Security and Policing

Students of the “Security and Policing” professional study programme become experts in the field of criminal justice and security who possess subject-specific knowledge and skills related to security and policing; students 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 following fields: 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 in responding 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.

Study programme

The study programme comprises three academic years, whereby students are required to complete nine compulsory subjects in the first two years, while the third one is dedicated to six subjects and the preparation of a diploma thesis. 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 the experts 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

The main goal of the professional study programme “Security and Policing” is to educate human resources who would perform professional tasks in private and public sectors and in state administration (police, customs, military, and other institutions responsible for social control).

The Faculty’s goal is to train experts who would perform operative tasks, which also encompasses the setting up and organisation of activities in the field of providing public security and the security of companies and other organisations. Their work is primarily oriented towards solving security problems in systems used for the provision of security at national, local and organisational levels, as well as in companies which do not provide security as their core activity but are still dealing with security-related issues (industry, construction sector, commerce and retail sectors, entertainment industry, tourism, etc.). With respect to substantive and professional aspects, the main goals of the study programme are to obtain knowledge of operative tasks related to the provision of security in organisations and the organisation of specific security activities.

The general competencies of graduates completing the “Security and Policing” first-cycle professional study programme include:

• understanding of basic tasks and activities related to determining the level of public security and security in other areas,
• ability to keep a record of security issues, analyse and foresee operative solutions in security processes, and cooperate in the provision of security,
• ability to manage and control standard methods, procedures and processes in security and policing activities,
• ability to apply the acquired theoretical knowledge in practice,
• autonomy in conducting professional work, and
• adherence to professional ethics.

Graduates of this professional study programme achieve defined competencies by acquiring theoretical and practical knowledge and skills. The Faculty verifies the achievement of these goals by conducting annual self-evaluation exercises, carrying out surveys involving graduates within the Alumni Club, and by establishing cooperation with practitioners, as well as by involving independent stakeholders when introducing improvements to the study programme.

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.

Graduates who gain relevant competencies are able to solve specific operational issues in the field of security by using standard professional methods and procedures, as well as information and communication technology in their specific field of professional activity.