Law and security degrees
Law, Legal Practice, Criminology, Forensic Science, Forensic Psychology and others: law and security degrees are studied at universities and institutes in different Spanish-speaking countries.
If you like debating, discussing what seems fair or unfair to you, watching investigative series or putting together theories about a case, there are degrees designed just for that.
What the law and security degrees have in common
Almost all of them work with rules, facts and people: you study how justice works, how what happened is investigated and how a community is protected. In many you read, write and analyze specific situations, and in several you also learn to analyze evidence or evaluate behavior.
Some rely mainly on laws; others combine law with science, psychology or security planning.
The law and security degrees
Law and legal practice
The best-known path to work with laws and defend other people. Law and Legal Practice are very similar, and in some countries they are used almost as synonyms: look at what the degree is called in the country where you want to study.
Investigating and analyzing
For those who enjoy figuring out what happened and why, or analyzing a clue in detail: Forensic Science works with the evidence in a case and scientific methods, Criminology with the evaluation of behavior and the human mind, Forensic Psychology with psychology applied to justice and Graphology with handwriting analysis.
Security and defense
Closer to creating action plans: Citizen Security focuses on public and private security plans, and Contemporary Strategy on national defense plans.
Where to study law and security
Universidad CEU San Pablo (CEU)Madrid · PrivateCriminologyLawLaw and Legal PracticeForensic ScienceForensic Psychology
ESERP Business School (ESERP)Madrid · PrivateLawCriminologyLaw and Legal Practice
Instituto Universitario de la PolicÃa Federal Argentina (IUPFA)Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires · PublicPublic SafetyForensic ScienceLaw and Legal Practice
Universidad Antonio de Nebrija (UANE)Madrid · PrivateLawPublic SafetyCriminology
Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur (UABCS)La Paz · PublicLawCriminologyPublic Safety
Universidad Católica de la Plata (UCALP)La Plata · PrivateLaw and Legal PracticeForensic ScienceLaw
Universidad de Alicante (UA)San Vicente del Raspeig · PublicLawCriminologyLaw and Legal Practice
Universidad de Cádiz (UCA)Cádiz · PublicLawCriminologyLaw and Legal PracticeHow to choose between them
Pay attention to what you do when no one asks you to: if you like defending a position in a debate, if you keep thinking about how a case was solved, if you are more interested in the science behind a clue or if you prefer organizing how a neighborhood's problems are solved.
Then ask yourself if you are more drawn to speaking and writing arguments, observing and analyzing evidence, or understanding why people act the way they do. In the latter case, you might feel more at home in Criminology than in Law.
If you are unsure between two, for example Law and Criminology, compare the subjects in each profile and the admission requirements. The career test shows you which of these degrees are closest to your answers.
To read before choosing
Frequently asked questions
Are Law and Advocacy the same?
They are very similar and prepare you for the same legal field, but the degree title changes depending on the country and the institution. Check what it is called where you want to study.
How long do the law and security degrees last?
Law and Advocacy are the longest in the area; Criminology and Contemporary Strategy, somewhat shorter; Criminalistics and Citizen Security, even shorter, and Graphology is a brief program.
Do I have to be a good public speaker to study law?
It helps, but you learn it. It mostly involves a lot of careful reading, writing clearly and arguing in an orderly way, and that is practiced during the degree.
What is the difference between Criminology and Criminalistics?
Criminalistics studies the evidence in a case (fingerprints, objects, traces) with scientific methods to find out what happened; Criminology studies behavior and the human mind. Read each profile to see its subjects.
Are there degrees in this area that are not for lawyers?
Yes: Criminalistics, Criminology, Forensic Psychology, Graphology, Citizen Security and Contemporary Strategy have their own path. Some combine law with science or psychology.