Studies on Criminology and Criminal
Justice at the University of Greifswald:
Specialisation for undergraduate law
students and Master Programme for
postgraduate students
Frieder Dünkel
Joanna Grzywa-Holten
27th Baltic Criminological Conference
26-27 June, 2014, Vilnius
Undergraduate Specialisation Programme
„Criminology and Criminal Justice“ (1)
• The principal structure of law education at universities is
given by a „Federal Law on Judges“ ( Deutsches
Richtergesetz, DRiG).
• The qualification for being a professional judge can be
obtained through a 4-years studies at Law Faculties with
a final state examination and a 2-years practical
education at courts, prosecution offices, lawyers,
administrative entities etc. („Referendariat“, see § 5 Abs.
1 DRiG) with a second state examination organised by
the ministries of justice of the federal states (Länder).
2
Undergraduate Specialisation Programme
„Criminology and Criminal Justice“(2)
• Since 2006 the first examination after 4 years university studies
consists of a 70%-part organised by the state (ministries of
justice) and a 30%-part organised by the universities
themselves. This 30%-part gives the opportunity for universities
to further develop specific profiles and allows for specialisation
of students (see § 5 Abs. 1 2nd phrase DRiG).
• The so-called specialisation topics (Schwerpunktbereiche) shall
complement and further develop the knowledge attained in the
first 2 years of law studies, particularly by dealing with
interdisciplinary and international issues of law (see § 5a (2)
DRiG).
3
Undergraduate Specialisation Programme
„Criminology and Criminal Justice“ (3)
• The marks of the universitarian examination count for
30%, the state examination in the fields of civil, public
and penal law for 70% of the final marks in law studies
(see § 5d ( 2) DRiG).
• The university examination at Greifswald consists of:
• A written seminar paper (4 weeks time for
preparation),
• a 5-hours written examination (Klausur) and
• an oral examination (30 minutes)
4
Undergraduate Specialisation Programme
„Criminology and Criminal Justice“ (4)
• The University of Greifswald, Faculty of Law, provides
the following topics of specialisation:
1. Economic law
2. Criminology and criminal justice
3. Tax law
4. European law and comparative law
5. Health and medicine law
6. State and administrative law
5
Undergraduate Specialisation Programme
„Criminology and Criminal Justice“ (5)
• The studies on undergraduate specialisation take place
in the third and fourth year of law studies (5th-8th
semester).
• The programmes contain a total of 18 hours lectures
per week during 3 semesters ( i. e. in average 6 hours
per week and semester).
• 50-70% of the law students in Greifswald choose
criminology, 30-50% all the other subjects like
economic, international, tax law etc.!
6
The lectures, seminars etc. in criminology and criminal
justice are:
No.
Subject
Work
load
ECTS
Hours per
week
Kind of
course
1.
Criminology I (including sociology of law,
Dünkel)
90
3
2
V
2.
Criminology II (Dünkel)
90
3
2
V
3./3a
Penitentiary law, penology inc.
excursions** (Dünkel)
90
3
3
V/Ex
curs.
4.
Juvenile justice (Dünkel)
90
3
2
V
5.
Sanctions law and sentencing (Dünkel)
90
3
2
V
6.
Specialisation in criminal procedure
(Regge/Steffens)*
30
1
(1)
V
7.
Problems of detention in psychiatric
institutions (incl. prognostic expertises)
(Orlob et al.)*
60
2
(1)
V
7
8. Forensic medicine (Bockwoldt)*
30
1
(1)
V
9. Sociology of economic crime (Joecks)*
30
1
(1)
V
Other courses of the Master Programme,
a. o. courses in English on international
10.
penal and penitentiary law, comparative
juvenile justice)*
30
1
(1)
V
Colloquium empirical Criminology (Geng)
*/**
60
2
2
Colloqu.
270
9
2
S
30
1
1
Coll./Exa
m.
11.
12. Seminar (Dünkel)**
13.
Preparation for written and oral
examination (Examinatorium)
Total hours in the specialisation programme
criminology and criminal justice
*
**
Out of these optional courses the students have to choose courses with a total of 4 hours per week.
These course (Excursions and colloquium empirical criminology) are offered every semester.
18
8
Formal aspects of the Master Programme
“Criminology and Criminal Justice”
• From the beginning of planning the undergraduate programme
on “Criminology and Criminal Justice” in 2005 it was the idea to
open a similar postgraduate programme for further education
of graduates of law, psychology, sociology, pedagogy, social
work and pedagogy etc., who have obtained a 4-years first
university degree.
• The Master Programme started in the winter term 2006/07.
• Up to 15 students per year can be admitted.
• Students may register for the summer term (starting 1st April) or
the winter term (starting 14th October)
• The entire One-years-Masters degree programme costs 1,500 €
per student.
• The courses are (mainly) in German language.
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„Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Criminology and
Criminal Justice“
Programme description (1)
• The programme consists of compulsory modules in the
fields of criminology, juvenile justice, penal law, and
sanctioning (sentencing) as well as optional modules in
the criminological relevant fields of psychology,
sociology and forensics.
• Additionally, foreign researchers offer individual
compact courses on internationally comparative
criminology and criminal justice (frequently also in
English and in French).
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Programme description (2)
• The students receive research methods training, can
gather practical research experience by conducting
their own empirical investigations supervised by the
programme’s staff.
