Master’s in Financial and Economic Security Gets New Cohort
RRU, IICA Open Second Cohort of Financial and Economic Security Master’s Programme
Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) has opened the second cohort of its Master’s in Financial and Economic Security (MFES), a one-year hybrid programme aimed at working professionals dealing with financial crime, regulation, investigation and corporate affairs. The programme is being run with the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India.
The second cohort, known as MFES Cohort 2.0, was discussed during RRU’s media engagement in Bengaluru. The programme is designed for professionals who need to understand financial offences that can involve several areas at the same time, including law, finance, corporate compliance, investigations and technology.
The course has been structured as a hybrid programme so that working professionals can continue their jobs while studying. The official programme details show that it runs for one year and is divided between RRU and IICA. The first semester, administered by RRU, covers criminal law and procedure, international organisations, financial regulation and laws dealing with financial and economic crimes. The second semester, administered by IICA, covers finance and economics, financial reporting and fraud, financial crime risk management, financial forensics, emerging technologies and economic crimes, followed by a dissertation and viva-voce.
The programme requires applicants to hold a graduate degree with at least 60 per cent marks. Candidates are also required to have a minimum of three years of work experience, preferably in legal, financial or regulatory institutions, corporations or agencies. The programme is open to graduates from recognised universities in India and abroad.
For the 2026-27 academic year, the registration deadline listed by IICA is August 31, 2026, with classes scheduled to begin in October. The programme fee for Indian participants is ₹3.60 lakh, while the listed fee for international participants is US$5,000. The second cohort has also opened registration to international participants.
Prof. (Dr.) Bimal N. Patel, Vice Chancellor of Rashtriya Raksha University, said, “Financial and economic security is no longer a specialised concern limited to financial institutions; it is increasingly integral to national security, economic resilience and public trust.”
He said the programme reflects RRU’s approach of linking education with practical work and preparing professionals to understand emerging threats and protect financial integrity.
Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, Director General and CEO of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, said, “The Master’s in Financial and Economic Security is a flagship collaboration between IICA and RRU, created to respond to the evolving challenges of financial and economic crimes. Through advanced analytical tools, legal expertise, investigative techniques and practical learning, the programme seeks to build future leaders equipped to safeguard economic integrity and contribute to a more secure and prosperous future.”
The need for such skills has grown as financial activity has become more dependent on digital systems and cross-border transactions. Financial crime can involve money laundering, fraud, corporate misconduct, procurement fraud, cyber-enabled offences and violations of regulatory requirements. The IICA programme itself identifies these areas as part of the wider financial and economic security field.
For RRU, the course also fits into a wider academic focus on security-related education. Established by an Act of Parliament in 2020, the university is an Institution of National Importance under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Its academic work covers areas including national security, policing, cyber security, forensic sciences, criminology, criminal law and financial and economic security.
Sunil Kavishwar, Director of the School of Criminal Law and Military Law at RRU, said the first cohort included professionals from compliance departments, financial institutions, supervisory authorities, law enforcement and prosecution agencies. He said the second cohort would accept international participants, with the university seeking to build professional capacity in financial security at a wider level.
RRU is also expanding its security-focused education through its campuses outside Gujarat. Its Shivamogga campus in Karnataka offers programmes connected with security management, defence and strategic studies, criminology, forensic science and police science. The university’s current programme information lists a four-year B.A. in Security Management, four-year B.A./B.Sc. in Defence and Strategic Studies, two-year postgraduate programmes in Defence and Strategic Studies and Criminology and Forensic Science, along with a postgraduate diploma in Police Science and Management.
Dr Nandha Kumara Pujam. S, Associate Director at the RRU Shivamogga Campus, said the Karnataka campus has a dedicated criminal investigation laboratory, computer laboratory, library, gym and NCC unit. Students can also undertake internships with central and state police organisations, forensic science laboratories, Central Prison Shivamogga and the Central Institute of Psychiatry. The campus also runs a psychosocial counselling centre at Central Prison, Shivamogga.
The wider purpose of the MFES programme is therefore tied to a growing need for professionals who can understand financial crime from more than one professional angle. Its course structure brings legal study together with financial reporting, forensic work, regulation and technology, while its hybrid format targets people already working in these fields.
With Cohort 2.0, RRU and IICA are continuing a programme that sits at the meeting point of financial regulation, corporate affairs, investigation and national security. For professionals working in banks, companies, regulatory bodies, law enforcement and related fields, the course offers a specialised academic route into an area that is becoming increasingly important to the way financial systems are monitored and protected.