Academic Master's Degree
Master's Degree in Criminal Sciences
The Master's Degree in Criminal Sciences at the College of International Justice is an advanced academic and professional programme tailored to elevate the jurisprudential and procedural competence of practitioners in the judiciary, public prosecution, securit...
Duration2 years
Credit hours60
DegreeMaster's Degree
Language of studyArabic
Terms5
About the program
The Master's Degree in Criminal Sciences at the College of International Justice is an advanced academic and professional programme tailored to elevate the jurisprudential and procedural competence of practitioners in the judiciary, public prosecution, security agencies, and the legal profession, alongside preparing distinguished academic researchers. The programme focuses on contemporary challenges facing criminal justice; it dives into analyzing emerging crimes, such as money laundering and cybercrimes, the evolution of penal and correctional policies, while deepening the understanding of modern criminal evidence (like forensic medicine and digital forensics).The programme spans four academic semesters (two academic years), where the student studies 8 advanced courses (5 compulsory and 3 elective), followed by practical application, and culminating in the preparation and defense of a Master's Thesis. The programme covers complex criminal issues, from the general theory of crime and punishment and advanced criminal procedure, through emerging crimes and transnational organized crime, economic crimes and money laundering, to advanced criminal evidence and auxiliary forensic sciences. The programme is distinguished by a teaching methodology relying on research seminars and in-depth analysis, fostering students' critical thinking and independent scientific research skills.
Vision
To be the globally preeminent academic and professional destination in preparing judicial and security leaders and jurists in criminal sciences, capable of combating crime using modern scientific methods, protecting human rights, and consolidating the rules of swift criminal justice in their societies.
Mission
To deliver an advanced postgraduate programme that integrates jurisprudential rigor in penal law and criminal procedure with the practical applications of modern evidence, through an interactive educational environment based on case studies and critical analysis, to qualify cadres possessing the competence and integrity to elevate the criminal justice system and confront emerging criminal patterns.
Objectives
- Jurisprudential and Legislative Depth: Equip scholars with an advanced critical understanding of general theories of penal law and criminal procedure in comparative systems.
- Developing Rigorous Research Faculty: Qualify researchers to produce original scientific theses addressing contemporary criminal issues and contributing to the development of criminal jurisprudence and legislation.
- Mastery of Evidence and Criminal Investigation: Develop skills in evaluating and analyzing physical and digital forensic evidence and forensic medicine to support judicial certainty.
- Analysis of the Modern Criminal Phenomenon: Build high competence in characterizing and analyzing emerging crimes, particularly cybercrimes, economic crimes, and transnational organized crime.
- Developing Penal Policies: Study and evaluate contemporary penal policies, management of correctional institutions, and modern alternatives to custodial sentences.
Educational philosophy
The College of International Justice adopts the philosophy of "Evidence-Based Criminal Justice and Critical Analysis of Precedents." This philosophy transcends rote memorization of penal texts to reach a deep analysis of the rationale for criminalization, the deconstruction of criminal judicial rulings (Case-Law Analysis), and the evaluation of the adequacy of fair trial guarantees.This philosophy is embodied in the reliance on Research Seminars which require the student to analytically read multiple references according to scientific research methodology. The programme also heavily focuses on the comparative approach to exchange best practices between Civil and Common Law systems, while providing a flexible (distance) educational environment catering to the needs of workers in justice and security sectors and supporting directed self-learning.
Learning outcomes
- Knowledge and Understanding: Comprehending the philosophical and jurisprudential frameworks of penal law, comprehensive awareness of criminal action procedures and defendant guarantees, and understanding the nature of emerging crimes and methods to combat them.
- Cognitive Skills: The ability to critically analyze penal texts, properly legally characterize complex criminal facts, and evaluate forensic evidence to weigh conviction or acquittal.
- Practical Skills: Mastery of professionally drafting indictments and defense briefs, preparing and designing rigorous publishable criminal legal research, and managing lectures (in practical application courses).
Career prospects
Career Outcomes: The programme qualifies its graduates to hold prestigious leadership and advisory positions in the judiciary and public prosecution, security and police agencies, law and consultancy firms, correctional and rehabilitation institutions, in addition to the academic and research sector.
