Master’s Degree in Criminology

The general objectives of the program are:

• Providing educational, training, and skills services to the student.
• Preparing a cadre of crime science specialists to meet the needs of the local labor market.
• Preparing a specialized cadre capable of competing according to scientific and technological developments.
• Providing opportunities for graduates in social and behavioral sciences or those working in social, security, judicial, punitive/rehabilitative institutions related to deviance and crime to study in a specialized program that meets the requirements of official and non-official institutions locally and regionally.
• Demonstrating an understanding of theoretical knowledge in criminal justice and criminology.
• Critically analyzing crime and deviance issues using theoretical, methodological, and statistical skills.
• Applying cognitive classifications and theoretical models to real situations related to crime and deviance issues in the Palestinian society.

Upon graduation, graduating students are expected to possess knowledge and understanding of the importance of:

• criminology in shaping collective and social awareness and its relationship with criminal justice agencies.
• Advanced statistical and social research skills and principles in criminology and criminal justice.
• Laws related to punishment and the scientific foundations upon which they are built.
• Criminal justice systems as a system of reform and rehabilitation in correctional and rehabilitation centers.
• Criminal policies in the field of law enforcement, judiciary procedures, rehabilitation, and reform.
• Domestic violence and violence against women in human societies and ways to address them.
• Victimology and its evolution and the relationship between the offender and the victim, and its relationship with criminology and criminal justice.
• The field of criminal psychology, its theories, and the detection and analysis of criminal behavior.
• The development of administrative thought and its applications, especially in the field of security management.
• Sciences and knowledge related to theories that explain criminal motives and impulses.
• Preventive programs used in dealing with the phenomenon of crime and preventing it.
• Study of different international and Arab models and experiences in the field of treating, reforming, and rehabilitating offenders at both theoretical and field levels.
• Contemporary crime theories and their familiarity, through studying the most important modern explanatory theories and models in the field of crime, deviation, and delinquency.
• Measures of attitudes and public opinion, their types, and their social and security applications.
• Possessing skills in preparing a research project in criminology and deviation, in which all scientific research and statistical tools and procedures are met.
• Criminal behavior on social networking sites.
• Social control institutions and legal and social measures and their impact on reducing crime and deviation.

The Master’s program in Criminology accepts candidates who meet the following criteria:

• Holding a bachelor’s degree in the following majors (Social Sciences, Psychology, Educational Counseling, Law, Security and Police Sciences, Political Science, or any other related major as determined by the program committee) with a cumulative GPA of no less than 70% from a recognized university.
• Two recommendation letters from work or academic references.
• Passing a personal interview.
• Passing the remedial courses determined by the program committee with a minimum GPA of 75%, during the first year of enrollment.
• Complying with the regulations of the graduate studies at the university

If the desired major for the candidate is not among the majors mentioned above in the admission requirements, the student is required to take all the remedial courses, which amount to (9 hours), and obtain a cumulative GPA in all courses of no less than 80% to continue in the program (with the approval of the program committee for the major).

Graduates of the program can work in various governmental, private, security, academic institutions, colleges, and research centers that operate in the same field. Additionally, they can pursue doctoral programs in disciplines such as criminology, forensic psychology, criminal law, crime sociology, and security media, and other related disciplines in Arab and international universities. Studying for a master’s degree enables students to obtain important administrative positions in the institutions where they work, and enhances their research capabilities significantly, which reflects on their work performance. Furthermore, studying for a master’s degree develops the student’s abilities to analyze all social issues, problems, and phenomena scientifically and logically, and make decisions related to the interest of individuals and the community.

The Criminology program at Al-Quds University has a memorandum of understanding with the University of Jordan in Amman to develop the specialization between the Faculty of Arts at Al-Quds University and the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Jordan. The program allows for the exchange of students and teachers within the joint educational program, as well as hosting teachers from foreign and Arab universities to participate in program activities. The academic staff of the program consists of PhD holders in several specializations and from other departments and colleges inside and outside the university. The students enrolled in the program benefit from gaining knowledge, experience, and practical expertise from the teachers and supervisors of the courses, research, and graduation projects, each according to their specialization. Despite the aforementioned memorandum of understanding, the program has been taught at Al-Quds University campus since its inception and still is.

