The master's programme in Criminology and Criminal Justice System was started 26 years ago. Today, it is an official interuniversity master's programme offered by Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), the University of Girona (UdG) and the Open University of Catalonia (UOC).
Over the course of one year, students receive in-depth training in the theoretical and empirical foundations of criminology, the workings of the criminal justice system, and the enforcement of criminal sanctions. They moreover acquire the specific methodological knowledge they need to conduct empirical research in the field of criminology.
The programme's classes are participative, and students are given preparatory work to complete before class. The master's degree final project, which is supervised by a faculty member with relevant expertise, is due at the end of the academic year and must reflect the theoretical knowledge and research skills the student has acquired.
The master's programme is intended for university graduates in the various fields of the social and legal sciences (law, criminology, sociology, social work, social education) and in the health sciences (psychology). Specifically, it is aimed at people interested in pursuing careers in the field of criminal justice, broadly understood. Candidates should thus have a keen interest in explanations of crime and the operation and improvement of the criminal justice system, as well as an awareness of the underlying social issues. They must likewise be able to go beyond their original discipline and explore in depth the issues of crime and how the criminal justice system responds to it from a criminological perspective.
Official university bachelor's or master's degree from the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) or equivalent foreign degree allowing access to a postgraduate degree in the country that issued the degree. Should the applicant have not finished yet their studies at the time of application, they will be asked to sign a statement certifying that they will have completed them before the start of the master degree program.
Academic transcript of the accredited official training with the average grade at the university of origin.
Curriculum Vitae in Catalan, Spanish or English.
A letter of motivation in Catalan, Spanish or Englsih, stating the candidate's interest in following the master's programme (400 to 600 words).
Degrees in the following areas of study will be considered positively: Criminology, Law, Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, Social Education or another field of social sciences.
Professional experience in the field of research.
In addition, the Departments' selection committee may decide to interview the candidate.
The undergraduate degree/diploma and the academic transcript
If you have finished your Bachelor degree when you formalise your application, you will need to send us the following documents:
A photocopy of your undergraduate degree/diploma or Certification/proof of degree completion.
A photocopy of your official final undergraduate transcript.
However, if you have not yet completed your undergraduate studies when formalising application, you will need to provide us with the following documents:
A signed declaration of obtaining your degree before the commencement of the master's programme.
A photocopy of the provisional undergraduate transcript.
If the diploma or the academic transcript are not written in Catalan, Spanish, English, French, Portuguese or Italian, you will also have to include the respective sworn translations into Catalan or Spanish.
The Master in Criminology and Criminal Justice System is intended for students to acquire an advanced specialist training exercise aimed at academic and empiric research work.
At the end of the program, students...
Should have advanced knowledge of criminology, penology and victimology
Should have advanced knowledge of criminal performance prison sentence and alternative criminal measures
Be able to apply their knowledge of criminological theories to formulate research hypotheses and conduct rigorous empirical research in the area of sentencing.
Be able to draw conclusions consistent with the empirical study and propose solutions to the problems discussed in criminal law sensitive to the social implications.
Be able to communicate clearly know and synthetic hypotheses, methodology, results and practical implications of the research, as a specialized as a non-specialist audience.
Will develop research skills that will enable them to try new areas of study autonomously.
Show knowledge of advanced criminological reasearch on Criminology
Show knowledge of advanced criminological research on Penology
Designing a research project consistent in Criminology or Penology
Correctly use techniques empirical analysis development of a research project
Write a scientific paper suitable for publication in a journal, in both Spanish and English
Run a team research that integrates different perspectives of analysis
General Skills
Teamwork
Demonstrate the ability to work independently
Properly manage time to improve performance
Planning the tasks according to available resources
Offer structured final reports of research in wich they appear clearly with ReCeCo objectives, methodology, results, and conclusions
Consistently draw practical implications of empirical research analyzing the costs and properly possibilities of success
Draft a thesis, which includes an autonomous working hypothesis, sources, methodology, and implications research
Appropriately transmitted as part of a conference or seminar scientific ideas, and empirical work carried out in both a specialized publica as a non-specialist audience in Spanish and English