Curriculum
In-depth Scientific Research Methodology & Criminal Analysis 4 credit hours · MCS501Advanced Studies in the General Theory of Crime and Punishment 4 credit hours · MCS502Advanced Criminal Procedure and Fair Trial Guarantees 4 credit hours · MCS503Emerging Crimes and Transnational Organized Crime 4 credit hours · MCS504
No courses have been added to this term yet.
Advanced Criminal Evidence and Auxiliary Forensic Sciences 4 credit hours · MCS5055Economic Crimes and Money Laundering (White-Collar Crimes) 4 credit hours · MCS506International Criminal Law and the ICC 4 credit hours · MCS507Criminal Psychology and Forensic Evaluation of Offenders 4 credit hours · MCS508Criminal Policy for Juvenile Justice 4 credit hours · MCS509Corruption Crimes and Public Administration 4 credit hours · MCS510
Frequently asked questions
How does the mechanism for studying the eight courses work? What is the role of Seminars?
Master's studies at our college rely on directed research methodology and deep analysis, not rote learning. The student studies 8 courses. Each course is conducted through "research seminars" relying on multiple references according to scientific research standards. Studying a single course takes a minimum of 4 weeks, and may take longer depending on the student's ability and pace. After completion, a competency test is held for the course, and upon passing it, the student begins the next course in the same manner.
Is there flexibility in finishing the first-year courses if I cannot complete them on time?
Yes, the system fully considers the circumstances and commitments of the learners. The student has the right to extend the study period for first-year courses for an additional period not exceeding a maximum of a second year, giving them sufficient flexibility to absorb the scientific materials deeply and without undue pressure.
What is the nature of the "Practical Application" (Virtual Course) training? Does it require on-site attendance?
The practical training in the courses (Practical Application 1 & 2) is a "virtual" course that does not require on-site attendance but aims to refine your leadership and academic skills in knowledge transfer. You will be asked to restructure an undergraduate course into 12-14 lectures (distributed over the 3rd and 4th semesters), providing a written summary (Word) and recording a voice-over presentation (PowerPoint) for each lecture (lasting 10-20 minutes). This training places you in the role of an expert trainer.
When can I start the Master's thesis? What are the requirements for the Jury and approval to defend it?
Thesis preparation (Master's Thesis 1 & 2) effectively begins concurrently with the start of practical training in the third semester, and takes from 9 months (minimum) up to two years (extendable exceptionally for a third year, provided total enrollment does not exceed 4 years). The supervisor submits a semi-annual progress report.To defend: The supervisor must submit a report on the thesis's validity for defense (evaluating your performance out of 140 marks) and propose names for the Jury committee, whose validity period is 6 months. At least 15 days must pass after the committee's approval before the defense. Most importantly: You must obtain at least 70% from both the supervisor's evaluation (out of 140) and the Jury members (in their individual reports out of 100) before being allowed to defend. Post-defense, the committee submits a final collective grade report.
What services support me as a distance learning Master's student at the college throughout my studies?
As a student at the College of International Justice, you will enjoy continuous support including:An Academic Tutor for each module: Evaluates your assignments and practical training (TMAs), provides detailed feedback, and directs you to learning resources.e-Library: Comprehensive access to high-quality legal and research databases and resources, and other university libraries.Student Support Teams and Help Centre: To answer general questions and support your study skills via an online help center.IT Support: Providing comprehensive computing support and free access to Microsoft Office 365.Flexible Learning Environment: Includes discussion forums for collaborative work, a weekly study planner to schedule tasks, a tutoring booking system, and interactive Webinars, allowing you to study at times that suit your work and life.
Admission requirements
- Holding a Bachelor's degree (Licence) in Law, Jurisprudence, or Security and Police Sciences from a recognized university.
- Appropriate language proficiency (in Arabic or English, depending on the study track) to comprehend in-depth references, analyze rulings, and prepare scientific research.
- The ability to commit to the intensive study system based on research seminars and directed self-learning, and complete tasks on time.
- Applicants from non-legal backgrounds may be required to pass foundational prerequisite courses as a condition for admission.
Tuition & fees
Application fee$145.00
Start your academic journey today
Submit your application now and our admissions team will contact you to complete the process.