 A list of course names and numbers offered in the program:

 The specialization includes two types of academic requirements:

• (A): Includes mandatory courses that aim to provide the student with knowledge, professional expertise, values, advanced and modern skills, and form the basis for working in institutions specialized in protection, rehabilitation, and crime prevention.
• (B): Includes elective courses in different fields, whether related to issues related to crime and criminals, or related to criminal justice institutions (law enforcement, judiciary, and rehabilitation).

 Program requirements for courses:

The requirements	The number of approved hours.
Mandatory General Courses (for all students)	21
Elective Courses	9
Thesis Track	6
Comprehensive Track (Research Seminar + Supplementary Elective Course)	6
Total Required Hours	36

 Remedial Courses:

Remedial courses courses are determined by the program committee according to the need of each student and based on their specialization in the bachelor’s degree. However, the program generally offers 3 Rremedial courses, totaling (9) hours, as shown below:

Course No.	Course Name	Hours
8149001	Human Behavioral Science	3
8149002	Criminal law	3
8149003	Introduction to Sociology.	3
Total		9

Required courses:

Course No.	Course Name	Hours	Prerequestie Course
8149501	Research Methods in Criminology	3
8149510	Theories in Criminology	3
8149511	Statistics in Criminology	3
8149610	Collective Behavior and Violence	3	8149510
8149620	Criminal Justice Systems	3	8149510
8149611	Institutional and Community-Based Corrections	3	8149610
8149660	Field Training in Criminology	3
Total		21

 Elective Requirements:

The student chooses to study three courses (9 credit hours) from the following elective courses:

Prerequiste Course	Hours	Course Name	Course No
8149620	3	Criminology	8149512
8149510	3	Violence and crimes against women	8149513
8149510	3	Security in the information society	8149540
8149512	3	Contemporary criminal policy	8149612
	3	Drug addiction	8149612
8149510	3	Criminal psychology	8149550
8149611	3	Change and modernization in societies	8149614
	3	Media and crime	8149531
8149611	3	Psychological counseling in correctional institutions	8149651
8149540	3	Strategic security	8149641
8149510	3	Crime prevention	8149516
8149510	3	Victimology	8149517
8149510	3	Human rights	8149621
8149510	3	Crime and the environment	8149615
9		Total elective courses

Thesis Track:

Hours	Course Name	Course No.
6	The thesis is divided into thesis (1) and thesis (2), each consisting of (3) hours.	8149600
6	Total

Comprehensive Track:

Course No.	Course Name	Hours
8149601	Research circle/group	3
*******	An elective complementary course for the comprehensive track	3
8149777	Comprehensive exam	0
Total		6

 

Mandatory Requirements:

Course No.	Course Name	Hours	Prerequiste
8149501	Research Methods in Criminology	3

The course “Research Methods in Criminology” covers the nature of differences between various research methods and techniques used in criminology and criminal justice, such as descriptive, historical, experimental, and quasi-experimental methods. The course focuses on defining variables, formulating research questions and hypotheses, constructing theoretical frameworks, designing appropriate methodologies, including sampling, data collection tools, descriptive and inferential statistical methods, and the principles of constructing qualitative research in the study of deviance and crime on the one hand and the study of criminal justice systems on the other. In addition, the course covers how to discuss study results and formulate appropriate recommendations by analyzing specific research in criminology and criminal justice.

