Criminal Justice and Security, B.A.

Students of the “Criminal Justice and Security Studies” academic study programme become experts in the field of criminal justice and security who possess subject-specific knowledge and skills; they obtain a broad range of knowledge and skills and gain an insight into and better understanding of the real world, trends related to the implementation of control activities, the functioning of institutions responsible for performing formal social control (police, prosecution, courts, prisons, intelligence services), informal social control (factors related to socialisation, family, education system, associations, civil society), and institutionalised informal control (particularly detective agencies and private security companies). During their studies, students obtain in-depth knowledge in the field of understanding social, psychological, philosophical, economic, behavioural, historical, and political aspects of criminality, deviance and the criminal-justice system; conducting research in the aetiology, prevention and control of criminality and deviance, as well as the response to such phenomena; measuring and detecting criminality and other deviant phenomena in society; studying criminal law and criminal proceedings; studying, understanding and improving the work of the police, prosecution, the judiciary and institutions responsible for the enforcement of penal sanctions. The underlying field of study developed by the Faculty relates to security; however, during their studies, students also acquire knowledge in the fields of social sciences and law, as security activities are defined through the prism of findings in the field of sociology, political science and psychology, as well as by existing legal frameworks.

Study programme

This study programme comprises three academic years, whereby students are required to complete eight compulsory subjects each year and prepare a diploma thesis in the third year. Subjects are delivered and completed within a single semester. The entire programme is designed in a way that enables the knowledge and skills to be complemented and upgraded. The first two years are frequented by all students and encompass basic knowledge and skills in the field of law, methodological and managerial aspects of criminal justice and security, which represent the basis for acquiring specific in-depth knowledge and skills from elective subjects chosen by students in the third year of their studies. The third year is dedicated to specific content in the field of criminal justice and security and the acquisition of an in-depth insight into contents taught in the first two years. The entire vertical process of knowledge acquisition is composed in a way that enables students to become experts who are able to understand work-related processes in the field of security and policing, research security phenomena in this field and use the results of analyses in their work.

Competencies of graduates

In addition to passing on knowledge, the main goal of the programme is to develop graduates' competencies for working independently, taking a critical stance and an analytical, creative, and innovative approach to problem-solving in the field of security. By studying theoretical and methodological concepts, graduates of the “Criminal Justice and Security Studies” academic study programme acquire specialist knowledge and competencies necessary for the transfer and application of theoretical knowledge in practice, for solving professional and work-related issues, particularly by seeking new sources of knowledge and using methods in order to understand, manage, and govern demanding processes in the field of providing security. In doing so, graduates take into account the acquired knowledge and findings related to the necessary critical stance and responsibility of experts. The Faculty meets the needs of students, employees, future employers, and the society at large by establishing ties between research activities, teaching and studying. By conducting the educational process and research activities in the framework of the programme, the field of criminal justice and security is also developing into a specific interdisciplinary social science.

The Faculty’s educational process wishes to provide students with possibilities for the adequate development of their physical, social, and spiritual potentials, which should be achieved in parallel with the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, and beliefs, thus enabling graduates to use every resource available to them in their working environment or in day-to-day tasks.

Graduates are expected to acquire:

• ability for systemic thinking which enables graduates to participate in interdisciplinary teams dealing with complex systems in different areas related to criminal justice and security, and other fields linked to security,
• ability to analyse complex systems, which is the basis for understanding the operation of such systems in society,
• knowledge of the structure and operation of social systems, and the ability to apply security-related knowledge and skills to other fields,
• ability to apply the gained knowledge in practice,
• skills for solving professional and work-related issues by seeking new sources of knowledge and using scientific methods, and
• cooperativeness and team-work.

Employment of graduates of FCJS

Graduates from the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security can find employment in various fields: in non-government organisations where security risks to individuals are being analysed (e.g. organisations focused on preventing different abuses, Amnesty International, etc.), in the public sector (home affairs, intelligence activities, justice department, defence, etc.), in local communities’ management, and in the business sector (in companies dealing with protection of property and intellectual property, as experts in the field of providing information security, in private security companies and detective agencies, in the insurance sector, etc.).