds of crime and counter-terrorist financing, alongside the rules and procedures organisations must follow to prevent offending.

Professor Nicholas Ryder, Professor of Law, said: “There is a demand for professionals with specialist legal, regulatory and investigative expertise in tackling financial crime.

“Our new programme equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in a wide range of international careers, while making a meaningful contribution to protecting society, economies and global security.”

The launch comes as figures cited in UK Finance’s Annual Fraud Report 2026 show criminals stole £1.28 billion through payment fraud in 2025, a 4% increase on the previous year.

Losses from authorised push payment scams – in which victims are deceived into transferring money themselves – rose by 19% to £576.4 million. These include scams involving fake investment opportunities and criminals posing as romantic partners.

The Financial Conduct Authority has also warned that financial crime supports wider offending, including human trafficking and terrorism, while undermining public confidence in financial services.

The Cardiff course will examine how financial crime laws operate in practice, using real cases and international standards to assess the effectiveness of different approaches.

Teaching will be delivered by researchers whose work includes advising governments, international organisations and regional bodies.

The university says the qualification is intended to prepare graduates for roles in financial crime prevention, regulation, banking, financial technology, law and policy, as well as compliance work ensuring organisations meet their legal obligations.

Applications are open for the September 2027 intake.