Master's degree in Criminal Law and Criminal Sciences

The objective of the training corresponding to the Master's degree, now autonomous, in Criminal Law and Sciences is to give students a complete and advanced training in criminal matters by relying on the competences of what is recognised as the Aix-en-Provence School of Criminal Sciences, a rare group in French law schools;tences of what is recognised as the Aix School of Criminal Sciences, a rare team in French law faculties covering both criminal sciences (criminal law) and criminological sciences (criminal sciences).

Such training is indispensable in view of the increasing pandemic of society, whatever its scale (national, European, international) and the consequences of the crisis;It is also a question of the difficulties it creates in terms of detection, prevention, response, enforcement and cooperation with regard to the criminal phenomenon.

Within the broad disciplinary field thus covered, the training deploys a research dimension (fundamental, applied...) as well as a professionalizing one in a targeted way in the considered sector (interventions of professionals, internships...).

The Criminal Law and Criminal Sciences major is primarily aimed at French and foreign law students interested in specialising in the field of criminal law.

Beyond that, some Master 2 courses are open, according to their respective specialities, to students from other backgrounds (medicine, psychology, management, finance, etc.).

This course is open from the 1st year Master's degree.

Access is conditional on the submission of an application.

M1 common core (360 H CM and 72H TD) proposing 6 disciplinary courses corresponding to the acquisition of a real specialisation in criminal sciences and, by mutualisation, other courses allowing the acquisition of a complete privatist culture essential to the judicial examinations and competitions.

5 diversified M2 courses, covering the whole field of criminal law and sciences, with a research or professional orientation.

In-depth knowledge of criminal law and criminal sciences allowing :
to analyze and process data on crime as well as on social reaction from the different sources of national, comparative, European or international law (laws, regulations, case law, doctrine...) ;
to analyze and process legal situations;
to understand the changes in the criminal phenomenon and in the law.
Progression and diversification of the specialization in the acquisition of this knowledge between M1 and M2 according to the chosen course: legal and judicial knowledge in criminal sciences; multidisciplinary knowledge concerning the criminal as well as the victim; prevention of insecurity; mastery of prison regulations and acquisition of prison culture; dual competence in management and law.

Acquisition of in-depth knowledge in criminal law and criminal sciences
Correctness of legal reasoning in criminal law and criminal sciences
Mastery of the research method (bibliographic, fundamental, applied, empirical (quantitative and/or qualitative)
Mastery of legal intelligence in criminal law and criminal sciences
Development of analysis and synthesis skills
Mastery of written and oral communication techniques
Autonomy in personal work as well as ability to establish interpersonal relations in team work

In M1, a tutorial offers students either an introduction to research or a professional internship (15 days minimum).

In M2, the internship of a necessarily longer duration (2 à 3 months) constitutes the mark of courses with a more marked professional orientation.

The pursuit of doctoral studies benefits from the assistance of members of the teaching staff in the choice of a subject and of a thesis director in criminal law and sciences. The best students applying for a doctoral contract also benefit from supervision and training. In the first semester, the professional insertion and orientation service will provide the necessary teachings for a better professional insertion, giving students the keys to write a CV, a cover letter and the keys to interview techniques.

Some courses are, in whole or in part, dedicated to international openness, thanks to numerous partnerships with a public or private foreign institution (Faculty of Law, University of Catania, Italy); of Jurisprudence, Università degli Studi, Catania, Italy; Faculty of Law, Lebanese University, French-speaking section; School of Criminology and Research Centre in Public Law, University of Montreal, Canada). These partnerships result in the hosting of foreign students but also offer the possibility for students to spend the second semester of the academic year in a French-speaking country;academic year in a foreign university chosen in consultation with the international relations department of the Faculty of Law and Political Science.