Program Overview

Master in Criminal and Criminal Procedural Law

The Master in Criminal and Criminal Procedural Law is a postgraduate program that provides students with in-depth knowledge of substantive Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure Law. The program pays special attention to recent criminal phenomena, such as corruption, organized crime, high-tech crimes, white-collar crimes, and restorative justice.

Graduate School of Law

The program is offered by the Graduate School of Law at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. The direction of the program is led by Prof. Helena Soleto Muńoz and Prof. Ana Garrocho Salcedo, with a team of deputy directors including Prof. Anna Fiodorova, Prof. Noel Villalba López, Prof. Belén Hernández Moura, Prof. Juan Alcoceba Gil, and Prof. MŞ Teresa Carretero Sanjuán.

Program Details

• Language: Spanish
• Attendance: Online and On-campus
• Credits: 60
• Campus: Madrid - Puerta de Toledo
• Applications: Open for both on-campus and online attendance, with 40 places available for each mode.

Curriculum

The syllabus for the Master's degree in Criminal and Criminal Procedural Law comprises two modules and the final master's dissertation.

• Basic Module (Compulsory): 36 ECTS
• Specialisation Module (Optional): 12 ECTS (choose 4 subjects)
• Master's Final Dissertation (TFM): 12 ECTS

Year 1 - Semester 1

Basic Module

• Procedural Area:
  • Rule of Law and Criminal Justice (3 ECTS)
  • Practical Aspects of Criminal Justice (9 ECTS)
• Criminal Area:
  • Advanced Studies of the Crimes Legal Theory (3 ECTS)
  • Organised Crime (3 ECTS)
  • International Criminal Law (3 ECTS)
  • Fundamental Rights and Criminal Law (3 ECTS)
  • Advanced Studies in Penology and Prison Law (3 ECTS)
• Mixed Area:
  • Criminal Justice and Legal Persons (3 ECTS)

Year 1 - Semester 2

Basic Module

• Procedural Area:
  • Advanced Studies of Evidential Matters (3 ECTS)
  • International Jurisdiction and Co-operation (3 ECTS)

Specialization Module

• Procedural Area:
  • Forensic Science (3 ECTS)
  • Restorative Justice (3 ECTS)
  • Civil Responsibility and Civil Consequences of the Crime (3 ECTS)
• Criminal Area:
  • White-collar Crime (3 ECTS)
  • Criminal Law's Response to the Corruption (3 ECTS)
  • Women's Protection in Criminal and Procedural Law (3 ECTS)
  • Cybercrime (3 ECTS)
• Mixed Area:
  • Juvenile Justice System (3 ECTS)

Master's Final Dissertation

• Masters Thesis (12 ECTS)

Admission

• Application: The request must be submitted electronically through the university's application system.
• Requirements: According to the Royal Decree 822/2021, applicants must possess an official Spanish university qualification or another issued by a higher education institution in the European Higher Education Area that entitles the holder to access a master's degree course.
• Admission Criteria:
  • Applicant's curriculum vitae (3 points)
  • Applicant's academic record (3 points)
  • Letter of intention and recommendations and references (3 points)
  • Knowledge of foreign languages (1 point)

Enrollment

• Tuition Fees:
  • EU Students: 5,700 (95/ECTS) for the first academic year (60 ECTS)
  • Non-EU Students: 9,000 (150/ECTS) for the first academic year (60 ECTS)
• Reservation Fee: 600, paid once the student receives notification of admission and deducted from the first tuition payment.

Scholarships

• The university offers tuition grants for the academic year 2026/2027, with a maximum of 4 grants announced to cover the net tuition fees for students admitted to the Master's program.

Faculty

The program is taught by a team of professors and researchers from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, including:

• UC3M Faculty:
  • Prof. Abella López, Javier
  • Prof. Alcoceba Gil, Juan
  • Prof. Arnáiz Serrano, Amaya
  • Prof. Carretero Sanjuán, Maite
  • Prof. Castro Moreno, Abraham
  • Prof. Dopico Gómez Aller, Jacobo
  • Prof. Fiodorova, Anna
  • Prof. García Peńa, Eduardo
  • Prof. Garrocho Salcedo, Ana
  • Prof. Hernández Moura, Belén
  • Prof. Muńoz Lorente, José Avelino
  • Prof. Rodríguez Barrueta, Ane
  • Prof. Soleto Muńoz, Helena
  • Prof. Villalba López, Noel
  • Prof. Zafra Espinosa de los Monteros, Rocío
• External Faculty:
  • Prof. Cancio Meliá, Manuel
  • Prof. Castillo de la Fuente, Elena
  • Prof. Cubero Flores, David
  • Prof. Etxebarría Zarrabeitia, Xabier Karlos
  • Prof. Galdeano, Ana MŞ
  • Prof. Gascón Alarma, Abril
  • Prof. López Ortega, Juan José
  • Prof. Maculan, Elena
  • Prof. Maraver Gómez, Mario
  • Prof. Martín Martín de la Escalera, Ana
  • Prof. Mínguez Rosique, Marina
  • Prof. Molina Fernández, Fernando
  • Prof. Montaner Fernández, Raquel
  • Prof. Pillado González, Esther
  • Prof. Pozuelo Pérez, Laura
  • Prof. Revilla González, Jose Alberto
  • Prof. Rodríguez Horcajo, Daniel
  • Prof. Rodríguez Yagüe, María Cristina
  • Prof. Tejada de la Fuente, Elvira

Virtual Mode

The Master's program is also offered in a virtual mode, which allows students to take the postgraduate course online. The virtual mode consists of:

• Obligatory Subjects: 36 ECTS
• Optional Subjects: 12 ECTS
• Masters Thesis: 12 ECTS The evaluation of each subject will be carried out entirely online, consisting of a continuous evaluation and a final exam after each term. The Master's Thesis defense will take place in June/July or September, either virtually or in person on the campus of the students' choice.