 Prerequiste Course

Prerequiste	Hours	Course Name	Course No.
	3	Statistics in Criminology	8149511

The course “Statistics in Criminology” covers the study of the nature of criminological statistics and statistics used in criminal justice systems, as well as their dimensions in terms of the multiplicity, gradation, and interaction of their variables. It enables students to translate crime phenomena into multiple variables based on their types, especially at different measurement levels, and how this relates to statistical measures and tests (measures of central tendency, measures of variability, measures of correlation and regression, t-tests of all kinds, one-way ANOVA and multiple ANOVA). The course aims to equip students with the skills to build appropriate measurement tools, test their validity and reliability, and critique a sample of research and studies in the field of criminology and criminal justice from a statistical perspective. Additionally, the course provides training on using the statistical package (SPSS) to analyze data according to various and multiple measures and tests.

 

Prerequiste	Hours	Course Name	Course No.
	3	Theories of Criminolog	8149510

This course covers the study of theories in criminology and familiarity with them, by studying the most important traditional and modern explanatory theories and models in the field of crime and deviance. It also covers the most contemporary theories in criminology, such as social labeling theory, control theory, social construction theory, modern biological theory, and modern social and political interpretations of criminal behavior. In addition, it addresses practical applications based on these theories.

 Prerequiste Course

Prerequiste	Hours	Course Name	Course No.
8149510	3	Collective Behavior and Violence	8149610

This course focuses on the study of violence and its resulting harm, whether it is moral or physical harm that includes (insults, threats, hitting, torture, murder, physical assault, rape, and theft). The course also addresses the concept of organized violence, which takes on a precise organizational character, whether for political, economic, or social purposes, among others. Additionally, the course examines the causes of violence (such as robbery, theft, harm, murder, rape, state violence, white-collar crime, and organized crime) and how to confront it within the context of the concept and assumptions of collective behavior. 

 

Prerequiste	Hours	Course Name	Course No.
8149510	3	Criminal justice systems	8149620

This course covers the concept of criminal justice and the types of criminal justice systems that comprise of police, prosecution, courts, correctional and punishment institutions. The course offers a comprehensive study of the evolution of criminal justice systems and their applications, through detailed examination, analysis, and evaluation of the key components of the criminal justice system, specifically the subsystems of criminal justice and their interconnectivity, punishment and alternatives, and the future of criminal justice. Additionally, the course aims to provide an understanding of the knowledge pertaining to crime and the criminal justice system.

 

Prerequiste	Hours	Course Name	Course No.
8149610	3	Institutional and Societal Reform	8149611

This course deals with the definition of the reformist approach and the criminal justice system and its components, which are represented by the police, courts, and prisons (reform and rehabilitation institutions). It also discusses familiarity with punishment theories and philosophy and their reformist role and alternatives. Additionally, it clarifies the philosophy of community reform and the importance of local community and community policing in rehabilitating offenders. The course also covers community-based correctional methods, including monitoring (monitoring the behavior of minors and adults), parole, public service, and their applications to adult offenders and juveniles.

 

Prerequiste	Hours	Course Name	Course No.
	3	Practicum in Criminal Justice	8149660

This course introduces the student to the institutions of the criminal justice system and the multiple branches of criminology in the Palestinian society, especially law enforcement institutions (police, courts, judiciary, punishment, reform and rehabilitation institutions), in addition to private and civil institutions working in the field of criminal justice and criminology. The coordination with these institutions allows for the integration of the student in one institution during each semester for learning, studying, practicing and applying the theoretical aspects studied, through a weekly practical training day (equivalent to 3 training hours per week).

Elective Requirements:

Prerequiste	Hours	Course Name	Course No.
8149520	3	Penology	8149512

This course covers the definition of the punitive aspect as a means of social reaction, and introduces students to the various schools of punishment and philosophies related to the justification of criminal sanctions in general, as well as the forms of criminal sanctions and the problems associated with their specific application. In addition, the course covers the sufficient cognitive aspects of punitive execution methods and their development through the ages to the present day, as well as methods of treatment within penal institutions and means of post-care for such punitive measures.

 

Prerequiste	Hours	Course Name	Course No.
8149510	3	Violence and crimes Against woman	8149513

This course addresses violence and crime against women, from both feminist theories and criminology perspectives. It examines the nature of crimes committed against women and their general interaction with criminal justice systems. It also analyzes studies that focus on concepts such as gender, deviance, crime, criminal justice system, and their interrelationships.