Apply to this programIn-depth Scientific Research Methodology & Criminal Analysis
MCS501 4 credit hours Intermediate
•Academic Description: Serving as the cornerstone for building master-level research and analytical capabilities in criminal sciences, this is the first course students must take. It covers foundational philosophical and logical methodologies in legal research (inductive, deductive, comparative). Students train in critiquing penal legislative texts and deconstructing criminal judicial rulings (Case-Law Analysis) from supreme/cassation courts to extract legal principles. It emphasizes applied skills for drafting rigorous research papers, from selecting criminal-related topics to formulating core problems and hypotheses, culminating in intensive training on preparing and drafting Thesis Proposals according to global academic standards. The course is studied through research seminars utilizing multiple references according to scientific research methodology.
Advanced Studies in the General Theory of Crime and Punishment
MCS502 4 credit hours Intermediate
•Academic Description: This course provides an advanced foundational and critical study of criminal philosophy and general penal law. It goes beyond reciting traditional elements to deeply analyze modern theories of criminal intent and negligence, and corporate criminal liability. It extensively discusses justification defenses and grounds excluding criminal responsibility in light of scientific developments (e.g., cloning, euthanasia, and modern medical applications). The course also dedicates significant space to advanced penology, analyzing contemporary criminal policies aimed at reducing custodial sentences and expanding precautionary measures and alternative sanctions such as community service and electronic monitoring. The course is delivered through intensive research seminars based on multiple references.
Advanced Criminal Procedure and Fair Trial Guarantees
MCS503 4 credit hours Intermediate
•Academic Description: This course dives into the procedural complexities of criminal action from a critical and comparative perspective. It studies the delicate balance between protecting societal security (efficiency of investigating and prosecution authorities) and protecting individual liberties and the accused's guarantees (rights of defense). It deeply analyzes the nullity of criminal procedures and its impact on the course of justice, arbitrary preventive detention rules, and compensation for it. The course also focuses on reviewing fair trial standards as stipulated in international human rights instruments and their application in domestic legislation and supreme court jurisprudence, alongside studying extraordinary appeal mechanisms against criminal judgments. The course is studied through research seminars.
Emerging Crimes and Transnational Organized Crime
MCS504 4 credit hours Beginner
•Academic Description: This course provides a precise analysis of modern criminal patterns generated by globalization and technological development. It deeply studies the phenomenon of organized crime according to the Palermo Convention (2000), locally and internationally, including human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and drug/arms trafficking. A significant section is dedicated to studying cybercrimes, electronic intrusions, cyber-terrorism, and the legal and technical challenges related to tracking perpetrators and determining jurisdiction. The course also discusses mechanisms of international security and judicial cooperation (e.g., extradition, INTERPOL) to combat these networks. The course is delivered via research seminars based on multiple references.
Advanced Criminal Evidence and Auxiliary Forensic Sciences
MCS5055 4 credit hours Intermediate
•Academic Description: An applied and theoretical course focusing on the transition from traditional evidentiary methods (like confession and testimony) to precise scientific evidence. Students study the evidentiary weight of physical forensic evidence, DNA profiling, and forensic medicine applications in determining causes of death and injuries. The course also delves into Digital Forensics, covering how to extract and preserve electronic evidence from computers and smartphones to be court-admissible, and how to cross-examine technical expert reports. The course aims to equip researchers, prosecutors, and judges with the ability to properly and objectively evaluate judicial certainty. The course is studied through research seminars based on scientific methodology.
Economic Crimes and Money Laundering (White-Collar Crimes)
MCS506 4 credit hours Intermediate
•Academic Description: This course provides an in-depth applied study of so-called white-collar crimes. It focuses on banking fraud, financial market manipulation (Insider Trading), fraudulent bankruptcy, and tax evasion. Great attention is given to national and international legislation combating money laundering and terrorist financing, tracking the stages and complex methods of this crime, the role of Financial Intelligence Units (FIU), Due Diligence procedures imposed on financial institutions, and mechanisms for recovering looted assets across borders. The course is delivered via research seminars.
International Criminal Law and the ICC
MCS507 4 credit hours Intermediate
•Academic Description: This course addresses the individual international criminal responsibility for the most serious crimes of international concern. It extensively studies the elements of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. It deeply analyzes the Rome Statute and procedures of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the principle of complementarity between national and international criminal justice, and the complexities of constitutional immunities for official state representatives. The course relies on the critical analysis of prominent historical and modern international criminal trials and precedents through research seminars.
