Law area is the first academic discipline in the world. One of the branches of Law area is Criminal Law. It is dedicated to all aspects of crime, punishment and its annulment. Criminal Law is usually divided on two types: misdemeanors and felonies. Felony is grave criminal offense, such as robbery, murder, rape, incitement to suicide or selling drugs. Misdemeanor is a less severe crime, which causes a less strict punishment — for example, traffic offence.

Criminal Law degree structure

Degrees in the field of law is usually allocated in a separate category in many universities.

Usually an undergraduate degree in Law area in called LLB, or Bachelor of Laws. This degree gives its graduates an opportunity to start a career of practicing lawyer. In other countries, Bachelor of Laws is called BA of Laws or BSc of Laws. These degrees are usually equivalent.

A curriculum in Criminal Law consists of lectures, seminars and practical lessons. Some universities require students to start voluntary legal practice in order to gain work experience.

Entry requirements

Applicants for undergraduate degree in Laws need to have high grades in History and Social Sciences. Since all study programs in Criminal Law, Criminal Justice and Criminology you can find on our website are taught in English, language proficiency is always required. All universities accept the results of IELTS, TOEFL or other equivalent test.

Note that usually application process for Law study programs in foreign universities is highly competitive. For example, only 7 percents of all applications in Yale University are accepted every year. However, universities tend to encourage international Criminology students and provide scholarships for the best ones.

Best Universities

According to QS Top Universities Ranking by Subject, the best university in the world specializing on Law (and particular Criminal Law and Criminology) curriculum, is Harvard University in USA. Some information about Harvard University, application procedure and entry requirements, as well as all study programs hosted by Harvard University, can be found in the university’s profile on our website.

The list of other worlds leading universities hosting Criminal Law study programs, include: University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Yale University, Stanford University, New York University, London School of Economics and Political Science, University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University, University of Chicago, University of Melbourne and many others. Most of the top universities hosting Law study programs are located in USA or UK. Specific requirements for international applicants from these countries can be found on our website. You may also like to compare which education system — European or American — is more suitable for you.