 

Prerequiste	Hours	Course Name	Course No.
8149510	3	Security in Information Society	8149540

This course focuses on understanding the importance of information in social life, as well as understanding the concept of information security and confidentiality and their applications. It also covers crimes related to information, patterns of behavior in the information society, as well as identifying the characteristics of the information society and the social problems and effects resulting from the transition to it.

 

 

Prerequiste	Hours	Course Name	Course No.
	3	Contemporary Criminal Policy	8149612

This course aims to achieve several objectives, including familiarizing students with the development of the punitive policy in general and its development in Palestine in particular, as well as the diversity of punitive systems and criminal policy. Additionally, it covers knowledge of punitive policies in contemporary systems and the development of punitive schools. It also covers modern administrative systems of punitive institutions (international and Arab models), in addition to recognizing the role of Arab criminal policy in confronting crime. This is achieved through exploring punitive and therapeutic attitudes towards deviant behavior, interpreting the diversity of punitive systems, the purposes of criminal measures in contemporary criminal policy, and the challenges facing criminal policy in general and Palestine in particular.

 

Prerequiste	Hours	Course Name	Course No.
	3	Drug addiction	8149613

This course aims to introduce the students to drugs and their types and effects, as well as to the concept of drug addiction, its types, symptoms, and causes. It also covers various models for confronting drug addiction, in addition to examining the phenomenon of drug addiction in the Palestinian society and the existing methods for addressing it..

Prerequiste	Hours	Course Name	Course No.
8149510	3	Criminal Psychology	8149550

The course deals with an in-depth discussion of the study of human behavior, especially criminal behavior, in psychology. Through the course, students will learn about physical and psychological diseases and disorders, the characteristics and traits of criminals, and the scientific explanation of the psychological factors that drive people to commit crimes, meaning the correct diagnosis to modify their behavior. The course will also cover the study of contemporary psychological theoretical frameworks and practical foundations that focus on interpreting the motives behind criminal behavior, including the biological-psychological orientation, cognitive-behavioral orientation, and social-psychological orientation. Additionally, the course will study personal variables and their relationship to deviant behavior, and introduce methods for measuring and diagnosing deviant behavior, such as cognitive tests and personality measures.

Prerequiste	Hours	Course Name	Course No.
8149611	3	Change and Modernization in Communities	8149614

This course aims to provide the student with knowledge and experience related to theories, laws, sources, and models of social change and modernization in Palestine, as well as in the Arab world and the world in general. This includes social, political, cultural, and economic changes, as well as the role of national liberation movements, revivalist movements, the information revolution, media, education, natural resources, and globalization in the modernization process. The course is expected to identify the contribution of social changes, modernity, and technology in the development of criminology, particularly in terms of its theories and the characteristics of new types of crimes.

Prerequiste	Hours	Course Name	Course No.
	3	Media and Crime	8149513

This course discusses the various ways in which the media, in all its forms, covers crime and criminal justice systems, with a particular focus on how different media portray criminal activities and shape the perception of crime as a social problem. It also examines the media’s impact on public policy. The course covers topics such as crime news, movies and TV shows and how they depict crime and criminals, the media as a cause of crime, appropriate ways to address crime and how to prevent it through the media, with the aim of reducing the negative effects of media.

Prerequiste	Hours	Course Name	Course No.
8149540	3	Strategic Security	8149641

The course aims to enhance students’ analytical skills and capabilities to meet contemporary security challenges from a strategic perspective. It discusses challenges and issues that protect national interests and enhance national security. In addition, it includes building an effective strategic plan within the state that provides the expertise, capabilities, and tools necessary to formulate a (short, medium, long-term) plan to achieve security. This plan starts from the concept of comprehensive national security and sustainable development, where challenges and risks are addressed in their developmental dimensions. It also provides guarantees and mechanisms for building in the direct security sense and the justice sector, and how to maintain the necessity of integration between the security sector and the justice sector by enhancing the criminal justice system, police, rehabilitation and correction centers, and other sectors that intersect with the criminal justice system.