• Programme’s staff is composed of members with a
law, sociology and psychology background
• Important structural elements are the interdisciplinary approach and the internationalisation (see for ex.
the net-works of foreign guest professors in the
programme).
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Programme description (3)
• Guest lectures in English and German language
(regularly as compact courses within one week) aim to
give an overview on recent developments in crime
policy and criminal justice in other countries and shall
improve the knowledge in comparative criminology
and criminal justice.
• Students can also pass a whole term or a practical
stage abroad and gather material or data which can
be used to prepare the master thesis.
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Study plan (if beginning in the winter term):
No.
Courses
Work load
ECTS
Hours per
week
Kind of course
First Semester
1.
Criminology I (includ. sociology of
law)
90
3
2
V
2.
Penitentiary law, penology includ.
excursions to prisons and
probation/aftercare services
90
3
2
V
3.
Seminar
270
9
2
S
4.
Sanctioning/sentencing law
60
2
2
V
5.
Practical stage
150
5
4 weeks
P
6.
Comparative criminology and
criminal justice, for ex.:
International penal law and human
rights; comparing juvenile justice
systems; sanctions systems in
Europe.
30
1
1
Compact courses
13
7. Optional courses in sociology of law, forensic
medicine, pedagogical aspects of criminology;
psychological theories of crime and other
modules of criminology and criminal justice:
*
a) Problems of detention in psychiatric
institutions (incl. prognostic expertises);
b) Forensic medicine;
c) Psychological aspects of crime;
d) Additional courses in criminology (for ex.
crime prevention; forensic treatment, risk
assessment, victimology etc.)
8. Practical stage for research training
Total
60
2
2
150
5
4 weeks
900
V
30 11 + practical stage
+ practical stage
for research
training
14
Second Semester
9.
Criminology II with colloquium empirical research
methods and introduction in practical fields of criminal
justice
10.
Juvenile justice and welfare
11.
Optional courses:
a) Additional module on criminal procedure or
b)Introduction into empirical research methods
including excursions to practical fields of criminal
justice
12.
Comparative criminology and criminal justice, see
module No. 6
180
6
5
V with
coll.
90
3
2
V
60
2
2
V
1
Com
pact
course
30
1
15
13.
Optional courses in sociology of law,
forensic medicine, pedagogical aspects of
criminology; psychological theories of
crime and other modules of criminology
and criminal justice: *
a) Problems of detention in psychiatric
institutions (incl. prognostic expertises);
b) Forensic medicine;
c) Psychological aspects of crime;
d) Additional courses in criminology (for
ex. crime prevention; forensic treatment,
risk assessment, victimology, etc.)
14.
Master thesis
15.
Oral examination
Total:
60
2
450
15
30
1
1,800
60
2
V
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Optional courses indicated with * are offered consecutively; students choose one subject per semester.
Seminars are offered each semester.
A description of the contents of each course is given in the examination regulations, see the website of the
Department of Criminology.: http://www.rsf.uni-greifswald.de/duenkel/master-programm.html
16
Current situation
• To date we have 37 master students with various
professional backgrounds: most of the students are
layers, social workers, probation officers, but there are
also biologists, psychiatrists or theologians.
• 38 Person have finished the Program with the
LL.M.Crim.-Degree since 2007, all with very good or
good final marks.
• Study conditions and examination regulations of the
criminology programme in Greifswald can be accessed
via the website of the Department of Criminology
– http://www.rsf.uni-greifswald.de/duenkel/masterprogramm.html
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Perspectives (1)
• In Germany there are only two other postgraduate
programmes of criminology:
– A one years programme in Bochum (Prof. Thomas Feltes),
named „Criminology and Police Sciences“ with a focus on
police sciences and by that different from the Greifswald
programme.
and
– The 2-years programme in Hamburg (Prof. Sebastian
Scheerer), which is different from the Greifswald programme
as it aims at other groups of students such as those from
Bachelor Programmes or 3-years studies such as social work.
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Perspectives (2)
internationalisation of criminological
master programmes
• Perspectives of the criminological Master Programme in
Greifswald could be an internationalisation by joint
degrees/diploma and combined studies in co-operation
with other similar or complementary programmes such
as for example in Kaliningrad or Vilnius (joint research
studies, seminars, examinations, diploma etc.).
• There are already links also to Eastern European
Universities such as Tomsk, Irkutsk, Kaliningrad,
Krasnojarsk (Russia), Vilnius (Lithuania) and Szczecin
(Poland).
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Perspectives (3)
• Other partners could be Universities with whom we
have developed intensive Erasmus/Erasmus+
relationships (bilateral agreements) such as
Sheffield, Nottingham (England), Leuven (Belgium)
and Pau, Bayonne (France).
• The head of the criminological department of
Greifswald is regular visiting professor at Bern,
Pau/Bayonne and Nottingham and vice versa
colleagues from these universities hold lectures for
the students in Greifswald.
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Thank you!

Prof. Dr. Frieder Dünkel
Dr. Joanna Grzywa-Holten
duenkel@uni-greifswald.de
grzywa@uni-greifswald.de
Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald,
Lehrstuhl für Kriminologie
Domstr. 20, D-17487 Greifswald
Germany
Tel.: 0049-(0)3834-862138
www.rsf.uni-greifswald.de/duenkel