Criminal and Corporate Investigation

Criminal and corporate investigation combines two fields that have become increasingly significant in the modern world. Criminal investigation draws on forensic science, criminology, law, and intelligence methods to examine how crimes are detected, evidence is gathered and evaluated, and cases are built for prosecution. Corporate investigation applies overlapping skills to the world of business: uncovering fraud, financial crime, corruption, and regulatory breaches requires similar analytical rigour and often similar techniques, but within the specific context of commercial and financial environments.

Together, these disciplines equip you to work at the intersection of law, business, and forensic inquiry.

At the University of Northampton, this four-year full-time programme includes a foundation year designed to provide an accessible entry point to degree-level study for students with non-standard academic backgrounds. The foundation year develops your academic skills and introduces you to the core concepts and methods of the subject area before you progress to the full degree. The main programme covers the principles of criminal and corporate investigation, including evidence and procedure, financial investigation, intelligence analysis, and the legal and ethical frameworks that govern investigative practice.

The typical entry tariff for the foundation route is 88 UCAS points.

Graduates of criminal and corporate investigation programmes go on to careers in law enforcement, fraud investigation, financial intelligence, compliance and risk management, corporate security, and private investigation. Regulatory bodies, financial institutions, law firms, and public sector agencies all employ investigators with this kind of training. Many graduates also go on to postgraduate study in criminology, law, forensic science, or financial crime, building on the specialist knowledge developed during the degree.