Criminal Psychology and Forensic Evaluation of Offenders
MCS508 4 credit hours Intermediate
•Academic Description: This course examines the intersection of psychology and criminal justice. It covers the analysis of the criminal personality and the psychological and emotional motives for committing crimes, focusing on violent, serial, and sexual crimes. Students study the principles of forensic psychological evaluation of defendants to determine their fitness to stand trial and their penal responsibility in cases of mental and psychological disorders. The course also addresses the psychology of testimony, evaluating witness and victim credibility, and advanced interrogation techniques. The course is studied through research seminars based on multiple references.
Criminal Policy for Juvenile Justice
MCS509 4 credit hours Intermediate
•Academic Description: This course provides a specialized study of the evolution of criminal justice systems specifically for children and juvenile delinquents. It focuses on the philosophy of "Restorative Justice" as an alternative to traditional punitive justice. It analyzes specific procedures for juvenile trials, their guarantees under international conventions (like the CRC and Beijing Rules), and the rehabilitative and educational measures assigned to them away from the prison system, aiming for their social reintegration and preventing recidivism. The course is studied through research seminars based on multiple references.
Corruption Crimes and Public Administration
MCS510 4 credit hours Intermediate
•Academic Description: This course addresses crimes affecting public trust and government administration. It deeply studies bribery, embezzlement, abuse of public office, damage to public funds, and forgery of official documents. The course focuses on analyzing the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and its applications in domestic legislation, the role of anti-corruption and integrity bodies, as well as procedural challenges in proving these complex crimes and protecting whistleblowers and witnesses. The course is delivered via research seminars based on multiple references.
Practical Application 1 (Virtual Course - Part 1)
MCS511 5 credit hours Intermediate
•Academic Description: The student is assigned an undergraduate virtual course as applied practical training. This course aims to enhance the student's abilities in knowledge transfer and academic presentation skills. The student must design a teaching structure for the first half of this course, dividing it methodically into six or seven concise lectures. For each lecture, the student prepares a comprehensive written summary in Word format, detailing the objectives and scientific content based on references. This summary is accompanied by a video recording where the student presents the lecture using a presentation program (PowerPoint). The presentation must be scientifically accurate and focused, lasting between 10 and 20 minutes per lecture. This practical training evaluates the student's competence in strategic summarization, presence, and presentation skills essential for judicial and academic leaders.
Master's Thesis 1 (Preparation and Proposal)
MCS512 9 credit hours Intermediate
•Academic Description: This course represents the actual start of work on the master's thesis, commencing concurrently with the practical training. In this section, the student begins the research and preparation phase under direct academic supervision. The student focuses on crystallizing the research problem in the field of criminal sciences, gathering references and sources (legislation, judicial rulings, doctrinal studies), formulating the theoretical and conceptual framework, and defining the scientific methodology to be adopted. The student submits the research proposal for approval and begins drafting the preliminary chapters or theoretical framework of the thesis, laying a solid foundation for the in-depth comparative research to be completed in the fourth semester.
Practical Application 2 (Virtual Course - Part 2)
MCS513 5 credit hours Intermediate
•Academic Description: The student completes the applied practical training on the virtual course started in the third semester. The student divides the remaining part of the course into another six or seven concise lectures. For each lecture, the student prepares a comprehensive written summary in Word format, accompanied by a video recording where the student presents the lecture using a presentation program (PowerPoint). The recording for a single lecture must not be less than 10 minutes and not more than 20 minutes. This course contributes to consolidating the student's executive presentation skills and successfully completing the requirements for legal and academic knowledge transfer.
Master's Thesis 2 (Completion and Defense Preparation)
MCS514 9 credit hours Intermediate
•Academic Description: This course represents the second and final half of the work on the master's thesis, continuing concurrently with Practical Application 2. In this section, the research and desk work started in the third semester is completed. The student writes the analytical and applied chapters, discusses the results, provides legislative or judicial recommendations, and drafts the conclusion based on an in-depth analysis of texts and rulings. The final draft of the thesis is prepared for review by the supervisor, in preparation for submission to the discussion and arbitration committee to obtain final approval for awarding the Master's degree in Criminal Sciences.