Master's Degree, Faculty of Law

40.04.01 Legal Studies

Course length: 2 years (Full time mode)

Language of study: Russian

Place of study: Rostov-on-Don

Purpose of this educational program

Criminal procedure law is a branch of law that deals with the states duty to ensure the justice and security of society by prosecuting individuals under suspicion of crime, that is, perpetrators, in criminal cases and, if necessary, by imposing punishment at the end of the trial. Criminal procedure is like the sharp sword of the state. In this field, where the individual is extremely weak and vulnerable, the person who is strong and helps the individual in his defense and does not leave the individual alone against the strong state is the lawyer, the defender in the criminal case.

Undoubtedly, the need for a lawyer is extremely important both in civil cases and in administrative jurisdiction cases.

This program aims to prepare qualified specialists for law enforcement and judicial systems, who understand the mechanisms of their functioning, possess modern law enforcement technologies, and are ready after graduation to protect the rights of people who have fallen into the orbit of criminal justice, disclose, investigate and qualify crimes, and professionally participate in combating crime.

Graduates who have successfully mastered the master's degree program will have knowledge of the main areas of investigative, prosecutorial and judicial activities, skills of crime qualification, analysis of law enforcement practice and other analytical activities in the field of crime prevention, application of basic measures of state-legal response in the field of criminal justice.

Awareness of your professional goals; Understanding the essence and purpose of your future profession - We will help you figure it out!

The main feature of the Master's program " Lawyer in the field of criminal proceedings" in 2024 is the individualization of the educational process, which manifests itself in the possibility for students to choose one of two unique educational tracks: and.:

1) Prosecution and defense in criminal cases:  Prosecution and defense in criminal cases; Current problems of crime investigation; Current problems of operational investigative activities; Economic criminal law; Crimes in the field of justice.

2) Criminal justice: Judicial practice in the application of criminal law; The appointment and execution of punishments and other measures of a criminal nature; Judicial control and prosecutorial supervision; Medical criminal law; Differentiation of criminal proceedings/World justice.

Core curriculum

Advantages of this study program:

• Highly qualified teaching staff, responsible employees of the Prosecutor's Office and the Investigative Committee, judges - as invited experts, "top" lawyers of Rostov;on-Don and the Rostov region - permanent teachers of the program;
• Interdisciplinary of the educational process, the ability to combine work and education;
•  The program was prepared and implemented jointly by the Departments of Criminal Law and Criminology and Criminal Procedure and Criminalistics of the Law Faculty of the Southern Federal University.
• Criminal Lawyers are responsible for either prosecuting or defending someone accused of a criminal offence. They are required to act in a neutral, impartial manner to ensure that the legal rights of those prosecuted are upheld and that they receive fair treatment against the conduct of the law.
• Academic trainings are held in state and local government bodies, as well as legal services, organizations, enterprises and institutions.
• Our partner organizations: The Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Rostov Region, the Southern Transport Prosecutor's Office, the Rostov Regional Court, the Rostov Region Law Chamber, the Military Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Southern Military District.

Prospects. Career & Employment

Graduates can make a successful career in the Prosecutor's Office, the judicial system, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, investigative and analytical units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the bar and other institutions and bodies involved in the criminal justice system (customs, tax, etc.):

• Prosecutors work in local district attorney's offices and for the federal Department of Justice.
• Defense lawyers can work for public defenders' offices or work privately through a law firm.
• Many defense lawyers who work in law firms take court appointments.

Close cooperation with well-known lawyers and practitioners, as well as the high professional level of graduates allows our students to be in demand in the modern labor market. Over 80% of graduates are employed in their specialty.

Also, graduates can continue their postgraduate studies and build a scientific and pedagogical career.