Prerequiste	Hours	Course Name	Course No.
8149611	3	Psychological Counseling in Rehabilitation Institutions	8149651

The world witnesses every day new developments in the fields of care for individuals in correctional institutions and rehabilitation centers. Therefore, this course introduces modern methods in guiding residents in correctional and rehabilitation centers, which include a number of options that can be followed according to the individual’s situation and the guidance institution. Thus, through this course, the student learns about modern methods of psychological guidance for residents in correctional and rehabilitation centers, in addition to familiarizing themselves with theories of psychological guidance such as (psychoanalytic theory, behaviorist school theory, person-centered therapy theory, reality therapy and control theory). Furthermore, the course reviews and analyzes models of psychological guidance for cases within correctional and rehabilitation institutions in Palestine.

Prerequiste	Hours	Course Name	Course No.
8149510	3	Crime Prevention	8149516

The course focuses on introducing students to crime prevention strategies and new approaches to prevention, through explaining and clarifying the types and stages of prevention (with emphasis on primary prevention, secondary prevention, and tertiary prevention). Additionally, the course clarifies different modern methods, measures, and practical models for dealing with the phenomenon of crime, and preventive and precautionary factors to prevent its occurrence. In general, the course aims to define several related concepts, including crime, crime prevention, crime prevention programs, community initiative, crime prevention theories, and the role of civil organizations in crime prevention.

 

Prerequiste	Hours	Course Name	Course No.
8149510	3	Victimology	8149517

The course covers the definition of victimology, its development, the study of victim characteristics, the social, psychological, and economic effects of victimization, victimology theories, the relationship between the offender and the victim, victims’ rights, compensation, and rehabilitation methods.

Prerequiste	Hours	Course Name	Course No.
8149510	3	Human Rights	8149621

This course aims to introduce students to human rights and their various types, provide a historical overview of documents related to human rights and the guarantees provided by the law for these rights. It also covers concepts related to rights, including freedom, justice, equality, and defining the boundaries and limitations of human beings.

Prerequiste	Hours	Course Name	Course No.
8149510	3	Crime and the Phenomenon	8149615

The course covers the changing trends of crime based on fundamental concepts (physical, natural, and artificial environment that affect human needs) with the aim of discovering the relationships between individuals’ interaction with their environment and crime. It also examines patterns and characteristics of criminals, types of environments and ecology and their relationship to committing crimes, in addition to methods of measuring and classifying crime and criminals based on their residential areas and the specific geographic features using the “Geographic Profiling” methodology.

Thesis
Hours	Course Name	Course No.
6	Thesis (1) and (2)	8149600

This course focuses on studying a specialized topic in criminology that provides practical solutions to society. The student is required to publicly defend their thesis, according to the instructions of the graduate programs at Al-Quds University, issued under the Graduate Studies System No. (1) for the year 1996, with amendments in the years (98/99 and 2000/2001). The student is expected to write a thesis on any topic related to the field of specialization, in consultation with their specialized supervisor.

Comprehensive Exam
8149601	Semina	3
***8149	An optional complementary course for the Comprehensive Track	3
8149777	Comprehensive exam	0
Total		6

In regards to the research cycle, the student prepares a specialized study in criminology (according to the instructions of the graduate programs at Al-Quds University, issued under the graduate studies system No. (1) for the year 1996, and amendments in 98/99 and 2000/2001), where the student writes a research paper on any topic related to the specialization chosen with the course advisor. In addition, the student studies another elective course to complete the program’s credit hours. Then, the comprehensive exam is taken, which aims to measure the student’s ability to link the basic and advanced concepts acquired in their study, and employ them in solving scientific and applied problems in the field of specialization. The axes covered by the comprehensive exam in its oral and written parts are determined before the exam (complying with “the instructions of the graduate programs at Al-Quds University, issued under the graduate studies system No. (1) for the year 1996, and amendments in 98/99 and 2000/2001”).