Law and security degrees in Spain
Law, Legal Practice, Criminology, Citizen Security, Criminalistics and Forensic Psychology: these are the law and security degrees you can study in Spain.
If you like debating, if you are interested in how justice works or if you can spend an afternoon following a real case, there are study paths to do that for a living.
How law and security is studied in Spain
The Degree in Law is taught at public and private universities all over the country, from Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla to Oviedo, Burgos, Cádiz and Valencia. To practice as a lawyer, after the degree you complete the Master's for Access to Legal Practice; Law and Legal Practice are thus two steps on the same path.
Criminology studies human behavior and the human mind; Criminalistics, the evidence in a case; Citizen Security, public and private security plans, and Forensic Psychology brings psychology into the field of justice. To find out if a qualification is official, check the Registry of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT).
The law and security degrees in Spain
In all of them you read and write a lot and analyze cases, although the working material changes: laws and rulings in Law, human behavior in Criminology, the evidence in a case in Criminalistics. Criminology overlaps with the social sciences and humanities degrees in Spain, and Forensic Psychology with health ones.
Where to study law and security in Spain
Universidad CEU San Pablo (CEU)Madrid · PrivateCriminologyLawLaw and Legal PracticeForensic ScienceForensic Psychology
ESERP Business School (ESERP)Madrid · PrivateLawCriminologyLaw and Legal Practice
Universidad Antonio de Nebrija (UANE)Madrid · PrivateLawPublic SafetyCriminology
Universidad de Alicante (UA)San Vicente del Raspeig · PublicLawCriminologyLaw and Legal Practice
Universidad de Cádiz (UCA)Cádiz · PublicLawCriminologyLaw and Legal Practice
Universidad de Oviedo (UOV)Oviedo · PublicLawCriminologyLaw and Legal Practice
Universidad Internacional Isabel I de Castilla (UI1)Burgos · PrivateLawCriminologyLaw and Legal Practice
Universidad Loyola AndalucÃa (ULA)Dos Hermanas · PrivateLawCriminologyLaw and Legal PracticeHow to choose between them
Notice what you do when nobody asks you to: if you enjoy defending a position, if you keep thinking about how a case was resolved or if you like understanding why someone acted the way they did.
Then think about whether you prefer arguing and writing (Law), analyzing people's behavior (Criminology), studying the evidence in a case (Criminalistics) or preparing security plans (Citizen Security).
If you are torn between Law and Criminology, compare the subjects in their profiles and the cutoff grade at each university, which can vary a lot. The career test suggests which of these degrees best match your answers.
To read before choosing
Frequently asked questions
Are Law and Legal Practice the same thing?
In Spain you study the Degree in Law and, to practise as a lawyer, you then do the Máster de Acceso a la AbogacÃa. Check in the RUCT how each qualification is listed.
How long do these degrees take in Spain?
The degrees in this area take a similar amount of time. If you want to practise as a lawyer, you have to add the Máster de Acceso a la AbogacÃa to Law.
What is the difference between Criminology and Criminalistics?
Criminalistics studies the evidence in a case using scientific methods; Criminology studies behaviour and the human mind. Look at the subjects in each profile.
What grade do I need to get into Law?
Each university publishes its cutoff grade every year, and it is calculated using the Bachillerato and the Prueba de Acceso a la Universidad (PAU). The places available are on the website of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.
Do I need to be good at speaking to study Law?
Not to start. There is a lot of reading and writing, and presenting out loud is developed during the degree.